New law requires telework option for pregnant workers

• Employees dealing with a pregnancy or childbirth can request telework as a reasonable accommodation. That accommodation is a possibility that stems from the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The new law requires agencies — and all U.S. employers — to provide reasonable accommodations for any pregnant employee experiencing limitations at work. Accommodations can include things like longer bathroom breaks, adjustments in a work schedule, and even include telework. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finalized its regulations to implement the new law just last week. EEOC began accepting charges alleging violations of the law in June 2023, when the act first took effect.
  (Pregnant Workers Fairness Act final rule - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• A team of cyber experts from the Defense Department, once again, dominated the 5th Annual President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition. The group called Artificially Intelligent and composed of members of the DoD, the Army and the Air Force, won the team competition, besting 312 other teams from across the government. In the individual competitions, Army Maj. Nolan Miles won Track A, which focused on defensive operations. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael Torres won the Track B individual competition, focused on offensive operations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency hosted more than 1,400 individuals across the two tracks in the President's Cup. The winning team and individuals will be recognized for their accomplishments during a ceremony at the White House.
  (DoD dominates President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition - CISA)
• The Defense Department's Cyber Crime Center has launched a vulnerability disclosure program to support the defense industrial base. The program will allow white-hat hackers to analyze companies’ security vulnerabilities. Companies supporting the defense industrial base are encouraged to apply to the program, which is voluntary and free for eligible participants. DoD Cyber Crime Center partnered with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency to launch the program. The program comes after two organizations concluded a yearlong defense industrial base vulnerability disclosure pilot program.
  (DC3 & DCSA Partner for Defense Industrial Base Vulnerability Disclosure Program - DoD Cyber Crime Center)
• Experts on America's military’s health system said it is on the verge of falling behind the times, in ways it will not be able to recover from if it does not do something soon. The Defense Health Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit are asking vendors for ideas to make DoD health care more human-centered. They also want proposals on how to make sure military treatment facilities have the same technologies that health care professionals expect from civilian hospitals and clinics. Brief descriptions for how to solve those problems are due a little over a week from now.
  (Military Health System Inflection Point - Defense Innovation Unit)

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• Agencies have new rules for purchasing sustainable and environmentally-friendly products. The final rule from the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council requires agencies to follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendations for buying products. EPA has more than 40 recommended environmental standards and ecolabels across 34 product and service categories. The council said EPA’s recommendations help purchasers identify thousands of American-made products and services that address environmental and human health issues, including energy and water efficiency, chemicals of concern and the use of plastic. The FAR Council rule goes into effect on May 22.
  (New environmental purchasing standards to take effect May 22 - White House)
• The Defense Department has awarded $14.4 million to speed up production of solar-cell components for satellites under the Defense Production Act. The investment will help expand the capability to produce germanium substrates used in solar cells for defense and commercial satellites. DoD said the effort will bolster supply chains that support the space ecosystem. This is the latest of 13 awards made through the Defense Production Act program since the beginning of fiscal 2024.
  (DoD awards $14.4 million to bolster production of space-qualified materials for solar cells - DoD)
• Senior executives in government have an upcoming opportunity to sharpen their leadership skills. The Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Executive Institute are hosting a second-annual leadership academy. Training through the academy will center on evidence-based decision-making. Or in other words, how to use data to test out new ideas and strategies. The series will feature five leadership training sessions between June and September this year. OMB is accepting applications from SES members until May 3.
  (Evidence-Based Decision-Making Leadership Academy - Office of Management and Budget)

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