Workforce Rights/Governance

  • Tony Vergnetti hosts a roundtable discussion of the upcoming training seminar at the Federal Manager's Association convention. February 6, 2015

    February 06, 2015
  • David Snell, retirement director of the federal benefits service department at NARFE, will answer your calls and emails about the federal survivor benefits package. February 4, 2015

    February 04, 2015
  • A 1.3-percent pay raise, reforms to the Senior Executive Service and increased emphasis on employee feedback are just some of the initiatives proposed in President Barack Obama's 2016 budget.

    February 02, 2015
  • Blowing the whistle on wrongdoing at the Department of Veterans Affairs can mean risking everything from losing a job to losing the respect of co-workers. But in fighting whistleblower retaliation today, the Office of Special Counsel hopes future whistleblowers will come forward without fear of punishment.

    January 28, 2015
  • Hiring in the federal government is supposed to be open, competitive and fair. But you get what you measure. The Merit System Protection Board recently released its annual Fair and Open Competition report. It's designed to ensure federal employees are hired based on their qualifications, not their connections. Allison Wiley is a senior research analyst at the board. She joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss the report's findings. One of the key ones, she said, is that fair and open competition is still the standard in the majority of government hires.

    January 28, 2015
  • The Office of Special Counsel is helping Veterans Affairs employees bounce back after they've been punished for blowing the whistle. The office has obtained relief for 25 employees — and counting. OSC deputy special counsel for litigation and legal affairs, Eric Bachman, joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to explain the operation.

    January 27, 2015
  • Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Acting President Nate Catura, and Steve Groeninger, senior director of Communications and Marketing for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, discuss the preliminary law enforcement fatality statistics for 2014. January 23, 2015

    January 23, 2015
  • The Office of Special Counsel has proposed a rule change that would allow federal contractors and grantees a new channel to report wrongdoings at federal agencies.

    January 23, 2015
  • Do federal managers know who they want to hire before even posting a job? Do they rig the process to the benefit of their candidate? And, is it worth it to even apply for a job at an agency given these barriers? Former federal HR exec Jeff Neal offers his candid advice based on his 33 years of experience.

    January 23, 2015
  • NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici will predict what's ahead for federal workers and retirees in 2015. January 21, 2015

    January 21, 2015
  • Veterans Affairs whistleblowers reclaimed their jobs and reputations after supervisors tried to downplay claims of falsified performance reports, a delayed response to rape allegations against a VA employee and low staffing levels at VA medical centers.

    January 20, 2015
  • Two Justice Department prosecutors were briefly suspended for withholding evidence during the 2008 corruption trial of then-Sen. Ted Stevens. Now they've won their appeals over a technicality in how Justice handled their case. According to the Merit System Protection Board, Justice violated its own procedures in punishing the duo. Lynne Bernabei, a partner at the law firm Bernabei and Watchel, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the case.

    January 19, 2015
  • President Barack Obama is signing a Presidential Memorandum today directing agencies to provide six weeks of advance sick leave for federal employees to care for their newborn child.

    January 15, 2015
  • The Office of Special Counsel recently blocked the removal of a TSA inspector in South Carolina. The inspector was also a whistleblower. Kimberly Barnett alleges her supervisor violated agency safety rules and falsified the amount of time he worked and spent in training. The supervisor retaliated — unsuccessfully. Debra Roth is a partner at the law firm Shaw, Bransford and Roth. She joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for this week's Legal Loop segment to discuss the significance of this case.

    January 15, 2015
  • Companion bills introduced in the House and Senate would give federal employees a 3.8 percent pay raise next year. Federal employees received 1 percent pay raises in both 2014 and 2015, after three years of pay freezes.

    January 13, 2015