Title 5

It’s not a lack of ideas that’s holding up federal hiring reform

The Republican Study Committee has joined a growing number of congressional members calling for hiring and pay changes designed to help the federal workforce better respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Congress expanded some benefits and added emergency paid sick leave in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, but the details for federal employees are complex.

Chief human capital officers at two of the largest federal agencies had a clear message for Congress: Don’t give us any more hiring authorities.

U.S. Cyber Command said the new Cyber Excepted Service has cut its time-to-hire by 60 percent. But so far, DoD has only used the new personnel system for a few hundred positions.

Employees say the Veterans Affairs Department’s interpretation of the Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act doesn’t give them enough time to improve performance.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ federal workforce subcommittee said it’s on a fact-finding mission this year. Subcommittee Chairman James Lankford (R-Okla.) said he wants to hear from federal managers about the existing authorities and processes that make their jobs more difficult.

Unless President-elect Donald Trump appoints two new members quickly, the Merit Systems Protection Board will likely have one voting member come March 1, when Chairman Susan Tsui Grundmann’s term expires. But the upcoming seat-changes have federal employment experts wondering whether this is the beginning of the end for MSPB.

DoD will ask around 3,000 current employees to move from the traditional civil service system to one that offers them fewer job protections but might also boost their pay and promotion prospects.

Accountability in the Senior Executive Service will be at the center of congressional discussions on a new omnibus legislative package for the Veterans Affairs Department. Senate VA Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said he wants the VA and the committee to finish its work on the legislation by April 1.