Management

Watchdog: Proposed OPM-GSA Merger Continues to 'Evolve' Despite Lack of Legislation

Officials have continued to examine moving portions of OPM to GSA piecemeal, and still lack documentation for the legal authority and cost benefit analyses, the inspector general said.

Pay & Benefits

Most Feds Won't Reap the Benefits of Local Minimum Wage Laws

OPM last week announced that it will not raise the lower levels of the federal pay scales to comply with state and local laws increasing the minimum wage.

Management

OPM: Agencies Can Implement Workforce EOs at Some Agencies Without Bargaining

The Office of Personnel Management said agencies may unilaterally implement the provisions of three controversial executive orders, provided workers are operating under a contract that has been automatically renewed.

Management

'You Spoke, We Listened': How HHS Rapidly Improved Employee Viewpoint Survey Participation

Top HR officials made a year-round effort to highlight how the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey shapes the department.

Management

Top Federal HR Officials Stress Hiring for Military Spouses, Ex-Prisoners

At their annual meeting, chief human capital officers talk best practices for implementing initiatives intended to boost diversity in hiring.

Pay & Benefits

Making Sense of FEHBP's New 'Indemnity' Plans

The plans are not much different than the health insurance program's fee-for-service offerings, despite the name.

Pay & Benefits

With Winter Approaching, OPM Reminds Agencies of Closure and Leave Policies

The 2018 decision that employees who can work remotely usually cannot take leave due to a weather event has created a complicated web of rules and exceptions.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Retirement Applications, Processing Both Down in October

The backlog of pending requests crept to nearly 18,000 last month, although the number of applications is significantly down from the same period in 2018.

Management

The Agencies that Saw the Biggest Gains—and Losses—in Employee Happiness in 2019

Smaller agencies saw the widest swings in employee morale this year, as measured by the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Management

Employee Engagement 'Stable' Across Federal Government

The Office of Personnel Management’s annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey saw a modest uptick in participation in its second year of a census model, but engagement scores did not improve.

Management

OPM Makes It Easier for Feds to Shop for the Best Health Plan During Open Season

New plan comparison tool is more accessible and works better for employees overseas and on Medicare. 

Management

OPM Proposes Ditching 'Clerk-Typist' and Other Occupational Classifications That Are Rarely Used Anymore

As many as 28 white collar job titles and 19 trade and craft occupations could be eliminated or rolled into other classifications following an administrative review.

Management

Merit Board Suggests Ways Agencies Can Hire 'Better,' Not Just 'Faster and Cheaper'

The Merit Systems Protections Board is lending its support to the Office of Personnel Management's hiring reform efforts.

Management

NTEU Blasts ‘Nonsensical’ Proposed OPM Rule Easing Firing of Feds

The federal employee union accused the Trump administration of forcing managers to focus on firing employees, rather than helping them succeed in their positions.

Management

OPM Urges Agencies to Abandon Disciplinary Guidelines for Poor Performers

The Trump administration wants to give managers more discretion to pick an appropriate punishment for a given situation.

Management

OPM Calls on Agencies to Streamline Federal Firing

Agencies have until March 2020 to eliminate “unnecessary barriers to addressing poor performance,” and even stricter rules are likely on the way.

Management

Senate Panel Advances Spending Bills Blocking OPM-GSA Merger, Allowing USDA Relocations

Democrats say that in conference committee they will endorse House-passed provisions blocking the relocation of science agencies to Kansas City and authorizing an average 3.1% pay raise for federal employees.