Management

GSA will update its property management regulations to reflect gender inclusive pronouns

The agency previously adopted similar updates to regulations governing federal travel earlier this year.

Workforce

A gender equity group is urging ‘strict and specific’ sexual misconduct reform for the federal workforce

The Department of Justice Gender Equality Network said its employer could serve as a model, following the creation of a sexual misconduct response system at the department last year.

Pay & Benefits

Focusing on the pay gap undermines the commitment to equity

COMMENTARY | The pay gap, as the Office of Personnel Management has defined it, is an artificial number comparing the average pay of men and women. This comparison pits men and women against each other, argues one observer.

Workforce

The importance of inclusivity in government agencies

COMMENTARY | Through small, thoughtful changes in practices, the federal government can create more welcoming environments for all individuals to improve public trust, engagement, and overall performance.

Management

House panels review ‘startling’ allegations at Bureau of Indian Education university

An April 2024 report said the school did not act on sexual abuse claims, lacks institutional control to prevent theft and other abuses and is unresponsive to student complaints.

Pay & Benefits

Justice employee group provides testimonials on the need for better IVF coverage for feds

Three dozen members of the Department of Justice Gender Equality Network described their experiences trying to conceive in a letter to OPM.

Pay & Benefits

OPM directs agencies to conduct pay equity studies

The gender pay gap in the federal government was 5.6% in 2022, meaning women federal workers earned on average 94 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.

Management

The Trump campaign shooting puts a spotlight on Secret Service leadership, and the women serving in its ranks

Kimberly Cheatle, the second woman to lead the agency, is being called to testify in front of Congress, while conservatives question whether women are fit to provide protection.

Management

Here’s how Trump’s new vice presidential pick stacks up on federal workforce issues

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, has been at the center of GOP efforts in Congress to “dismantle” diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies, and has suggested that if Trump wins re-election, he should fire “every mid-level bureaucrat” in government.

Workforce

‘Trailblazing’ federal leaders urge perseverance, authenticity to government interns

Panelists at an OPM event for interns praised federal DEI programs, which some congressional Republicans want to end.

Workforce

Embracing authenticity: A call to action for federal employees for Pride Month and Juneteenth

COMMENTARY | “Being authentic isn’t just ‘speaking your truth,’ it also means paying attention to the comfort level of others and respecting our own boundaries,” writes one long-time federal employee.

Workforce

Republicans look to 'dismantle' DEI efforts at federal agencies

New bill would strike down President Biden's diversity efforts and create strict rules preventing such initiatives.

Workforce

Agencies’ best tool in closing talent gaps: Diversity, equity and inclusion

COMMENTARY | By keeping DEI at the heart of recruitment and retention strategies, government leaders can address some of the complex challenges our country faces day in and out.

Management

Federal documents don’t provide enough checkboxes for all AAPI ethnicities. That may be about to change

AAPI researchers are celebrating the federal government’s new standards for collecting more detailed race and ethnicity data, in which respondents are able to report their country of origin.

Management

OPM guidance details when agencies can ask about applicants' criminal history

Though the federal government had already implemented a form of “ban the box” administratively, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act necessitated an update of the policy.

Workforce

How transforming federal workforce culture can enhance safety and productivity

COMMENTARY | It takes more than annual check-the-box training and motivational posters to bring about change.

Management

Top women officials say there’s more work to do on gender balance in government tech

Women seem to be far more common in government’s top tech leadership positions than they used to be, but “we are far from done,” one such leader warns.

Management

Biden administration finalizes first demographics data standards update in nearly 30 years

No longer will “race” and “ethnicity” be bifurcated into separate questions in federal datasets and questionnaires such as the U.S. Census, and people of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry will have their own distinct category.

Management

Biden just signed the largest executive order focused on women’s health

From maternal health to menopause, federal agencies will study the health issues that emerge across a woman’s lifespan.

Pay & Benefits

How diverse candidates can better navigate the security clearance process

COMMENTARY | Simple steps can make the security clearance process less of a barrier to keeping diverse candidates out of government careers.