Digital Government
Labor watchdog calls out gaps in unemployment fraud reporting
The department says it will update current requirements so that data flagged as potentially fraudulent will be shared with the agency's Office of the Inspector General.
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.
Modernization
Funding is only part of the answer for UI modernization
State workforce agencies have funding for unemployment modernization and administration thanks to pandemic relief legislation but there are policy impediments, experts said.
Modernization
$2.1 billion in UI modernization comes with oversight
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh told a panel of House Appropriators that the agency's planned $2.1 billion investment in state unemployment systems needs oversight and monitoring, and metrics for measuring success.
Digital Government
Biden's $1.5 trillion 2022 budget plan tilts spending toward civilian agencies
The administration is adding money to multiple tech modernization programs and removing the Overseas Contingency Account from the Defense Department request and folding in warfighting funds into the base budget.
Digital Government
Dems press on federal role in UI tech modernization
The Labor Department recently got $2 billion for the administrative costs of unemployment insurance delivery. Democratic Lawmakers have a plan for how the agency should use it.
Digital Government
TMF to fund Labor Dept. data project
The Technology Modernization Fund doled out its first project of 2021 the day after getting $1 billion in the Biden administration's Rescue Plan legislation.
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.
Digital Government
TMF money, more leave in Senate's take on COVID relief
The $1.9 trillion relief package could give federal employees up to 15 weeks of pandemic-related paid leave.
Acquisition
DOL looks to roll back Trump's exemption for religious orgs in contracting
The agency plans going to reverse the rule through notice and comment rulemaking, a process that could take months.
Digital Government
Billions went to fraudulent unemployment claims in 2020, IG memo reports
Fraudulent unemployment benefit claims since March could end up costing tens of billions of dollars, the memo says.
Digital Government
Wyden bill looks to overhaul unemployment benefit tech
The $500 million bill would pay for the Department of Labor to help develop new benefits technology capabilities to share with states and to establish a digital services team to develop and maintain the tech.
Digital Government
Labor nominee says that unemployment tech needs to be updated
Lawmakers are looking to President Biden's Labor Secretary nominee Marty Walsh for help on modernizing unemployment insurance delivery, worker safety and stimulating growth in STEM jobs.
Acquisition
Labor secretary nominee comes with a long record on union issues, contracting oversight
During his time as mayor, Marty Walsh pursued actions to increase the amount of minority-, women- and veteran-owned contractors in Boston.
Acquisition
Labor Dept. official says religious exemption for some contractors won't allow discrimination
Civil rights groups caution that the rule change that allows faith-based organizations that are also federal contractors to favor their members in hiring could lead to employment discrimination.
Acquisition
Judge halts enforcement of diversity training crackdown on contractors
A nationwide injunction blocks sections of the order that apply to contractors and grant recipients, including a hotline created for employees to report training materials.
Acquisition
New rule lets contractors seek religious exemptions to anti-discrimination policies
The move will make it easier for companies that are organized around faith-based activities to evade certain civil rights laws and policies when making hiring decisions.
People
Lawmakers probe telework's impact on federal jobs, hiring
Although the move to telework has presented challenges, agency officials told senators at a hearing emphasized the benefits in terms of hiring and productivity.
Acquisition
Key questions remain for contractors about diversity training regulations
Although a Department of Labor official says diversity training is still possible for federal contractors under the new policies, confusion over the guidelines has already resulted in cancelled training as agencies and contractors hit pause rather than risk violating a Trump administration executive order.
Acquisition
Business groups nationwide complain about diversity training crackdown
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce led a nationwide coalition of trade associations and business groups in a letter opposing the Trump administration's executive order on diversity and inclusion training.
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