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- Agencies on the clock to fix long-standing cyber challenges - May 14, 2021
- By Jason Miller, Federal News NetworkCyber sprint 2021 is off and running. But unlike the 2015 version, the Biden administration is hosting the entire track meet ranging from the 100-meter dash to the marathon.
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- Senate Panel Advances Measures to Reskill Feds, Ban Their TikTok Use - May 13, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveA Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a measure to grow initiatives at federal agencies to teach employees new trades, looking to continue an effort first launched under the Trump administration.
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- What Is Medicare IRMAA? How to Avoid an Expensive Surprise - May 12, 2021
- By Neal Thompson, FedSmithMedicare is a fantastic benefit that makes it possible for many retirees to enjoy life more fully, thanks to premiums that are far more affordable than market rates on private health insurance plans. Still, Medicare isn’t free, and there are some sneaky extra costs that can blindside you if your income rises above a certain threshold.
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- More schools will offer continuing education to federal employees at lower price - May 11, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkFederal employees looking to earn an advanced or another degree at a lower price now have a few more options, the Office of Personnel Management said Friday.
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- Biden Plans an Order to Strengthen Cyberdefenses. Will It Be Enough? - May 10, 2021
- By David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth, and Julian E. Barnes, The New York TimesWASHINGTON — A pipeline that provides the East Coast with nearly half its gasoline and jet fuel remained shuttered on Sunday after yet another ransomware attack, prompting emergency White House meetings and new questions about whether an executive order strengthening cybersecurity for federal agencies and contractors goes far enough even as President Biden prepares to issue it.
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- Despite Progress, OPM Retirement Backlog Still at 8 Year High - May 7, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithThe Office of Personnel Management made good progress in reducing its retirement backlog of outstanding retirement claims in April, however, the outstanding total backlog is still at its highest level since 2013.
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- January pay raise, retiree COLA looking good - May 6, 2021
- By Mike Causey, Federal News NetworkWith five months left to go in the cost of living countdown, federal, military and Social Security retirees are looking at a 3% increase in benefits beginning in January. It is a politics-free call based on the ups and downs of the marketplace. This year, the COLA was 1.3%.
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- Legislation Reintroduced to Expand Whistleblower Protections for Federal Employees - May 5, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithLegislation was reintroduced in the House this week to strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees who expose wrongdoing in the federal government.
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- Biden Thanks Federal Employees in Proclamation for Public Service Recognition Week - May 4, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithPresident Biden issued a proclamation to commemorate the beginning of Public Service Recognition Week 2021 and also to thank federal employees for their service.
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- GovExec Daily: Why Public Service Recognition Week Matters - May 3, 2021
- By Adam Butler and Ross Gianfortune, Government ExecutiveThis week marks Public Service Recognition Week, a celebration of those who serve the U.S. as federal, state, county, local and tribal government employees. Throughout the country, government officials, communities and non profit organizations will celebrity public servants and the jobs they do supporting the nation.
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- Administration Formally Launches Program Giving Feds Up to 15 Weeks Off for COVID-19 Related Illness, Child Care - April 30, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveFederal agencies can now begin approving their employees' requests for special leave related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allows workers to take up to 15 weeks off to care for themselves or others.
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- Biden Seeks IRS Spending Surge to Reverse Years of Staffing Cuts - April 29, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveThe Biden administration is seeking $80 billion for the Internal Revenue Service to boost its enforcement efforts as part of an effort to crack down on tax cheats and restore staffing at an agency that has seen its resources cut or stagnate for a decade.
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- The Agencies that Saw the Biggest Gains in Employee Satisfaction in 2020, and the Few that Saw Losses - April 28, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveIn a year where the federal government posted the strongest improvement on employee engagement and job satisfaction in more than a decade on the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, it is perhaps no surprise that the vast majority of organizations saw rising scores.
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- In spite of it all, federal employee engagement rises in 2020 FEVS - April 27, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkIn a year where a global pandemic completely upended operations for most agencies, the federal government saw employee engagement rise by nearly 4% in 2020 over the previous year.
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- The high-wire balancing act of returning to work - April 26, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkWe’re now at the point of the pandemic where agency leaders are walking a tricky balancing act. As more feds get vaccinated, how do they bring back employees who may or may not want to return to an office — and maybe throw in enough flexibilities and incentives to keep them around if their job allows for it?
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- OPM Nominee Sails Through Confirmation Hearing, Pledging to Support Feds and Uphold Merit System - April 23, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutivePresident Biden’s pick to lead the federal government’s embattled human resources agency told senators Thursday that she would keep federal employees’ needs at the forefront of all of her decision-making if confirmed to become director of the Office of Personnel Management.
