FCW Insider: March 25
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Tech money, workforce provisions in $2.5 trillion House stimulus
The Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act offered by House Democrats expands telework, grants hazard pay to certain front line workers and would overturn a number of Trump administration workforce policies. The bill also includes a $3 billion boost to the Technology Modernization Fund. Lia Russell and Adam Mazmanian have the story.
DOD to extend maximum telework to contractors
The Pentagon is asking for "maximum telework flexibilities" extended to DOD service members and civilian employees also be made available to contractors when possible. Lauren C. Williams reports.
SEWP cuts turnaround time to support COVID-19 response
Customers including DOD and FEMA are pressing NASA's acquisition vehicle for faster quotes to support COVID-19 response. Mark Rockwell has more.
Employee onboarding goes virtual
Swearing-in for feds along with certain document submission can be done remotely, advises the Office of Personnel Management. Get more on this story from Lia.
House committee lukewarm on remote voting for Congress
A new report from the House Rules Committee expresses skepticism that virtual voting in Congress could be done quickly and securely. Derek B. Johnson reports.
Quick Hits
*** Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged employees to take special care when teleworking. Speaking to employees at a March 24 town hall meeting, Esper said that as the Pentagon tries to maximize telework, managers are going to have to stagger schedules to reduce strain on DOD networks and individuals need to monitor their cyber hygiene closely.
"If you're teleworking, if you're doing anything that involves the networks, IT, be very, very careful of IT vulnerabilities," Esper said. "We're a little bit more exposed when we're doing telework, using a lot more bandwidth, there's more open ports, et cetera.
*** Acting Director Michael Rigas announced that the Office of Personnel Management would not conduct agency human capital reviews for fiscal year 2020, citing concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
*** The Federal Communications Commission's next open meeting, set for March 31, will be conducted in an electronic format because of agency telework and open to the public via a feed on the agency's website.