Breaking News Workforce

White House extends federal hiring freeze until July for most

The Trump administration’s halt on federal civilian hiring, which was supposed to be lifted Monday, will be extended through July, per a memo released late Thursday.

Workforce

Unions sue to stop demolition of mediator agency

The congressionally authorized Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service worked to avoid costly litigation between labor groups and their employers—in both the private and public sectors—until President Trump ordered officials to effectively shutter the agency last month.

Management

Trump ‘anti-fraud’ memo could allow SSA to stop paying some Americans’ earned benefits

The document’s publication comes just days after reports that DOGE operatives overruled career workers to falsely label thousands of immigrants as dead.

Pay & Benefits

OPM strips career HR from Schedule C appointments, salary setting

“You’re about to see a s-------d of employees making” the maximum federal salary, one expert quipped.

Pay & Benefits

Trump likely to propose pay freeze for federal workers in 2026

In OMB’s response to agency budget submissions, the White House budget office told officials to prepare for a freeze on federal civilian pay next year.

Workforce

Trump administration ends union dues collection for most feds without notice

Unions at federal agencies targeted by the president’s executive order stripping them of their collective bargaining rights found out about the change when employees began receiving their most recent paychecks this week.

Management

SSA reorg plan contemplates field office closures, contradicting public statements

A March draft of the Social Security Administration's reorganization plan proposes "consolidating" field offices while shuttling customer service to AI and other automated platforms.

Workforce

OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee considered the nominations of Scott Kupor to serve as OPM director and Eric Ueland to serve as OMB’s deputy director for management.

Exclusive Management

Some agencies are notifying employees of their ‘Schedule F’ status

Agencies are submitting lists of employees who will lose civil service protections and some are taking a broad approach.

Workforce

Pro-labor Republicans push Trump to rescind order busting most federal unions

House lawmakers on Wednesday introduced bipartisan legislation to nullify President Trump’s executive order stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights.

Workforce

As agencies begin a second round of deferred resignations, unions revive legal challenge

The Housing and Urban Development Department became the latest agency to revive the controversial program that offers feds the chance to leave their jobs but continue being paid until Sept. 30.

Pay & Benefits

Domestic TSP funds tumble amid government layoffs, tariff threats

Most of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program finished March in the red.

Workforce

Trump administration, unions already trading lawsuits over order outlawing most government labor groups

Federal agencies swiftly sued the American Federation of Government Employees last week, asking a lone Trump-appointed judge to uphold an order banning unions for two-thirds of the federal workforce.

Workforce

Labor groups: Trump’s union-busting EO amounts to ‘revenge’ for suing to block workforce cuts

Democratic lawmakers warned that assaults on civil servants and organized labor are common early steps to consolidate power by authoritarian regimes.

Breaking News Workforce

Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on ‘national security’ grounds

An as-yet unpublished executive order purports to utilize a little-used provision allowing the president to restrict collective bargaining for national security reasons to exempt most federal jobs from union protections.

Management

Dems call for Bisignano to withdraw as SSA tweaks controversial plan

The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that the plan to end phone service for benefits applications and direct deposit changes will no longer apply to Americans filing for disability payments.

Workforce

HUD won’t grant rehired probationary workers back pay, FEHB benefits, despite law requiring it

Title 5 of the U.S. Code mandates that when a federal employee is reinstated following an improper adverse personnel action, their employing agency must grant them back pay for their time spent off the job.

Management

Senators grill Bisignano about contact with SSA and DOGE officials

The nominee to lead the Social Security Administration acknowledged knowing one DOGE operative for 20 years, but denied improper contacts with officials prior to his confirmation, despite whistleblower accounts to the contrary.

Management

House Dems cite ‘fundamental conflict’ of Rubio’s acting appointments atop USAID and National Archives

Lawmakers’ concerns stem from a March 11 memo instructing USAID employees to prepare for mass destruction of agency records.

Workforce

Trump memo grants governmentwide firing power to OPM

Experts speculated that the measure is intended to address recent judgments against the administration’s workforce actions or to grant DOGE-aligned officials the ability to fire resisters.