7 Things Federal Workers Should Watch in 2016
From the presidential election to possible cuts to the federal workforce, the author discusses things he thinks federal employee should be watching for as we head into the new year.
DoD
Is Half a Workforce Strategy Better Than None?
Federal agencies are under pressure to create workforce strategies. The author writes one problem with them is that most workforce plans address only the federal employee side of the mix. He describes the components of an ideal plan.
DoD Violated Laws in Swap of Taliban for U.S. Army Sergeant
According to the GAO, DoD violated the law when it transferred five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to Qatar for the return of an American Army sergeant.
DoD Announces Same Sex Spouse Benefits
The Department of Defense has announced its plan to extend benefits to same-sex spouses of civilian employees.
MSPB Delaying Processing of DoD Furlough Appeals
MSPB is delaying the processing and adjudication of the recent influx of furlough appeals until it can get a better general understanding of them.
What’s a Teacher to Do?
A first-grade DOD civilian school teacher fired for inappropriately touching students when disciplining them has won reinstatement from the appeals court.
GAO: DOD Is Terminating the National Security Personnel System, but Needs a Strategic Plan to Guide Its Design of a New System
During fiscal year 2010, DOD achieved its initial goal of transitioning approximately 75 percent of NSPS employees to the General Schedule system despite having to overcome some challenges. DOD plans to transition the remaining NSPS employees by the January 1, 2012, mandated deadline.
Negotiating Federal Salary: How Do Negotiated Pay Levels in Agencies Compare to the Average Federal Salary?
Recent articles have indicated that federal employees are not represented by unions that negotiate wages. Is this true?
Preferential Treatment of Contractors Based on Race Rejected by Appeals Court
When the Air Force awarded a contract to a business owned by an Asian-American under a “set aside” for businesses owned by minorities, a lawsuit was filed. An appeals court has remanded the case as Congress did not have a “strong basis in evidence” to conclude that “race-conscious remedial measures were necessary.
Is Pay Bargaining Around the Corner in DHS and DOD?
In the twists and turns of implementing new human resources systems in DoD and DHS, unexpected events may lead to unanticipated results. Could unions end up bargaining on pay at DHS and DoD? Here is how such a scenario could play out in these agencies.
