People
Interior plans year-round federal firefighter workforce
The permanent federal firefighting force should help combat a longer fire season, the department says.
People
USDA looks to staff up with funding boost
The Department of Agriculture is considering how and when to bring feds back to the office, but more telework might be in the offing, the agriculture secretary said Tuesday at a budget hearing.
Cybersecurity
DHS poised to remake federal hiring in September to confront cybersecurity gap
The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Talent Management System has been years in the making, but officials say it will finally come online this fall.
People
Biden's OPM nominee appears headed for confirmation
A vote on the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to head the Office of Personnel Management is expected before the Senate goes into recess at the end of next week.
People
New White House guidance for feds returning to the office and the future 'hybrid' federal workforce
A new OMB memo provides instructions on how to bring feds back to government offices on a large scale and asks agencies to consider long-term planning for a drastically different workplace.
Digital Government
White House: Agencies shouldn't require vaccinations or ask for employees' vaccination status
Unvaccinated individuals will still need to abide by CDC recommendations for masking and physical distancing, the new guidance says.
People
OPM finalizes 2019 proposal for re-hiring former feds
The new regulations will change current rules forcing agencies to re-hire former feds into the pay grade they were last under in government.
Digital Government
Many federal websites don't meet accessibility requirements, study finds
Out of 72 government websites studied, 30% didn't meet accessibility standards, according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Acquisition
The small federal office at the heart of Biden's equity agenda
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the Department of Labor may not be a household name but it plays an outside part in conducting oversight of pay and hiring discrimination.
Cybersecurity
DHS expands collective bargaining for TSA airport screeners
Although the American Federation of Government Employees praised the move, the union says it is still going to press for legislation to move TSA employees into Title 5.
Digital Government
Legacy tech hindered delivery of unemployment benefits during the pandemic, IG finds
States with modernized systems were able to stand up new programs faster than states that relied on legacy technology, according to a new report from the Labor Department's internal watchdog.
People
White House seeks reopening plans from agencies
Guidance sent to agencies on Tuesday makes clear that agencies can't start phasing feds back into the workplace until they've satisfied collective bargaining requirements.
Acquisition
Biden's first budget ups cyber and tech spending; gives feds a 2.7% pay raise
The Biden administration released its $6 trillion fiscal year 2022 budget proposal on Friday, including $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending across federal agencies.
Cybersecurity
Tech can help, but clearance reciprocity is a policy issue
The backlog of security clearance investigations has continued to drop from a 2018 high of 725,000 to 200,000, but agencies continue to struggle with reciprocity issues.
People
Lawmakers push State Department to act on harassment, discrimination
The State Department's first ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer has said that harassment cases go unreported because of an understanding that they wouldn't be addressed.
Digital Government
NARA seeks DOD's help in addressing records request backlog
Many records housed in a St. Louis facility are critical to veterans' benefits applications but can't be accessed remotely.
People
CDC mask guidelines and the federal workforce
The White House-led Safer Federal Workforce Task Force is incorporating recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates on COVID protocols into their guidance for agencies looking to accommodate vaccinated workers.
People
OPM tells agencies they may set up labor-management relation forums
A Trump executive order rolling back requirements for labor-management relations forums is under review, according to new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management.
People
GOP rep wants feds back in the office
Rep. Jody Hice, the top Republican on the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, says that recent CDC guidance on masks, vaccination and social distancing means that it's time for the federal government to move away from the emergency pandemic footing.
People