Workforce
A time machine tour of civil service reform
COMMENTARY | From Washington to Trump, every era has redefined the rules of federal employment. If you could set the clock, which version of the merit system would you choose?
CDC has shed one-quarter of staff even as it recalls some laid off workers
Agency tells court that states are not suffering "irreparable harm" from cuts even as agency leaders lament "operational disruptions" and "loss of expertise and capacity."
Breaking News
Trump administration resumes layoffs, targeting National Archives staff
Employees warn of impacts at presidential libraries and on records retrieval.
Breaking News
Judge blocks State Department layoffs
The Trump administration has sought special dispensation to imminently cut staff at State, but employees won a—potentially short-lived—reprieve.
The Trump hiring plan wants to fix federal jobs, but it might just make things worse
COMMENTARY | The administration’s new approach promises faster, fairer hiring. But with old-school rules and political essay tests, it could actually make the process harder for everyone. There is another, better way.
Employee groups challenge ‘favorite EO’ question as agencies begin rollout
Experts warn that the Trump administration’s new essay questionnaire for most federal job applicants amount to a litmus test to politicize agency hiring.
Exclusive
VA signs $700K agreement with OPM for assistance with mass layoffs
The department lacks expertise for such a large reduction, it says, and RIF planners confirm VA leadership is not offering clear guidance.
Trump’s push for executive order loyalty risks undermining the federal workforce and the Constitution
COMMENTARY | Federal workers are being asked to prove their loyalty to Trump’s agenda, but history shows that when politics overtakes merit, government performance suffers.
NASA renews its push to slash its workforce
The agency would give employees accepting deferred resignations an extended deadline to collect pay while not working.
OPM recommends telework, other flexibilities for D.C.-area feds ahead of military parade
The Trump administration previously took pains to end the regular use of telework by federal workers earlier this year.
Updated