Author Archive

Erich Wagner

Erich Wagner
Erich Wagner is a senior correspondent covering pay, benefits, organized labor and other federal workforce issues. He joined Government Executive in the spring of 2017 after extensive experience writing about state and local issues in Maryland and Virginia, most recently as editor-in-chief of the Alexandria Times. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.
People

House Republicans advance plan to cut federal worker benefits and undermine civil service protections

One Republican who voted against the measure said efforts to reduce existing federal workers’ pension benefits will fail if put to a vote before the full House.

People

OPM proposes rule to formally revive Schedule F

The federal government’s dedicated HR agency estimates that 50,000 federal workers will be stripped of their civil service protections and become at-will employees.

Breaking News People

White House extends federal hiring freeze until July for most

The Trump administration’s halt on federal civilian hiring, which was supposed to be lifted Monday, will be extended through July, per a memo released late Thursday.

Digital Government

Trump ‘anti-fraud’ memo could allow SSA to stop paying some Americans’ earned benefits

The document’s publication comes just days after reports that DOGE operatives overruled career workers to falsely label thousands of immigrants as dead.

Digital Government

Trump likely to propose pay freeze for federal workers in 2026

In OMB’s response to agency budget submissions, the White House budget office told officials to prepare for a freeze on federal civilian pay next year.

Digital Government

SSA reorg plan contemplates field office closures, contradicting public statements

A March draft of the Social Security Administration's reorganization plan proposes "consolidating" field offices while shuttling customer service to AI and other automated platforms.

Breaking News People

Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on ‘national security’ grounds

An as-yet unpublished executive order purports to utilize a little-used provision allowing the president to restrict collective bargaining for national security reasons to exempt most federal jobs from union protections.

Digital Government

Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang found that the Trump administration and Elon Musk violated the constitutional separation of powers and the Appointments Clause when it ordered the shuttering of the foreign aid agency.

People

Trump continues to curtail union rights and career pipelines

Guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management last week instructs agencies to ignore union contract provisions on reductions in force, and apply its policies.

Exclusive Modernization

SSA weighs axing payments to 170,000 beneficiaries

The move to cease making payments to people without Social Security numbers would imperil the benefits of thousands of immigrants’ children with disabilities.

Digital Government

Trump administration moves to politicize top HR officials following firing at IRS

Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management justified the decision by citing chief human capital officers’ role in implementing Biden-era diversity policies.

Breaking News People

Top Social Security deputies leave amid rumored staff cuts

At least five of the eight regional heads have decided to leave as the mid-level worker-turned-acting commissioner is said to mull workforce reduction.

Updated People

Judge extends pause on ‘deferred resignation’ deadline

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole reportedly said he was considering converting the existing temporary restraining order blocking the administration from advancing its deferred resignation program into a preliminary injunction, but he did not indicate how he would rule in the case.

Updated People

Federal judge blocks USAID leave notices and reinstates workers

Attorneys representing the Trump administration confirmed Friday that upwards of 2,200 employees, many of whom are stationed overseas, would have been put on administrative leave Friday night, absent the court’s intervention.

Policy

Trump administration’s 'deferred resignation' deadline blocked until next week

OPM is required to notify all employees who received an initial "deferred resignation" offer by Thursday evening that the deadline for accepting the legally dubious offer has been pushed until Monday.

Updated Digital Government

Agencies ramp up pressure on their workers to quit

New guidance continues to defend its deferred resignation program as legal, though it fails to address its apparent violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act.

People

OPM claims agencies can ignore union telework contracts

A new memo instructing agencies to cease enforcing union-negotiated telework policies under the guise of “management rights” could portend future assaults on collective bargaining.

People

Employee groups, Democrats, experts warn feds not to accept ‘deferred resignation’ offer

The lack of a legal underpinning for the purported eight-month severance package, and Elon Musk’s history of offering—and then revoking—severance payments have many federal workers wary of the measure.

People

Trump reportedly will offer buyouts to all 2 million federal workers

The White House’s plan to offer “deferred resignations” that pay departing federal employees their salary through Sept. 30 will likely run afoul of rules governing buyout payments.

People

New Schedule F guidance shows the Trump White House is rearing for a fight

Trump administration officials elected to bypass the regulatory process to rescind Biden-era rules aimed at barring Schedule F’s revival, setting up a bigger fight over the president's authority.