FOIA Requests Dropped Due to Pandemic but Backlog Still Grew
Freedom of Information Act requests declined government-wide by 8 percent in fiscal year 2020 but agencies processed 12 percent fewer …More
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Battle Continues Over Union Status of Immigration Judges
The back and forth regarding the status of a union for Justice Department immigration judges is continuing, with a new …More
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Support Telework at Least Two Days a Week
A poll conducted by the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys found that more than nine-tenths of its members say …More
Satisfaction with Government Services Hits Low Point
In a poll that could have implications for agency planning for long-run working arrangements, citizen satisfaction dropped in 2021 by …More
Bipartisan Senate Group Presses SSA on Customer Service
A group of more than a dozen senators has pressed the SSA to improve customer service, saying that while the …More
Guidance Issued on ‘Zero Trust’ Initiative; Cybersecurity Bill Offered
OMB has issued guidance on the Biden administration’s initiative to move the federal government toward a “zero trust” approach to …More
Court Addresses ‘Abuse of Authority’ Standard under Whistleblower Law
A federal appeals court decision has addressed the standards for what types of disclosures by federal employees qualify for protection …More
Staffing Shortages Hampering FEMA Capabilities, Says GAO
Shortages of staff have hampered FEMA’s ability to respond to natural disasters, the GAO has said, and “With an increase …More
Report Documents Cost Savings of Taking an Agency Function Virtual
In one of the few assessments so far of cost savings for an agency due to a shift from in-person …More
Grades Stall on FITARA Scorecard; Changes Planned
Grades were generally flat on the latest scorecard of agency implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, with …More
Interagency Council Set Up on ‘Made in America’ Initiative
The Biden administration has established an interagency council to coordinate agency activities under its Made in America initiative, the latest …More
MSPB Questions Value of Minor Changes to Hiring Policies
A hiring policy change that OPM made last June broadening the circumstances in which former federal employees can be hired …More
Improved Resilience against Disasters Sought for Federal Buildings
A new bipartisan bill offered in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would require federal agencies to take …More
Guidance Issued on New DoD Ethics Policies
The Defense Department’s central ethics office has issued guidance on changes to ethics policies applying to DoD employees enacted in …More
Average Age of New Hires Not Much Lower than That of Current Workers
While the average age of current federal employees is 47, the average age of new hires is 39, and “to …More
GAO Recommends Update to FDA Strategic Staffing Plan
The FDA has made use of hiring and pay flexibilities but its long-range staffing planning is hampered because the agency …More
VA Releases Implementation Plan for Diversity, Related Initiatives
The VA has released a plan for carrying out Biden administration initiatives for federal agencies to promote diversity, equity, inclusiveness …More
House Leaders Press Agencies on Cooperating with Inquiries
The leaders of the House government operations subcommittee have joined in a rare bipartisan venture to press agencies on cooperating …More
OGE Explains Raise’s Impact on Thresholds under Ethics Policies
The Office of Government Ethics has issued guidance on the impact on certain ethics policies of the federal employee raise …More
OPM Allows Emergency Leave Transfer for Tornadoes, Colorado Fires
OPM authorized emergency leave transfer programs related to recent tornadoes in the South and Midwest and for the wildfires in …More
DHS Creating ‘Climate Change Professionals’ Program
DHS has said it is creating a Climate Change Professionals Program open to current federal employees and recent graduates “to …More
Report Cites Imbalance at IRS between Workload, Workers
In the latest in a long line of reports citing understaffing at the IRS and its consequences, the National Taxpayer …More
Bipartisan Overhaul of Information Security Law in the Works
Bipartisan leaders of the House Oversight and Reform Committee are preparing legislation to overhaul the Federal Information Security Management Act, …More
Report Highlights Continued Vacancies in Agency Leadership
The trend of high levels of vacancies in agency leadership continued in 2021, the a report has said, citing a …More
Senate Approves Bills to Boost Security in Supply Chains, Promote Information Sharing
The Senate has passed S-2201, aimed at helping protect against cybersecurity threats and other technological supply chain security vulnerabilities that …More
OPM Underscores Focus on Diversity, Associated Initiatives
OPM has reminded agencies of their obligations under a series of Biden administration diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, …More
Nominations Period for ‘Sammies’ Awards Extended
The Partnership for Public Service has extended to January 21 the deadline for nominations for the 2022 Service to America …More
Only Two-Thirds of Special Leave Fund Was Used; Mostly by Postal Workers
Federal agencies used only about two-thirds of a special leave fund created by a pandemic relief law enacted early in …More
Audit Finds Surge in AWOL at Postal Service
AWOL surged at the Postal Service in 2020 due to the pandemic—and the use of a new liberal leave policy …More
Report Urges Attention to Child Care Centers during Agency ‘Reentry’
In a report with applicability across the government, the Energy Department inspector general has called attention to issues that could …More
