People

Some feds will see use-or-lose leave restored due to the pandemic

New regulations will allow workers designated essential during the coronavirus outbreak to have their unused leave restored.

People

Agencies begin slow return to the office as COVID restrictions ease

Veterans Affairs, State, Agriculture and other federal agencies are ramping up operations and bringing more workers into the office.

People

Union heads urge caution as DHS looks to resume normal operations

As the Department of Homeland Security considers the process of resuming normal operations, unions representing agency employees are calling on agency leadership to ensure that personnel have adequate resources to protect against exposure to COVID-19.

People

Landmark Supreme Court ruling extends workplace protections to LGBT employees

The ruling gives state, local and private sector workers the same civil rights protections available for years to federal employees.

People

Federal appeals court denies union push for emergency coronavirus safety rules

The AFL-CIO had sought to force OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard that would have addressed infectious disease in the workplace.

People

Pentagon starts reopening June 15

The Pentagon is moving to a restricted Phase One of its reopening plan June 15, the Defense Department announced, with essential personnel returning to headquarters.

People

Army splits CIO role

The Army announced June 11 that it will divvy up the CIO role to focus on policy and with a separate deputy chief of staff to lead military network communication challenges.

People

Fired State Department IG cites 'bullying' from senior officials

Steve Linick told lawmakers that he didn't know why he was dismissed from his post, but many Democrats say investigations of Secretary Mike Pompeo played a role.

People

Public sector employment continues to slide

However positive signs in the May jobs report could sideline federal legislation to extend aid to local governments.

People

Civic tech internship programs wins Harvard innovation challenge

Steve Kelman notes the latest accomplishment for the federally focused Coding it Forward initiative.

People

AFGE urges Congress to back labor priorities in defense bill

Priorities include preserving collective bargaining rights, granting paid family leave

People

Military leaders try to walk a fine line amid protests against police violence

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other senior officials signaled opposition to the use of active duty troops to police nationwide protests, but are running up against a commander-in-chief who appears to welcome conflict.

People

OPM looks to its own reopening

As Capitol Region local governments are starting to phase in their own reopening plans, the Office of Personnel Management put out a detailed guide for returning its own employees to the office.

People

Pentagon considers reducing quarantine to 10 days

The Pentagon is considering compressing the COVID-19 quarantine period for personnel from 14 to 10 days, top officials said.

People

Pentagon readies reopening plan

The Defense Department is planning to shift from pandemic footing to more normal operations, and is using White House issued criteria on declines in reported symptoms, declines in new cases and hospital access to determine when restrictions will be lifted.

People

House passes $3 trillion HEROES Act relief legislation

The Senate has no plans to take up the bill and White House said it would veto what it called an "partisan and ideological wishlist".

People

SSA didn't share key information with judges union, arbitrator finds

The decision comes as the Association of Administrative Law Judges is in the midst of a lawsuit against component of the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

People

White House pushes Thrift Board to back off China index investment

Citing national security and economic risks, senior officials instructed the Secretary of Labor to overturn plans by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to buy a fund that includes investments in China.

People

Navy IT looks beyond COVID

The Navy's network operations, like most federal agencies, scrambled to shift to completely remote workforce, but the experience has also shifted workers' network expectations.

People

Data sharing and COVID-19

Agencies are working to simultaneously modernize and share data to ensure continuity of business.