Getting the Most Out of Government Employment
Getting the most out of your government career is not unlike any other career; you simply need to know what to do and where to look for any answers you seek.
Human Resources
Stay informed with the latest federal human resources news, including updates on federal employee unions, labor relations, collective bargaining, workplace policies, and federal HR guidance. This category covers OPM regulations, pay, leave, and benefits administration, labor‑management disputes, union negotiations, workplace rights, and major **HR policy changes.
Do KSAs Really Matter?
It can be difficult and time consuming to prepare KSA statement responses. However, they are a critical component to your federal job application package.
President Nominates FLRA Member and General Counsel: Will Federal Unions Picket in Protest?
The President has nominated a couple of DC area locals. The author asks if the unions will oppose these nominees as “ideologues.”
Form Over Substance: Federal Employee Virtual Suggestion Program Falls Flat
Setting up a program to ensure it is successful means paying attention to details. A program to encourage suggestions from federal employees on how to improve government got considerable publicity. The result: A big yawn from the federal workforce. Perhaps the program sponsors should have told the federal workforce where to send their ideas instead of just extolling the benefits of their new idea for creating a 21st century bureaucracy.
Evidence in Negotiability Cases? The FLRA Greases a Slippery Slope
On remand from a court decision, FLRA was instructed to revisit a record. In a decision blaming the Agency for not rebutting the Union’s lousy evidence, FLRA relies on unsupported emails to decide the case. The author suggests that this case offers the parties an opportunity to dramatically affect future negotiability proceedings.
Telework: Trendy Hot Issue, Long Term Policy Goal or Political Plum?
OPM’s new Director launched a “telework” initiative as his first leap into Federal human resources management. People are wondering, “What the heck is this about?”
A Modest Proposal For Improving Federal Supervision
As someone who teaches seminars relating to Federal performance appraisals, it’s become clear we don’t have a clue how to evaluate/appraise supervisors. It’s just as clear to me that their performance has everything to do with an agency’s success or failure. This article proposes both a starting point and how their performance can be improved.
Eliminating Time-in-Grade Requirements? Not So Fast
A proposed change to eliminate time-in-grade restrictions for federal employee promotions has been delayed again. The delay may signal the end of this proposal designed to expand pay-for-performance into federal employee promotions rather than the strong bias toward seniority.
Paid Leave, Childbirth and Federal Employee Benefits
Some federal employees may get more paid leave when having a new child as a bill to provide more leave is sent to the House for a vote by a committee.
Using (and Misusing) Individual Development Plans
Individual Development Plans (IDP’s) are sometimes misused in an organization. Here are ways you can get the most from your IDP.
