Pay & Benefits

Federal Firefighters to See Pay Increase Next Week

The pay raise, intended to ensure firefighters receive at least $15 per hour, was promised by President Biden earlier this year and will be retroactive to June 30.

Workforce

OPM Rule Eases Agency Hiring of Interns

Under regulations slated for publication Wednesday, agencies will be able to hire job candidates still in college to temporary jobs and can eventually convert them to permanent positions.

Pay & Benefits

GSA Announces Fiscal 2022 Travel Per Diem Rates

The per diem for lodging will remain at fiscal 2021 levels next year, due to the downturn in hotel prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workforce

Judge Dismisses Most of Abuse Victims’ Lawsuit Against AFGE Officials

After describing claims against individual AFGE officials over their inaction to stop former President J. David Cox’s sexual abuse as not “viable,” a federal judge preserved only four claims against the union and Cox himself.

Management

OMB: Agency Equity Metrics a Work in Progress, Services Too Burdensome for Disadvantaged Groups

Acting OMB Director Shalanda Young described the measurement of equitable service as a “nascent” field, in need of constant development and review.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Prosecutors Call on Justice Dept. to Close Pay Gap With Other Lawyers

An employee association said assistant U.S. attorneys make as much as $40,000 less than other attorneys at the Justice Department, a gap that hinders the corps’ diversity goals.

Workforce

HHS Agrees to Reset Labor Relations, While Education Heads to Administrative Trial

While HHS and NTEU said they will work to resolve long-running litigation, the Education Department and AFGE are set to head to trial over several unfair labor practice complaints.

Workforce

Feds Could Be Fired, Imprisoned for Lying About Vaccination Status

Unions may have to bargain over vaccination policy implementation after the fact.

Pay & Benefits

Employee Group Calls on OPM to Ban Salary History from Hiring

An employee organization focused on gender equity at the Justice Department said the federal government should stop asking job applicants for their salary history, a practice that contributes to pay disparity across gender and race.

Management

Biden Nominates Ex-Merit Systems Protection Board Chair for Labor Authority

The White House also announced plans to nominate a new slate of Democratic appointees to the board that oversees the Thrift Savings Plan.

Workforce

New OPM Director Committed to 'Rebuilding' the HR Agency, Federal Workforce

Ahuja says she wants the agency to reassert itself in helping departments governmentwide become model 21st century employers.

Oversight

Social Security 'Overwhelmed' by Mail, Infuriating Customers Seeking Documents

With most employees teleworking during the pandemic, the watchdog faulted the agency for not having a system to track and return customers’ identification documents.

Pay & Benefits

TSP Funds Show Modest Gains in July

Only one of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program lost value last month.

Workforce

House Panel Advances Bill to Extend TSA Employees the Same Pay System and Workplace Protections as Other Feds

The Rights of the TSA Workforce Act would apply Title 5 protections and the General Schedule pay scale to employees at the Transportation Security Administration.

Workforce

Biden Announces Vaccine-or-Masks Mandate for Feds, Some Contractors

Federal employees will have a choice: get vaccinated, or wear masks when indoors at federal facilities and subject themselves to regular COVID-19 testing.

Workforce

OMB Reinstitutes Mask Mandate in ‘High Transmission’ Regions, Including D.C.

The return of masking requirements at federal facilities comes amid concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant.

Workforce

OPM Wants to See More Telework, Remote Work and ‘Maxiflex’ Schedules Post-COVID

Guidance published late last week promotes telework and other flexibilities as retention and recruitment tools.