People
Did Trump shrink the government? Not according to the Plum Book
Despite promises to "drain the swamp," the Trump administration did little to reduce the number of political appointments, according to data in the latest iteration of the Plum Book.
People
EEOC cancels official time for union reps in discrimination complaints
The rule change will restrict the use of official time for union representatives working with complainants on discrimination charges.
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.
People
Trump signs 2021 funding bill, averting Tuesday shutdown
After threatening a government shutdown, President Trump signed the fiscal year 2021 funding bill and a COVID-19 relief package into law on Sunday evening.
People
Trump threatens yet another shutdown
The government is currently funded by a short-term continuing resolution that expires on midnight on Monday, Dec. 28.
People
Union lawsuit looks to block Schedule F
The government has until January 15 to respond to the National Treasury Employees Union's lawsuit seeking the blockage of the new employee classification.
People
Schedule F workforce plan survives funding bill
Democrats in the House and Senate urged appropriators to include a measure blocking the implementation of a workforce executive order making it possible to reclassify thousands of senior civil servants as "at will" employees, making it easier to hire and fire feds in certain key positions.
People
COVID premium pay varies across Veterans Affairs
The lack of national direction from the Department of Veterans Affairs on issuance of pandemic "premium pay" has left regional VA networks and local facilities to decide which employees get additional pay for working on the front lines of the pandemic -- and how much.
People
OPM rule would elevate performance in layoff decisions
The current rules for reductions in force have performance last on the list of factors to consider in the determining which employees to keep, with the type of job coming first and followed by veterans preference and service length after.
People
Telework gets Air Force IT seal of approval
Lauren Knausenberger, the Air Force's deputy CIO, said IT satisfaction went up significantly once people started working from home.
People
OPM succession shuffle sparks Schedule F concerns
Experts worry that an executive order with the potential to politicize the civil service could do lasting damage, even if rescinded by the incoming Biden administration.
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
Pandemic pivots at State, FCC
The necessary wave of IT adaptation to the pandemic showed federal CIOs and agencies they could move quickly and efficiently to modernize.
People
VA vaccine distribution will require 'Herculean effort,' says VA official
The agency is preparing to receive initial shipments of vaccines, but getting it to rural areas of the country will be a challenge.
Modernization
Pandemic spotlights the promise and weakness of government tech
Governments should not aim for "a return to the technology status quo before the pandemic," according to a new white paper by Microsoft and the Partnership for Public Service.
Modernization
Secure telework capabilities top DISA's 2021 plans
The Defense Information Systems Agency is looking at "gray networks" and expanding its cloud-based internet isolation browser solution to email.
People
Developing an agency brand to modernize HR
Agencies can use data to identify and assemble information on candidates' and employees' experiences to better understand how people perceive them as an employer, as well as how to potentially streamline outdated processes.
People
Gender pay gap persists in the federal workforce
Incomplete data on promotion by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission limit the ability of agencies to ensure equal opportunity for promotions across gender, race and ethnicity, the report says.
People
How dozens of Trump's political appointees will stay in government after Biden takes over
Burrowing has a history that traces back to civil service reforms of the late 1880s, when Congress passed a law to try to ensure that jobs were awarded on merit rather than patronage. The number of hires sought under Trump is so far roughly similar to the tally of other recent administrations, but the types of positions being converted are more political than in the past
Cybersecurity
COVID prompts USCIS' pivot to video
Social distancing requirements under the pandemic led to the acceleration of a modernization plan that included adding video feeds to the asylum interview process.
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