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A federal retirement tsunami has been predicted for years but never quite materialized. In our special report, "Retirement Conundrum," Federal News Radio reexamines the trends and developments that led to the botched predictions and what it means today with a recent uptick in retirements reviving old worries.
For many people involved in the alleged scandals at the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service, the solution is simple: Off with their heads. Fire the offenders whether they are political appointees or career civil servants. But this isn't Paris in 1789, it's Washington in 2013 so things will go a little slower, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
The Office of Special Counsel is "deeply concerned" about the implications of a federal court ruling that stripped low-level Defense Department employees of their ability to appeal suspensions and demotions outside the agency. OSC, which filed an amicus brief earlier this month with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, is worried the ruling could have a chilling effect on whistleblowers.
Paul Prouty, the former GSA Region 8 commissioner, won his appeal of the agency's decision to fire him in the wake of the Western Regions Conference scandal last April. The Merit Systems Protection Board's administrative judge found "no evidence" of wrongdoing by Prouty.
Sequestration? Furloughs? Pay freeze? Fed bashing? Poor leadership? The list of morale killers goes on and on. A new Federal News Radio survey on employee morale and leadership -- part of our special report, Leaders in Federal Service -- shows just how bad people are feeling in the federal workforce.
Sharon Roth of the Merit Systems Protection Board discusses a new survey on federal management. Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan of the Navy Office of Women's Policy talks about the new DoD decision to open up combat jobs to women. Greg Kutz, a senior audit executive with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Audit, talks about a new report his agency released. Keith Lucas, vice president for AFGE Council 228, discusses a new contract his union signed with the Small Business Administration.
Federal employees are skeptical their managers are making effective decisions about the federal workforce, according to a new report from the Merit Systems Protection Board. Just 24 percent of the employees agreed that their agencies properly addressed poor performers, while 29 percent of respondents indicated their organizations eliminated unnecessary programs and positions, according to the survey of 42,000 feds from 24 agencies and departments.
From tightened purse strings to a rapidly retiring workforce, federal agencies face a potential witches' brew when it comes to maintaining employee motivation, the Merit Systems Protection Board found in a new report. While overall motivation levels remain high, MSPB pointed to two potential gaps: Many federal employees do not feel all that motivated by the specific characteristics of their jobs, and they increasingly feel that job performance is disconnected from reward.
Attorney Lynne Bernabei examines a recent ruling that allows feds to file some MSPB appeals in district courts. GAO's Michele Mackin describes why more than 40 contracts worth more than $20 million each were awarded without meeting new guidelines. Former White House official Dan Chenok discusses the highs and lows of the E-Government Act. Melanie Ann Pustay of the Justice Department talks about how agencies report their Freedom of Information Act request fulfillment.
A closer look at the results of the Merit Systems Protection Board's 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) reveals that the limits of the agency's resources are having a negative effect on it employee's ability to do their jobs.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal employees can appeal decisions of the Merit Systems Protection Board stemming from discrimination-related complaints in federal district court. The ruling follows earlier lower court decisions that required employee appeals to go solely through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The justices' decision applies to federal employees filing "mixed cases" — complaints involving both allegations of wrongful termination and job discrimination — under the Civil Service Reform Act.
The Merit Systems Protection Board completed the first major rewrite of its regulations in more than 30 years. Susan Grundmann, the MSPB chairwoman, said the changes fall into four categories. The board is giving its users six weeks to transition to the new rules.
What are the most dangerous jobs in America? Lumberjack, tuna fisherman or cab driver, right? How about VA nurse or Social Security clerk - maybe even your job at the IRS, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
A former chief financial officer explains how agencies can prepare for the start of a new fiscal year. And NOAA shares details of a new satellite to help track weather changes worldwide.