Workforce
OPM formally proposes limiting top performance ratings for federal workers
The plan to institute a forced or “standardized” distribution of performance ratings upon the federal workforce has survived mostly unchanged from a December draft that drew near universal criticism from agency officials in internal deliberations last month.
OPM clarifies that agencies should not violate court orders to terminate union contracts
A memo last week tasking agencies with pushing forward implementation of a pair of executive orders aimed at stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights briefly aroused fears that they would violate a series of court orders.
Postal Service sets up mental health peer support program for its law enforcement officers
The mental health of federal law enforcement employees has been a focus of lawmakers in recent years.
OPM finalizes Biden-era reg revamping federal hiring of college students
The Trump administration made only minor tweaks to a 2021 interim rule aimed at encouraging agencies to hire students still at school to part-time jobs and eventually convert them to permanent posts.
Unions oppose a Trump labor nominee over lack of experience, hostility toward bargaining
Conservative lawyer Charlton Allen has no prior experience in labor-management relations, but said he opposed collective bargaining rights for state workers in North Carolina as a political candidate in 2012.
OPM instructs agencies to terminate union contracts potentially in violation of court orders
A smattering of agencies implicated in President Trump’s executive orders barring labor representation for two-thirds of the federal workforce had held off on formally terminating their collective bargaining agreements due to injunctions barring the edicts’ implementation.
Former feds turn to tailored job search resources to continue service-oriented work
Several nonprofits and universities are providing support to civil servants in search of new roles.
CISA’s acting chief says 70 staff were reassigned to other DHS offices in last year
The cyberdefense agency in turn received some 30 employees from other DHS components, while a “handful” of CISA staffers were transferred to ICE, Madhu Gottumukkala told lawmakers.
Former Cabinet secretaries urge federal employees to 'keep the faith' despite threats to civil service
Janet Yellen and Gary Locke praised career civil servants for their dedication and stressed the vital role they play in keeping government running, even in challenging times.
IRS tasks more staff without any tax experience to process tax returns
“This has the potential to be a disaster,” employees warn as the tax agency scrambles to prepare for the already underway filing season.
Congress paused all federal layoffs for 3 months. That's set to change this week
A ban on agency RIFs is scheduled to be lifted after Feb. 13.
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OPM seeks to consolidate power over employee appeals in new regulations
Under a pair of regulatory proposals published this week, the federal government’s dedicated HR agency seeks to wrest appeals of suitability and reduction in force decisions from the Merit Systems Protection Board.
How to attract tech workers to civil service? Give them credit!
COMMENTARY | OPM may already have the tools it needs to make the federal government an attractive destination for tech talent. And what it doesn't have should not be that hard to get.
Now accepting applications — for classified intel
Foreign adversaries are using fake jobs and consulting gigs to coax secrets from former U.S. officials. It’s had results, and the efforts don’t appear to be slowing.
Social Security is directing employees who normally process benefits to answer phones instead
After shedding thousands of employees, SSA is reassigning workers amid fears the moves will cause backlogs to grow.
The tail wagging the dog: Snapshots of the public service a year into the second Trump administration
COMMENTARY | One year in, DOGE and the Trump administration have had profound effects on the federal civil service, but looking at the numbers, it's not always where one expects.
Trump admin moves to finalize return of Schedule F
Officials estimate that around 50,000 federal workers will be stripped of their civil service protections beginning in around a month, as unions, employee associations and good government groups decry their positions’ politicization.
ICE is scrutinizing work from home permissions for its employees with disabilities, continuing trend across government
The immigration enforcement agency said there was a “dramatic surge” in telework and remote work reasonable accommodation requests after President Donald Trump ended work from home flexibility for federal employees.
Employees begin furloughs as lawmakers hope to end shutdown Tuesday
The unusual nature of the funding lapse has led to some confusion for impacted federal workers.
Schedule F won’t fix government’s performance management problems, report finds
The Partnership for Public Service warned that, contrary to proponents’ claims, there is “no evidence” that at-will employment improves employee or agency performance.