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- Bipartisan bill builds on momentum for greater federal R&D spending - April 22, 2021
- By Jory Heckman, Federal News NetworkA bipartisan Senate bill is building off a growing demand for the federal government to invest more heavily in emerging technology research.
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- Can Federal Employees Contribute to Both an IRA and the TSP? - April 21, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithA question that federal employees often ask is whether or not they can contribute to an IRA in addition to their TSP accounts. The short answer is yes!
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- Proposed Expansion of Paid Leave for Federal Employees - April 20, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithFederal employees would find themselves with a lot more paid leave if a bill introduced this week were to become law.
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- Fearing a post-pandemic talent exodus, agencies view telework as key retention tool - April 19, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkAgency leaders and human capital managers have long said they’re unable to compete with the private sector for talent because of the federal government’s rigid pay system. Now more than a year after the pandemic forced government to expand telework in ways they hadn’t previously imagined, agencies fear remote work flexibilities will make or break their recruitment and retention strategies.
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- SBA executives ‘beyond doubt’ that teleworking employees are more productive - April 16, 2021
- By Jory Heckman, Federal News NetworkThe Small Business Administration issued 14 years’ worth of loans in 14 days under the CARES Act. Over the past year, it nearly tripled its workforce to process hundreds of billions of dollars in pandemic relief spending approved by Congress.
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- Schedule F: What Does Its Repeal Mean for Federal Employees’ Due Process Rights? - April 15, 2021
- By Mathew B. Tully, Esq., FedSmithPresident Joe Biden’s recent Executive Order (EO) on Protecting the Federal Workforce reverses the limitations on employee due process implemented during the prior administration, particularly as regarded to the creation of a Schedule F—which undid nearly all employment protections for employees at the high end of the scale.
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- OPM Finalizes Rule Ensuring Feds Can Change Insurance During Shutdowns - April 2, 2021
- During the 35-day government shutdown, some workers were unable to make changes to their health benefits because the employees responsible for processing those changes were furloughed.Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management moved Thursday to finalize new regulations that will ensure federal workers can make changes to their insurance enrollment following major life events in the midst of a government shutdown.
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- OPM Modernization is Critical to Building the Federal Workforce the Nation Needs - March 18, 2021
- Rigid and outdated hiring, pay and performance policies and practices are hurting government’s capacity to respond to urgent problems.Terry Gerton & Janet Hale, Government ExecutiveEvery level of government is grappling with unprecedented challenges that are increasingly complex and interconnected. The urgent need for leaders, managers, technical experts and front-line workers in the right jobs, with the right skills, and at the right time has never been greater. Our human capital is one of the nation’s most important assets and a foundational element for effective governance.
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- Railroad Retirement Board taps Bitzer as HR director - February 23, 2021
- We are proud of FMA's own Nancy Bitzer at the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, who is featured in this article covering her appointment as director of human resources. We are excited to hear from Ms. Bitzer at our virtual national convention in March.Progressive RailroadingThe U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has appointed Nancy Bitzer director of human resources.Bitzer most recently served as the RRB's chief of human services/labor relations, a position she held since since September 2013, RRB officials said in a press release.
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- OPM Proposes Prioritizing Job Performance Over Tenure in Layoffs - December 18, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management on Thursday proposed regulations that would prioritize employees’ recent performance over their length of service when agencies decide who to lay off during reductions in force.
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- BOTH STAFF CUTS AND BUDGET INCREASES FOR FY 2019 - July 13, 2017
Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019
By Eric Katz, Government Executive
The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.
Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”
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- Agencies Could Rehire, Promote Former Employees With New OPM Regulatory Fix - December 24, 2019
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe Office of Personnel Management wants to help agencies rehire former employees who have left government — and offer a non-competitive promotion to a higher grade level to sweeten the deal.In a proposed rule, which is scheduled for publication later this week, OPM will recommend new regulations that will allow agencies to non-competitively reappoint former employees to other positions at a higher grade level than when they left government.
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- How The Government Wants Agencies To Regulate AI - January 14, 2020
- By Andrew Eversden, Federal TimesThe Office of Management and Budget released a draft memorandum Jan. 13 providing guidance to agencies on how they should approach regulation of industry’s artificial intelligence applications.The guidance emphasizes that agencies should consider how any regulatory action would potentially hinder expansion of AI use. The draft memo “calls on agencies, when considering regulations or policies related to AI applications, to promote advancements in technology and innovation."
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