People
New OPM survey heralds rethink of federal job design
The new Federal Workforce Competency Initiative looks to update definitions of skills and abilities needed to are core competencies for different jobs.
People
SecDef plans new screening, training to weed out extremism
The Defense Department has ordered several personnel policy changes to address extremism in the military, ranging from updating intake questionnaires for recruits to training to prepare service members for potential targeting by extremist groups.
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EPA eliminates Trump workforce orders from labor contract
The Environmental Protection Agency rolled back the clock on portions of its collective bargaining agreement on official time, union office space, grievance procedures and more.
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Connolly, Hice urge White House to fill MSPB slots
Appeals have been stalled at the Merit Systems Protection Board for more than four years, and leaders on the Government Operations subcommittee in the House want the White House to get moving on board nominations.
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Biden taps DIU head for top Pentagon acquisition post
President Joe Biden nominates three for senior defense posts, including Michael Brown, the head of Defense Innovation Unit.
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DOD should update emergency response plans to accommodate telework, IG says
Each component should also update its plan "to include revised assumptions regarding telework for personnel and the resources required to support the teleworking workforce," the IG wrote in an April 1 report.
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SSA under pressure to reopen Trump-era union contract
The Social Security Administration is under fire from unions and congressional Democrats unhappy with the agency's pace in implementing the Biden administration's changes to labor-management relations, and many are seeking the ouster of the Trump-appointed agency heads.
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Unions, agencies encouraging feds to get vaccinated
Early results from federal workforce campaigns suggest that vaccine uptake could present challenges once availability for all age groups is no longer an obstacle.
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Cultivating small talk when there's no office
Federal managers should look for ways to create the virtual water cooler environment.
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Dismantling the 'old boys' club' at State
Several witnesses scrutinized the State Department's placement and promotion practices when it comes to minority foreign service officers.
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Lawmakers seek clarity on hazy White House pot policy
The White House has fired at least five staffers after their disclosure of previous marijuana use and some lawmakers urging the White House to clarify its policies and take into account a growing nationwide movement supporting legal pot.
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Air Force seeks 'ubiquitous connectivity' from telework to bases
Lauren Knausenberger, the Air Force's CIO, said since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the service had increased focus on telework and improving base connectivity.
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OPM official: No going back to pre-COVID status quo
The Office of Personnel Management wants to use upcoming guidance on telework to offer a new vision for federal work, an agency official said Wednesday.
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What's at stake with Biden's Pentagon vacancies?
The Biden administration has several Defense Department vacancies to fill in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and military departments. But what does that mean for personnel and the 2022 budget?
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A career fed does a stint at USDS
Steve Kelman checks in with procurement innovator and past Fed 100 winner Mark Junda on his latest chapter.
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Agency STEM workforces in decline, report finds
A new committee report details the dramatic decline in the STEM workforces of federal science agencies. Lawmakers talked ideas to rebuild the workforce at a hearing on Wednesday.
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A blueprint to rebuild OPM
A congressionally mandated study from the National Academy for Public Administration asks lawmakers and the executive branch to help create the conditions for the Office of Personnel Management to fulfill its purpose as a strategic human capital advisor to federal agencies.
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D.C. extends COVID vaccines to essential feds but worries continue for far-flung federal workforce
Some agencies have been vaccinating their employees directly, but others haven't. The National Treasury Employee Union wants IRS to secure vaccine allotments for in-person workers nationwide.
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Biden signs Rescue bill, boosting TMF and adding pandemic leave for feds
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on Thursday. In addition to a massive influx of funding to support Americans harmed by the economic fallout of the pandemic, there is funding available for IT modernization and provision to help the federal workforce cope with COVID-19.
People