Still Waiting on DHS Announcement

Meanwhile, the other major agency that has been given broad new authorities over its personnel policies, the Department of Homeland Security, still has not announced its intentions. Although DHS got the authority in late 2002, a year earlier than DoD, DHS is subject to a more complex process for crafting its personnel policies. The current phase involves joint rulemaking by the department and the Office of Personnel Management. While neither agency has formally indicated when the new policies will be issued, there is general expectation in the federal personnel community that it will be soon-although that has been the expectation for several months already. In general, employees have continued to work under the personnel policies of the predecessor agencies that were folded into DHS last year.