Workforce

‘Flexibility’ Will Be Key to Agencies Retaining Military Spouses, Biden Says

President Biden signed an executive order last week tasking agencies with developing new plans to recruit and retain spouses of military service members and said telework will play a key role.

Workforce

FLRA Could Be Back to Full Strength With Latest Nomination

After six months of operating with an even partisan split, President Biden announced he would nominate a top Defense Department official for the final post at the FLRA.

Workforce

‘Protect the Health’ of Employees Amid Poor Air Quality, OPM Reminds Employees

Wildfires in Canada have encased much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in smoke and haze, raising health concerns for commuters and employees who work outside.

Pay & Benefits

The 'Pay Cliff' That Could Cripple the Federal Government's Firefighting Workforce

A federal employee union said Wednesday that without a permanent boost to federal wildland firefighters’ pay and benefits, agencies will see a “mass exodus.”

Workforce

Labor Authority's General Counsel Post Could Finally Be Filled with a New Nominee

The position, which is required for unfair labor practice complaints to advance to the Federal Labor Relations Authority for adjudication, has lacked a Senate-confirmed appointee since 2017.

Pay & Benefits

TSP Participants Sue Agency Over ‘Botched’ Recordkeeper Transition

A class action lawsuit filed last week alleges that the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program repeatedly failed to pay out participants’ withdrawal and loan requests for months following the transition to a new recordkeeping vendor.

Workforce

NIH Fellows Hope Union Bid Will Bolster Pay and Protections

Organizers hope that forming a union at the National Institutes of Health will help increase pay, benefits and worker protections across academia.

Pay & Benefits

TSP Portfolios Report a Mixed Bag of May Returns

Most of the funds in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings plan finished last month down, amid concerns that the United States could breach the debt limit.

Workforce

An Effort to Make It Easier for Feds to Bust Their Own Union is Blocked by the FLRA

The American Federation of Government Employees applauded the decision, but with a FLRA-mandated union election scheduled for next month, the fight is far from over.

Pay & Benefits

OPM Wants to Do More for Federal Workers' Wellness

An initiative to “revitalize” employee assistance programs across the federal government eyes a more comprehensive approach to promoting federal employees' wellness.

Pay & Benefits

A New Guide to the Retirement Process Could Help Feds Avoid Pitfalls, Manage Expectations

OPM's new three-page guide to the federal retirement process will be updated on a monthly basis to reflect anticipated wait times for federal retirees to begin receiving their annuity payments.

Oversight

ATF Misclassified Jobs. A Senator Wants the Justice Department to Dig Deeper.

Citing concerns by the whistleblowers who triggered the investigation that found that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had systematically misclassified administrative jobs as law enforcement-related, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, asked the Justice Department to do a more thorough investigation.

Workforce

GOP Lawmakers Demand Telework Stats from Federal Agencies

Congressional Republicans argued that the Biden administration’s recent efforts to scale back the use of telework are insufficient.

Workforce

Federal Labor Law Applies to Civilian Technicians in State National Guards, Supreme Court Affirms

The state of Ohio had argued it did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, despite the fact that “dual status technicians” are federal employees.

Workforce

Union and Alaska Army Posts Resolve Differences Over Official Time and Illegal Contract, But Other Fights Remain

Despite agreeing to drop the illegal contract the agency unilaterally imposed on AFGE employees in 2019, union officials say management continues to resist the Biden administration’s pro-labor policies.

Pay & Benefits

Fight the Long-Running FEHBP Abortion Ban, Gender Equity Group Urges House Democrats

The Department of Justice Gender Equality Network said the Hyde amendment unfairly makes women’s health care decisions more costly and traumatic, even when covered by exceptions in cases of rape, incest or the health of the mother.

Workforce

Anti-Telework Bill Makes Its Way to the Senate

The SHOW UP Act, which narrowly passed the House in February, requires federal agencies to revert to their telework policies prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Prison Employees Ask the Supreme Court to Review COVID Hazard Pay Case

Attorneys for nearly 200 U.S. Bureau of Prisons workers in Connecticut said a federal appellate court effectively made it impossible for any federal worker to qualify for hazard pay related to “virulent biologicals” with its interpretation of federal regulations.

Workforce

Feds Could Be Fired at Any Time for Any Reason, Under a Bill That Was Just Reintroduced

The bill also would abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board and threatens to reduce former federal employees’ retirement benefits if they file “frivolous” appeals of adverse personnel actions.

Management

What Will -- and Won’t -- Change for Federal Agencies With the End of the COVID Health Emergency

A look at how we got here and what’s ahead for federal agencies and workers now that the pandemic emergency is over.