Many Feds Wary about Return to Normal Worksites
Attitudes remain wary among federal employees, their organizations and some on Capitol Hill about a widescale return, once Coronavirus-related restrictions …More
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Hatch Act Applies while Working Remotely, OSC Stresses
Federal employees working remotely “are still subject to the Hatch Act’s on-duty restrictions,” the Office of Special Counsel has said, …More
GAO Finds only Partial Progress on Key Federal Workforce Issues
GAO has said that most of its high-priority recommendations related to federal personnel issues remain unaddressed, including those involving use …More
OGE Sends Reminder on Stock Ownership Restrictions
The Office of Government Ethics has issued a reminder on the implications for stock ownership of a conflict of interest …More
April Saw Slight Reversal in Damage to TSP Stock Funds
All three of the stock-based TSP funds posted strong gains in April, reversing some of the damage from the first …More
Agencies Eye Return to Normal Worksite With Safety at the Fore; IRS Among First
Some agencies have begun moves to return to normal operations under Trump administration guidance even as concerns remain regarding safety …More
USPS Funding, Federal Benefits are Sticking Point for 5th Relief Bill
After four Coronavirus-relief measures were quickly enacted into law, controversies are arising that threaten to thwart passage of a fifth …More
Covid-Related FECA Claims Could Be Hard to Prove, Says CRS
Federal employees, especially those not in positions deemed to be at high risk of exposure to the Coronavirus in the …More
FEHB Carriers Told to Cover Covid Testing, Waive Cost-Sharing
OPM has told FEHB carriers that they must provide coverage and waive deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, and waive prior authorization …More
TSP Tallies First-Quarter Pain for Investors
Investment losses due to stock market drops in the first calendar quarter of this year—a historically bad three-month period for …More
TSP Expands Guidance on Required Minimum Withdrawal Suspension
The TSP has expanded on guidance it issued earlier on the suspension for this year of the “required minimum withdrawal” …More
Guidelines, but No Timeline, for Federal Agency Return to Normal
The Trump administration has issued guidelines for the conditions necessary and the steps to be taken to “ramp back up …More
Guidance Addresses Telework, Scheduling, Vulnerable Employees
New guidance on returning agencies to normal operations calls on them to factor in certain safety considerations that could impact …More
Safety Concerns Continue as Infection Numbers Climb
Even as the Trump administration has issued guidance on conditions necessary for returning federal agencies to normal operations, concerns continue …More
Pre-Virus, Telework Had Flattened, OPM Says
Before the current surge of federal employees working remotely due to the Coronavirus, telework in federal agencies had largely flattened …More
Federal Pay, Benefits Issues Pushed to Next Virus Relief Bill
President Trump has signed a $484 billion Coronavirus relief measure, the fourth to be enacted, but it leaves to yet …More
OPM Opens Charity Contribution Window for Virus Relief
OPM has opened a special solicitation through the Combined Federal Campaign for donations to charities working on relief efforts related …More
Local Travel Restrictions Don’t Apply to Feds Going to Work
OPM has said that travel restrictions, orders and instructions issued by state and local governments in response to the Coronavirus …More
TSP Waives Notarization Requirement on Withdrawal Decisions
The TSP has temporarily waived a requirement that married account holders get notarized permission from their spouses before making most …More
Pay, Benefits Boost for Federal Employees Sought for Next Relief Bill
Several separate packages of improvements in federal employee pay and benefits have been proposed for inclusion in a planned Coronavirus …More
VA Offers Incentives for Taking Covid-Related Assignments
The VA has started offering employees incentives of $5,000 to volunteer for two-week assignments to care for patients in Coronavirus …More
Lack of Information, Cooperation Adding to Pandemic Stress, Unions Say
Federal unions are saying that lack of information and cooperation from federal agencies is adding to the stress of the …More
Court Backs Narrow Reading of Whistleblower Protections
An investigation of a federal employee that may be a retaliatory action for whistleblowing is not itself a “personnel action” …More
Postal Supervisor Turnover Low but So Is Engagement, IG Says
An IG report has found that turnover among first-line USPS supervisors is notably low but that about two-thirds of them …More
RMDs: TSP Suspends Required Minimum Distributions
The TSP finalized a policy change suspending for this year the general requirement that retired account holders take annual required …More
Federal Employee Safety Could be Addressed in Next Virus-Response Bill
White House and Congressional leaders have signaled interest in quickly enacting another Coronavirus relief bill – what would be the …More
Dems Want Financial Lifeline for USPS, Without Strings
Democratic leaders of committees overseeing the Postal Service have urged the Treasury Department to quickly make available to the USPS …More
Dependent Care FSA Changes May Be Allowed Due to Coronavirus
Federal employees with dependent care flexible spending accounts may be eligible to change their allotments to those accounts due to …More
OPM: Higher Incentive Pay Possible for COVID-19 Response
OPM has told agencies that they may request a waiver of the normal limits on recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives …More
Split Ruling on Age Bias in Federal Workforce
The Supreme Court has issued what amounts to a split ruling on the legal standards for federal employees alleging age …More
