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.
Management
USDA's equity commission urges 'sweeping and generational change'
The independent commission’s report also included some to-do items for lawmakers.
Oversight
Agencies need to beef up sexual harassment training for employees, GAO says
Selected federal agencies and components of the Defense Department have only partially implemented an array of training practices aimed at preventing sexual harassment and do not sufficiently evaluate the effectiveness of their existing training programs, the watchdog found.
Management
The new FAFSA was supposed to be easier to use. Technical glitches have made it anything but
Marginalized students may have the most to lose as the Education Department’s rollout of the new college financial aid application has hit several bumps.
Workforce