Workforce

Social Security in line for half-billion dollar cut in House GOP funding bill

Republican appropriators blamed “reduced in-person staffing” at headquarters to slash the already overworked and under-resourced agency’s budget.

  • Erich Wagner

DHS cyber hiring program got off on the wrong foot, CIO says, but progress is showing

Ten years after its congressional authorization, the Cybersecurity Talent Management System is closing in on 200 hires.

  • Adam Mazmanian

DHS hires its initial cohort of 10 to join its AI Corps

The Homeland Security Department’s AI Corps is designed to deploy tech-savvy experts across its operations to drive the adoption of AI capabilities within its various mission areas.

  • Edward Graham

Forest Service will partially refund federal firefighters’ rent in government-owned housing

The decision to provide a 50% refund to wildland firefighters at the GS-10 level who reside in government-owned housing will affect roughly 5,500 employees.

  • Erich Wagner

DHS wants to go big with its hiring fair this week

The department says it's cutting red tape in government hiring by giving tentative job offers on the spot and starting vetting processes in person.

  • Natalie Alms

The House’s DHS funding bill preserves TSA’s recent pay increases

Although lawmakers have yet to act on a bill to codify the Biden administration’s decision to provide Transportation Security Administration employees with Title 5 protections and compensation, Congress is poised to continue funding the initiative.

  • Erich Wagner

Dems warn of agency furloughs, layoffs if spending caps are not lifted

FBI agents, meat inspectors and others could face job cuts under the current fiscal 2025 spending plan, Democrats say.

  • Eric Katz

‘Trailblazing’ federal leaders urge perseverance, authenticity to government interns

Panelists at an OPM event for interns praised federal DEI programs, which some congressional Republicans want to end.

  • Sean Michael Newhouse
Exclusive

Martin O’Malley is on a one-year sprint to save Social Security

Despite shaking up the culture one of Washington’s most risk-averse agencies, the former governor said his biggest task is convincing Congress to reinvest in the Social Security Administration’s administrative overhead.

  • Erich Wagner

Embracing authenticity: A call to action for federal employees for Pride Month and Juneteenth

COMMENTARY | “Being authentic isn’t just ‘speaking your truth,’ it also means paying attention to the comfort level of others and respecting our own boundaries,” writes one long-time federal employee.

  • Alex Snider

Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data

Leader of the consulting firm that sponsored the poll says the burnout rate could cause public employees to leave their jobs.

  • Sean Michael Newhouse

Republicans block expanded in vitro fertilization coverage for feds in House and Senate

Senate Democrats failed to secure the 60 votes needed to bypass a GOP filibuster, while House Democrats saw a similar provision defanged in appropriations talks.

  • Erich Wagner
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Republicans look to 'dismantle' DEI efforts at federal agencies

New bill would strike down President Biden's diversity efforts and create strict rules preventing such initiatives.

  • Eric Katz

Lawmakers unveil a new plan to revamp federal wildfire prevention and mitigation

The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act would create a new Middle Fire Leaders Academy to rapidly bolster the ranks of federal wildland firefighters.

  • Erich Wagner

Put the telework debate to rest by focusing on productivity

COMMENTARY | Civil servants say telework improves productivity, but Congress wants data to prove it. Here’s one way OMB can reconcile the differences.

  • Rob Hankey

Court dismisses criminal charges against federal firefighter arrested while conducting official duties

The arrest and subsequent indictment of a federal supervisor doing his job had caused panic within the workforce and has some concerned the damage will be difficult to reverse.

  • Eric Katz

Easing federal marijuana rules: There’s still a long way to go

The Drug Enforcement Administration typically looks at three factors when assessing how strictly to regulate a drug: its medicinal value, potential for abuse relative to other drugs and ability to cause physical addiction.

  • Jacob Fischler, States Newsroom

The 'silver tsunami' is here. Is government ready?

About 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every day. As the nation’s aging population continues to climb, states and the federal government are working to get plans in place to care for older adults.

  • Susan Miller

Bush-era national security officials warn against Schedule F

In a letter to congressional committee staff directors, a cadre of former Republican appointees urged lawmakers to pursue a “middle ground” of federal employee accountability that preserves merit systems principles.

  • Erich Wagner

VA employees warn of stark consequences from hiring restrictions

New memorandum entrusts local VA leaders to make "difficult staffing decisions" as department looks to shed employees.

  • Eric Katz

AG vows prosecution amid ‘unprecedented’ spike in threats against career civil servants

The Justice Department has set up a task force to investigate "heinous threats of violence" against federal workers.

  • Eric Katz