Some federal employees are trying to start an emergency workplace fundraiser for victims of the Boston bombings. The government ran a similar charity drive last fall for those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Kim Ainsworth is executive director of the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board and she pitched the idea at a meeting with the Office of Personnel Management.

RELATED: Boston FEB to propose charity drive for marathon bombing victims (Federal Times)

A blind employee of Customs and Border Protection has sued the agency. He says he cannot use the technology the agency expects him to for his job and was thus denied a promotion. The agency doesn’t comment on pending legislation. But a spokesperson says it aggressively pursues software modifications so that all employees can use the equipment. Labor and employment attorney John Mahoney explains the finer points of this case.

RELATED: Leiterman v. Napolitano case (U.S. District Court)

Both the White House and Congress have raised the need for the government to measure performance. A 2010 law to modernize the Government Performance and Results Act put more pressure on federal managers to deliver results. A new report shows that it is paying dividends but agencies still might not be getting the most out of their employees. Don Moynihan is a professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin. He evaluated the effects of the new law for the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

RELATED: The New Federal Performance System Report (IBM Center for Business and Government)