Your Federal Life — May 29, 2024

It’s been revoked for years, but Schedule F is still on the minds of many federal employees, especially as the nation nears a presidential election with former President Trump on the ballot. The Schedule F executive order tried to address what Trump officials saw as workforce accountability issues, by making certain career employees easier to fire and replace. Critics say Schedule F was the wrong approach to civil service reform. Now a new working group has laid out proposals for what members believes is a better vision for the future federal workforce. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman got more from former dean of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Don Kettl.

Plus, do federal employees make more or less than people with similar jobs in the private sector? It’s a question often asked, often answered, and never settled. The latest effort comes from the Congressional Budget Office, which looked at the question using 2022 wage data. It found federal pay and benefits superior for those with high school diplomas or less education. But the private sector paid better for those with doctorates or professional degrees. Joining me with his evaluation, the staff vice president at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton.