A 10-judge majority of the 5th Circuit Appeals Court's 17 judges upheld a 2022 decision that blocked the federal employee vaccine mandate nationwide.
federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2023
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Drew Friedman
@dfriedmanWFED
workforce, pay & benefits reporter • grad • she/her • email me at drew.friedman@federalnewsnetwork.com
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Military services seek to expand pool of potential recruits
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The Biden administration sees a major opportunity to sell office space the federal government no longer needs, now that much of the federal workforce has adapted to working from home.
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Federal unions have seen a roughly 20% increase in bargaining unit membership governmentwide, with close to 80,000 feds joining a union between 2021 and 2022.
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Telework for federal employees is top of mind for members of , along with FEHB improper payments, retirement processing delays and hiring reform. The committee pressed Director Kiran Ahuja last week on all of these issues -- and more.
It's kind of hard to believe one year ago today was my first day with . I get to work with some really great people, and I've learned a lot -- and still learning every day!
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The White House budget request includes:
- A 5.2% federal pay raise proposal
- Support to block a future Schedule F
- A major funding influx for OPM
endorses an 8.7% average federal pay raise in 2024 through the FAIR Act. Given high inflation, “it’s not too much to ask,” Reardon says.
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A now divided government will likely lead to a “challenging couple of years,” President Reardon says. He notes that there has already been “hostile leadership” in the House — challenging federal telework programs and recent IRS funding.
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NTEU National President Tony Reardon says Capitol Hill is now “a different landscape” for federal employees.
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Good morning from the legislative conference downtown today! Just heard some remarks here from
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Congressional investigations are heating up. Can career federal employees protect themselves? Attorneys detailed how feds can guard against becoming "collateral damage," as the Oversight & Accountability Committee launches into its investigation agenda.
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More about what the new EO will mean for federal agencies:
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"The reality is that underserved communities—many of whom have endured generations of discrimination and disinvestment—still confront unacceptable barriers to equal opportunity...Advancing equity is not a one-year project. It’s a generational commitment." — from a W.H. fact sheet
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A new executive order today, "Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government," adds to 's EO from his first day in office on advancing racial equity.
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A new bill would prevent a future Schedule F by blocking presidential administrations from reclassifying feds without Congressional consent. and introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act in the House, w/ a Senate companion bill from
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A downtown rally today in support of the FAIR Act, a bill that would give feds an 8.7% average pay raise in 2024. is speaking in this photo — he also just this morning reintroduced a bill to prevent a future Schedule F-type policy. Lots going on this week!
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Proponents of the Administrative Leave Act voiced frustrations with the years-long delay: “OPM sent a signal that the statute doesn’t matter.” -- Debra Roth, partner at law firm Shaw, Bransford & Roth
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The holdup on issuing final regulations for the Administrative Leave Act, according to OPM, is due to a conflict with rest and recuperation leave.
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OPM finalized regulations for weather and safety leave, but not for investigative or notice leave -- the other two types of leave included in the Administrative Leave Act.
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The Administrative Leave Act, included in the 2017 NDAA, is meant to cap how long feds can spend on paid administrative leave and tighten up the timeline for agencies to complete personnel investigations.
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After six years, agencies are still missing the final regulations needed to fully implement the Administrative Leave Act.
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The Preventing a Patronage System Act -- a bill to prevent any future Schedule F-type policy -- didn't pass last Congress. says, “we’re going to try again, and we won’t cease until we win, however long that takes.”
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Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act would give feds 12 wks paid family & medical leave. , who reintroduced the bill: “I think we can make this bipartisan enough…to get it across 's desk.” The bill has 1 GOP original cosponsor & 10 Dem cosponsors
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pushes for the repeal of the WEP and GPO, two provisions that can reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for some feds. She introduced the Social Security Fairness Act last month along with
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The Equal COLA Act was reintroduced today by -- the bill would give federal retirees in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) the full cost-of-living adjustment. Currently FERS retirees get a COLA up to 1% below the full amount.
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A shift in power in the House brings with it looming threats to agency leaders
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The House has cleared the SHOW UP Act, a Republican-led bill that would return the federal workforce to pre-pandemic work locations -- meaning many feds would go back to the office. The bill passed along party lines.
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The House passed H.R. 139 – SHOW UP Act of 2023 by a vote of 221-206. twitter.com/HouseDailyPres
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NEW: VA CAREERS Act from would raise base pay caps for physicians, podiatrists, optometrists & dentists. This comes after Congress set higher pay caps for about 10K VA nurses under RAISE Act.
federalnewsnetwork.com/pay-benefits/2
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The House passed H.R. 159 by a vote of 422-2.
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The House is voting NOW on H.R. 159 - To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- & competency-based hiring, as amended (2/3rd vote req. for passage). twitter.com/HouseDailyPres…
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The House is voting NOW on H.R. 159 - To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- & competency-based hiring, as amended (2/3rd vote req. for passage).
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A recorded vote was requested and postponed on H.R. 159, as amended. twitter.com/HouseDailyPres…
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🚨FIRST HEARING🚨
announced the committee will hold its first hearing of the 118th Congress to investigate rampant waste of taxpayer dollars in COVID relief programs on Wednesday, February 1 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Accountability starts now.
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The US is projected to hit its debt limit on 1/19. will take "extraordinary measures" at that point: Suspending new investments in Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund & Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, plus suspending reinvestment of TSP's G Fund.
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Mark your calendars: On Feb. 1 will hold its first hearing in the 118th Congress on the "rampant waste of taxpayer dollars" in COVID relief programs.
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House Republicans introduce the SHOW UP Act, which would return federal agencies to pre-pandemic office arrangements, in effect reducing telework for many federal employees.
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The 2023 NDAA resolved a “long-term pain point” for Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETOs). Hundreds of federal employees in the program will soon get something they’ve been lacking since 2009: locality pay.
Really enjoyed working with on this one!
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Hundreds of federal employees teleworking overseas are about to get a pay raise - thanks to a locality pay equivalent included in NDAA. It also makes a federal career more viable for spouses of Foreign Service officers. Great collab w/ @dfriedmanWFED
federalnewsnetwork.com/pay/2023/01/hu
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House Republicans want to introduce a provision that lets lawmakers offer amendments that would make changes to federal agency and personnel functions during the appropriations process
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