Tony Reardon

The two largest federal employee unions said Thursday steps to protect the federal workforce from the rapid spread of the coronavirus were falling short.

New paid parental leave benefits will be ready by the Oct. 1 deadline, the Office of Personnel Management said Monday in a letter to the National Treasury Employees Union. NTEU had raised doubts about OPM’s plans for implementing the new law.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Cooperation is announcing buyouts for about 20% of its employees, which the agency said is part of an effort to streamline supervisory layers and address challenges associated with a rapidly aging workforce. 

The Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to ensure their employees are “telework capable,” amid growing concerns over the coronavirus. Telework-eligible Air Force employees at the Pentagon will conduct a “capacity test” Friday to ensure they’re equipped to work remotely.

The National Treasury Employees Union is challenging the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s recent decision on dues payments in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

President Donald Trump has officially announced his intention to Congress to give civilian employees a 1% federal pay raise in 2021. His submission of an “alternative pay plan” comes months before the typical August deadline.

President Donald Trump’s proposed 1% across-the-board federal pay raise is an attempt to meet Congress “halfway” on the topic, as the administration also recommended more agency funding on employee performance rewards and bonuses.

A bicameral pair of lawmakers have reintroduced legislation for the sixth consecutive year now, which would ensure employees get a federal pay raise in 2021.

Social Security Administration leadership met with employees Monday to announce a series of changes to existing telework policies, but the new arrangements vary widely across the agency and depend on an employee’s component — and whether or not an employee is part of a specific bargaining unit. 

With this year’s tax season set to start Monday, NTEU has renewed concerns that the IRS, after a decade of budget cuts, has fewer resources to tackle a growing workload.