2020 NASA Administrator’s Agency Honor Award Ceremony
Last week, NASA honored several employees and teams for their work during 2020 to advance exploration and discovery.
Russian Government Hackers Likely Behind Cyber Breach of U.S. Government Agencies
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive on the evening of December 13, 2020 in response to a massive data breach due to a critical software vulnerability that impacted several federal agencies.
Congress Scrambles to Fund Government as Deadline Looms
With a government shutdown looming at the end of this week, lawmakers are scrambling to fund the government and approve emergency COVID-19 aid. The omnibus government funding bill is expected to also serve as the vehicle for two COVID-19 relief packages.
2021 NDAA Passes Congress with Enough Support for Veto Override
The U.S. Senate passed the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an all-encompassing piece of legislation that introduces provisions related to many agencies and federal employees, with an 84-13 majority. This margin means that even if President Trump vetoes the bill, as he has threatened, there is enough support in Congress to override the veto.
Get Your New Year's Resolutions to Stick
Do you struggle to keep your New Year’s Resolutions? Learn how to make strong resolutions for 2021 and stick with them through the end of the year!
FEHB Plans with Medicare Reimbursement
With only a few days left of Open Season, you still have a chance to reduce your health insurance costs. Let the federal benefits experts at NARFE help you save money!
Congress Finalizes NDAA, Including Federal Leave Provisions
Congress finalized its conference report on the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 3, preparing the expansive piece of legislation with provisions related to many agencies and federal employees for a final vote.
Federal Worker Pay Gap Narrowing, Still Disproportionally Impacts Certain Groups of Women
The overall pay gap between men and women in the federal workforce has “narrowed considerably” from 19 cents on the dollar in 1999 to 7 cents in 2017, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report analyzing Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data.
Congressional Leaders Agree to Vote on One-Week Stopgap Bill
Congressional leaders are trying to give their negotiators more time to reach an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill to which pandemic relief would be attached.
THE MINDSET OF A WINNER | Kobe Bryant Champions Advice
Learn about a “winning mindset” with the late basketball superstar Kobe Bryant. He talks about finding the motivation and willpower to succeed and the importance of a strong mentality.
Federal Circuit: No Waiver of Sayers Arguments in VA Removal Case
A VA police officer was removed by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the 2017 “accountability” law 38 U.S.C. § 714 that limited review of VA’s actions against general schedule employees. The removal was based on conduct occurring prior to the enactment of the law. The employee appealed to the MSPB, and the MSPB affirmed the removal. On December 7, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated the MSPB’s decision, and remanded the case to the MSPB with instructions to remand the case further back to the agency.
Open Season with the Experts
On the latest episode of the FEDtalk podcast, join host Jason Briefel for a final sit down with Open Season experts to review coverage options, changes from previous years, and all the virtual ways feds can learn about their insurance options. The discussion features Jay Fritz from the Open Season Program Office at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Joan Melanson, Director of Education and Outreach at FedPoint.
A Tradition of Improving Conditions for Federal Employees
The Professional Managers Association (PMA) was founded in 1981 by a group of managers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Groundhog Day was Fun – Washington’s Sequels Are Terrible and Need to End
As the clock once again ticks ever closer to another fiscal year cliff – the expiration of the latest continuing resolution (CR) on December 11, and the potential government shutdown it would bring – we are reminded of the movie Groundhog Day.
How Managers Can Learn About FEDS
Calling all federal managers! Are you prepared to defend yourself against allegations from your agency, disgruntled employees, or the public? Your everyday managerial duties leave you at risk of civil suits, administrative actions, and criminal investigations—FEDS Protection can help.
Lawmakers Calls to Defund and Block Schedule F Grow
Members of Congress and employee groups are asking for President Trump’s Executive Order on Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service to be blocked in the next spending bill.
Lawmakers Reach Spending Cap for Omnibus Spending Bill
Appropriations committee leaders have reached a bipartisan deal on top-line spending levels for all 12 parts of the omnibus spending bill. Congress has until December 11, 2020 to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
Congress Seeks Details from Agencies on Burrowing In
House Democrats want to know whether President Trump’s political appointees are being converted into career civil servants.