The Department of Homeland Security plans to issue regulations this week that, as expected, will pave the way for shifting most of the agency’s 180,000 federal employees into a revised pay system featuring pay banding and pay for performance. The department also seeks fundamental changes in certain union rights and in the rights of employees to challenge personnel actions against them. Counting the notice-and-comment period and possible delays for other reasons, including expected hearings in Congress, it likely will be a number of months until the rules are finalized. In the meantime, unions are continuing to meet with the department to raise concerns, particularly the labor relations provisions.