A Senate panel on Thursday passed legislation that would require federal agencies to provide managers and supervisors with interactive training within one year of promotion to a supervisory position.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to pass the bill (S. 674), which would provide training to supervisors based on three primary management topics: basic supervisory training, mentorship training and training focused on prohibited personnel practices and collective bargaining. After the initial training, supervisors would be required to receive refresher training once every three years, offered via an instructor or online.
The bill also would require the Office of Personnel Management to monitor agency implementation of the legislation and issue guidance to agencies on the competencies supervisors must meet to effectively manage the performance of their employees.
Three Virginia representatives on June 15 introduced similar legislation -- the 2010 Federal Supervisor Training Act -- to improve agency training programs.
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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