Fedweek

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has advanced a package of bills focusing on several long-running disputes over federal personnel practices that could constitute the major effort at civil service reform in Congress this year. One measure (HR-3023), responding to criticisms that agencies don’t do enough to either improve or to weed out underperforming employees, would double the standard period to two years. During the probationary period, employees have far fewer appeal rights than those who complete that period. Congress last year enacted the same change only for DoD, the largest agency, whose personnel policies often set precedent for other agencies. Implementing rules to carry out that change haven’t been issued yet, however. The government-wide change would be effective with those hired starting 180 days after enactment.