Management

House to Consider Blocking OPM Merger, Other Workforce Proposals Through Defense Policy Bill

Proposed amendments to the annual must-pass Defense authorization bill include measures to safeguard federal workers’ insurance during shutdowns, ban the box in federal hiring and protect whistleblowers.

Management

OPM Announces New ‘Data Scientist’ Job Title

Officials hope that an "unofficial" data science marker for federal jobs could help both with recruitment of new federal workers as well as improve evidence-based policymaking and data management efforts.

Workforce

OPM Doesn’t Anticipate Furloughs in October

Acting Director Margaret Weichert sought to reassure employees that their jobs were safe despite a recent dust-up with lawmakers.

Management

OPM Still Lacks Legal Analysis of Proposed Merger with GSA

Lawmakers in both parties expressed outrage at the lack of documents provided to support the Trump administration’s proposal.

Management

House Approves 3.1% Pay Raise and Blocks OPM Furloughs, Merger

Lawmakers dealt the Trump administration’s proposal to merge OPM and GSA another setback.

Management

Federal Staffing Problems Are Inextricably Linked to Pay Problems

When workforce issues impede an agency’s service to the public, it’s more than a line in the budget.

Management

'People Are Crying When They Come Into Work:' Unions Protest OPM-GSA Merger

Lawmakers said they will try to amend an appropriations bill to block the acting OPM director from following through on her threat to lay off 150 agency employees.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Employees Suing OPM Score Win in Lawsuit Over Data Hacks

Appeals court overrules district-level finding, says federal employee unions have standing to sue.

Pay & Benefits

More than Half of D.C.-Area Feds Say Agencies Aren’t Supportive of Telework Amid Metro Closures

Majority of respondents to a GovExec.com/Government Business Council survey report that the temporary shutdown of six Metrorail stations would have at least a moderate impact on their ability to do their jobs.

Management

OPM Leader Threatens Furloughs, RIFs if Congress Doesn’t Approve GSA Merger

The administration has given lawmakers until the end of June to greenlight the merger, or else roughly 150 OPM employees could lose their jobs this fall.

Pay & Benefits

Appeals Court: ICE Did Not Have to Bargain Over Pay Changes

A three-judge panel found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was within its rights to reduce overtime pay for employees because the change complied with a governmentwide rule.

Oversight

OPM-GSA Merger Plan Would Create ‘Additional Uncertainty’ in Retirement Processing Reform

A government watchdog report said the Trump administration’s proposal to merge the federal government’s HR agency with the General Services Administration could make it more difficult to modernize the retirement process.

Workforce

Retirement Claims Backlog Inches Down in May

The pile of pending claims shrunk by nearly 600 last month and is slightly smaller than it was at the same time last year.

Management

OPM-GSA Merger Could Cause Regulatory Bottleneck, Legal Challenges

Even if Congress were to pass the Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize OPM, it could still take years before policymakers could tackle other workforce issues.

Management

OPM-GSA Merger Proposal Falls Flat With House Oversight Panel

Lawmakers and witnesses say the plan isn't well thought-out and risks eroding merit system protections.

Management

Labor and Management Share Dim View of OPM-GSA Merger Proposal

Officials fear a provision that would send rulemaking authority to a non-Senate confirmed White House official an attempt to politicize the civil service.

Management

Senate Panel Advances OPM Director Nominee Despite Questions About Her Leadership

Dale Cabaniss’s nomination to lead the federal government’s HR agency was approved mostly along party lines.

Management

Trump’s Pick to Lead OPM Has an Unusual Management Record for the Job

“We thought she was there to destroy the agency,” said a former senior official at the Federal Labor Relations Authority during Dale Cabaniss’ tenure there.