Earlier this month, the federal government ended its COVID-19 public health emergency after three years. Nationwide, Americans likely may not notice the changes in the way the government treats the pandemic, but health insurance will not cover COVID-19 vaccines and treatment in the same way. Federal employees participating in the Federal Employee H…

Hiring is a difficult task for any organization, but federal agencies have stresses that others do not. With waves of retirement happening at agencies like the IRS, Veterans Affairs Department and others, open positions go unfilled for extended periods of time. But, our guest today writes that retirees are a good source of talent for the federal go…

The financial industry is behind other industries in adopting DEI principles. With DEI becoming more of a priority, financial organizations are grappling with both history and the present within the DEI framework. Jim Casselberry is CEO and Co-Founder at Known, LLC and has more than thirty years of experience in the financial advising and investmen…

The debt ceiling hangs over federal employees as an unprecedented default could come as soon as the first week in June. Negotiations remain ongoing as President Joe Biden attends the G7 summit in Japan this week, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that the two sides are still far apart. Still, both sides remain optimistic that a deal will be struck be…

In the last few weeks, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. federal government have lifted declarations of COVID-19’s crisis status. As the U.S. public health infrastructure moves away from that period, preparing for the next public health crisis will be paramount. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 response can provide better response to…

Before maximum telework, there was flexiplace and telecommuting. Agencies in the late 20th century had a version of telework, though that version seems like it belongs in the stone age to modern eyes used to VPNs, Slack and other modern components of telework. Tom Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and editor in chief …

The General Schedule was enacted into law in 1949 and remains to this day. Of course, much has changed in government since 1949 and the changes to the General Schedule have not kept up with the time. Our guests today write that the GS system has been described to them by feds as trying to work while wearing cement shoes. Doris Hausser and Kimberly …

The United States Treasury Department reached the $31.3 trillion debt ceiling in January, prompting “extraordinary measures'' to keep the U.S. from a default. Economic experts have predicted an unprecedented default as soon as June. Negotiations around the debt limit are slow going, increasing the likelihood of major disruptions to government opera…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic came into our lives in 2020, remote work has become the norm in many organizations. Remote work gives hiring managers the ability to cast a wider net, it gives employees more flexibility and it is popular with the workforce. But, remote work can bring some heartburn, too and some organizations are slow to adapt to it. Sh…

After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency expires Thursday. While FDA and NIH officials have said that the end of the PHE will have minor impacts on their agencies, it has both symbolic and practical value for public servants. Telework and data collection will change, as well as things like free vaccines and tests fo…

According to recent research, fewer employers see a meaningful relationship between a four-year college degree and job competency. According to a report from American Student Assistance and Jobs for the Future, 81% of employers believe that organizations should hire based on skills rather than degrees. John W. Mitchell is president and CEO of the g…

Despite this week being Public Service Recognition Week, the professional civil service remains under threat. The conversation around bureaucracy remains fairly toxic, the courts have knocked down agencies’ abilities to executive some laws and public figures continue to talk about the end of the administrative state. Dr. Donald F. Kettl is professo…

Government work is often complicated and difficult, but career federal employees often work in anonymity for the American people. Each year, the Partnership for Public Service awards the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalists to outstanding federal employees who serve the public good. This year’s finalists work in diverse parts of the …

ChatGPT has generated a lot of attention not only from consumers, but also employees in both in the private and federal sector. ChatGPT is a powerful tool, with the ability to generate human-like responses to written prompts. While this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way federal employees work, it also raises important questions …

The generation born after 1996, commonly called "Gen Z" or "Zoomers," are now entering the workforce and bringing with them the unique characteristics that any generation brings to the workplace. Managing across generations is never easy, but according to a new survey from ResumeBuilder.com, managers are having some trouble working with Gen Z. Stac…

The Office of Personnel Management announced that the maximum telework edict will end this month with the cessation of the national public health emergency on May 11, though OPM chief Kiran Ahuja has said that the change will not have a significant impact on agencies. Telework for feds has been a political football and the three years of the pandem…

Earlier this year, the White House announced a series of projects that agencies are undertaking as part of an effort to reshape how government delivers services by focusing on citizens' experiences like retirement and other life events. With the Biden management agenda’s focus on customer experience, that will mean getting service to as many people…

Passed last week by the House of Representatives, the 2023 Limit, Save and Grow Act would slash discretionary spending at domestic agencies to its fiscal 2022 levels. The bill addresses the looming debt default that would have catastrophic impacts on the U.S. economy and government operations. The bill sets up debt ceiling negotiations on something…

Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility are principles that the Biden administration has brought forward since it came into office. In June 2021, the president signed an executive order establishing a directive to agencies to seek opportunities to establish or elevate Chief Diversity Officers. Recently, Accenture Federal Services and the Par…

Recently, the Office of Personnel management announced that it will end the use of maximum telework, following President Biden’s planned May expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The implementation of necessary telework during the last three years is among the many complications involved with employee connection in public service. Acc…

On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden officially announced that he will run for reelection. In his announcement, he cited Social Security and echoed his faith in American government. Since his election in 2020, Biden has positioned himself as a friend to government employees, seemingly in direct contrast to his predecessor – and potential 2024 fo…

Passed in 1994, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act is a law that, among other things, protects service members by allowing them to regain their civilian jobs following a period of uniformed service. MSPB recently refined federal employees’ rights under USERRA. Allen Shoikhetbrod is an employment attorney and the Managing …

The Thrift Savings Plan is very popular with participants. A 2022 survey found that 88% of those investing with the TSP were satisfied with it. As the TSP has seen in prior surveys, participants who contribute more are more satisfied with the plan, which suggests that the famed TSP millionaire’s club are likely among those happy with the TSP. Abrah…

The promise of Login.gov when it was launched was to have a single, secure signon for U.S. government sites. Since it launched to replace Connect.gov, however, Login.gov has not fulfilled all of its promise, with concerns about security being highlighted in a recent GSA inspector general office report. Natalie Alms is a staff writer at FCW covering…

In the 21st century, Americans are used to having many easy interactions online, albeit mostly in the private sector. We interact with sites like Amazon and Google often and have come to expect that our interactions will be seamless and effective. Government does not have the same expectations, but many Americans do want to interact with government…