People

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.

People

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.

People

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.

People

Cultivating small talk when there's no office

Federal managers should look for ways to create the virtual water cooler environment.

People

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.

People

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.

People

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.

People

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.

People

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?

People

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.

People

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.

People

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.

People

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.

People

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

VA watchdog cautions on pandemic hires

Temporary waivers to speed hiring at VA medical facilities have helped fill workforce gaps, but the agency's Inspector General warns on security risks of putting off certain security checks.

People

Martorana to take over as federal CIO

The OPM tech chief is moving to the White House to lead civilian federal IT policy.

People

A contractor calls for hiring more techies in-house

Steve Kelman argues that Ad Hoc CEO Greg Gershman is onto something important.

People

OPM tells agencies to restart union talks to uproot Trump-era orders

The Office of Personnel Management is looking to remove vestiges of workforce executive orders from the Trump administration from federal agency contracts with employee unions, including restrictions on official time and union use of agency facilities.

People

No new OMB pick yet, White House says

In her daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Shalanda Young could serve as budget director on an acting basis if confirmed as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

People

Republicans slam Biden's defense policy pick for past tweets

Colin Kahl, the Biden administration's pick to be the undersecretary of defense for policy, talked cyber and defense while dodging critiques on past social media posts.