Workforce

OPM Authorizes Emergency Hiring for Hurricane Response

The federal government’s HR agency also reminded agencies of the variety of categories of leave available to federal workers impacted by a pair of recent severe storms.

Pay & Benefits

OPM Has Authorized Another Round of Paid Leave For Feds to Get COVID-19 Boosters

As part of the Biden administration’s efforts to encourage Americans to receive the latest COVID-19 booster, federal workers will get up to four hours of paid leave for the shot.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Employees Will Pay 8.7% More Toward Health Care Premiums Next Year

The Office of Personnel Management said increased use of health care services as the COVID-19 pandemic has waned has led to the sharpest uptick in health insurance premiums in more than a decade.

Pay & Benefits

A Federal Judge Will Allow a Federal Worker to Pursue Overtime Backpay From Training

A lawsuit challenges regulations from the Office of Personnel Management that state that federal employees cannot receive overtime pay in connection with entry-level job training.

Pay & Benefits

Lawmakers Are Urging OPM to Beef up Feds’ Fertility Benefits

Democrats in both chambers of Congress bemoaned the abridged—and often expensive—coverage of treatments such as in vitro fertilization in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Workforce

Here’s Where Federal Employee Unions Can Look to Expand Their Ranks

According to new data from the Office of Personnel Management, nearly 300,000 federal employees are eligible to form unions but haven’t.

Pay & Benefits

OPM: If You Need to Travel for Medical Care, You Can Use Sick Leave

The federal government’s HR agency confirmed that federal employees may use sick leave to travel to obtain reproductive health services, although the measure falls short of employee groups’ request for paid administrative leave after abortion ruling.

Workforce

Coming Soon: More Regs and Bills to Help Modernize the Federal Workforce

Reforms will ease the process of everything from attracting new talent to processing retirement claims, says OPM Director Kiran Ahuja.

Pay & Benefits

The Biden Team Announces Pay Raises of Up to $20,000 Annually for Federal Firefighters

The pay increases, authorized as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law, will be retroactive to October 2021.

Workforce

These Agencies Performed the Best—and Worst—on Key Employee Morale Questions

Although the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey is missing some broad historical metrics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a look at individual questions can offer some insights.

Management

OPM Director Highlights ‘Call to Service’ to Hire Thousands to Implement Infrastructure Law

The federal government is hiring more than 8,000 people in the coming months, and officials will use that experience to fuel broader hiring process reforms.

Workforce

Federal Employees Are Growing Less Engaged and Less Satisfied With Their Jobs

Response rates for the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey also fell 10 points from 2020, amid an abbreviated fall survey period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workforce

The ‘Ban the Box’ Prohibition at Federal Agencies Will Soon Be Expanded

OPM has proposed a rule implementing The Fair Chance Act, which expands a preexisting ban on asking federal job applicants about criminal histories before the conditional job offer phase of the hiring process, and sets up a mechanism for applicants to report violations of the rule.

Pay & Benefits

Feds Can Now Donate to Ukraine Relief Efforts Directly From Their Paychecks

Between now and June 30, federal workers can pledge to donate to thousands of charities working on relief efforts in Ukraine as part of a special round of the Combined Federal Campaign.