Hiring/Retention

A summary of agencies’ chief human capital challenges from the Office of Personnel Management points to the General Schedule as the “single greatest obstacle” to competing with the private sector for critical talent. It’s second report in as many weeks from the federal community that describes major challenges with decades-old civil service systems.

Nearly every public and private element in the United States is somehow involved in pushing back the pandemic. Some career federal civil servants can be seen on TV but thousands more are working behind the scenes.

As we have seen our economy change we have heard of some employers like Amazon, Walmart, InstaCart and others hiring a massive amount of people to fulfill demand. These are all critical jobs during this…

With USPS now keeping tracking the deaths of its employees from the coronavirus pandemic, the agency is doing everything it can to continue normal operations,

At least 40% of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs could be absent at any one time during a severe coronavirus outbreak, the agency estimated. VA’s inspector general and employee unions have also expressed concerns with staffing and supply shortages.

After nearly three years of work, the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service last week released a long list of recommendations for all three areas of service.

Given its current financial situation, only set to worsen under the pandemic, USPS and its unions fear the agency may not have the cash on hand to continue operations past this summer. 

Some agencies are struggling to vet and issue credentials to new employees during the coronavirus, as some federal facilities that collect and process fingerprints are closed.

The president has signed the $2 trillion stimulus and emergency supplemental appropriations package into law. It will have implications for federal employees and their agencies, retirees and contractors.

The congressionally-mandated National Commission on Military, National and Public Service offered up 124 recommendations Wednesday, which address everything from veterans preference rules to adding women to the Selective Service System.

For more, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the director of GAO’s Natural Resources and Environment team, Anne-Marie Fennell.

The Office of Personnel Management said agencies can virtually offer the oath of office and remotely collect onboarding documents from new employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Office of Personnel Management gave the Department of Veterans Affairs an authority needed to quickly rehire former medical professionals for VA’s coronavirus response efforts. These reemployed annuitants can work full time and receive a full salary and their retirement checks.

Barely a week into the rollout of the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau has suspended all decennial hiring and onboarding until at least April 1, as part of its contingency planning amid the coronavirus pandemic.