Management
IRS can’t fully verify in-person work compliance, IG says
The agency identified just 30 employees out of compliance with its return-to-office directive, even as investigators cited gaps in how compliance is verified.
Management
Underused federal offices targeted as GSA releases utilization data
The agency found that thousands of federal buildings did not meet a statutory 60% minimum average utilization rate.
Management
Trump admin uses Kid Rock and football to recruit young people to government
A good government group contended that the president’s broader civil service reforms, including previous cuts to early-career staff, would undermine efforts to recruit younger workers.
Management
As the number of political appointees surge and career SES ranks shrink, one nonprofit warns of ‘institutional consequences’
The Trump administration has sought to exert more political influence over the Senior Executive Service, which are the highest-ranking career civil servants.
Management
Federal contractor DEI initiatives singled out in latest Trump executive order
Trump’s anti-diversity directives already impacted contractors, but the new order imposes additional requirements.
Management
GSA just sold a vacant D.C. federal building and says more sales are coming
The Trump administration is undertaking an effort to shrink the size of the federal portfolio.
Updated
Oversight
Inspector general group to be led by former Trump administration adviser
A government oversight organization said that the selection of Cheryl Mason, who is the inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department, shows the White House is “putting more of a thumb on the scale” of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.
Management
Postal unions and stakeholders wary as Trump nominates little-known picks to USPS board
The president has so far nominated four individuals to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors; there are five vacancies.
Workforce
New bills would extend whistleblower protections to more feds
The measures specifically deal with civil servants who investigate and report wrongdoing in their normal duties and ones who work for government corporations.
Updated
Workforce
Stalled onboarding of Foreign Service fellows draws questions from lawmakers
Multiple programs that agencies use to recruit new employees have been upended by the Trump administration’s civil service reforms.
Management
Migrants who attack federal law enforcement animals could face expedited deportation
The Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working (BOWOW) Animals Act passed in the House, but drew opposition from Democrats over concerns it is redundant and poses a threat to due process.
Oversight
Inspector general’s reported plan to run for Congress is a Hatch Act violation, lawmakers and ethics orgs say
Federal employees are not permitted to run for partisan office or to prepare for such an election.
Management
Nearly $1 stamps? Lawmakers contemplate how to avert USPS financial crisis
During a hearing, officials testified that the Postal Service will likely run out of money without congressional intervention.
Oversight
Watchdog warns of challenges as IRS handles first tax season after Trump staffing cuts
The Government Accountability Office also reported that the tax agency has reversed some of its losses due to the deferred resignation program.
Updated
Management
Union and lawmakers criticize HUD’s handling of HQ move as questions go unanswered
Employees and Democratic senators claim HUD officials have not been forthcoming with operational or budget details related to the move to Virginia, which they argue could run afoul of federal law.
Workforce
Education Department staff cuts have hurt service rather than streamlined bureaucracy, say opponents on 1-year mark of RIFs
Lawmakers and education advocates at Wednesday’s press conference also emphasized that the department has hired back some employees, and Congress rejected many proposed funding reductions at Education.
Management
Bipartisan bill would authorize the Secret Service to reimburse state and local police for assistance
The Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that local law enforcement often work with the Secret Service but have to rely on their own resources.
Oversight
Many federal programs are missing from an OMB inventory, watchdog reports
A recent Government Accountability Office report found that a federal program inventory is incomplete, not in compliance with statutory requirements and includes inaccurate information.
Oversight
Whistleblower report about waste leads to downsizing at one agency, OSC reports
The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals increased staffing to deal with a backlog of appeals, but an individual flagged that the expanded workforce was not readjusted when case levels returned to normal, resulting in about $30 million in unnecessary costs.
Management