7 simple habits for a more productive life
Learn a few simple adjustments you can make to your life to be the most productive! These are easy steps you can incorporate into your everyday routine.
FEDS Protection Joins CRC Group to Expand Coverage Options for Government Employees & Contractors
For 14 years, Federal Employee Defense Services has provided professional liability insurance (PLI) for federal managers and has been a proud advocate for the federal community. Now, FEDS is expanding its ability to offer even more support to federal employees, including managers, through its acquisition by CRC Group, a leading national wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products. This timely partnership will enable FEDS to expand coverage options for public employees and contractors.
Tenth Circuit: Intimidating Witnesses for Testimony Is Not Lawful Assistance Protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act
In October 2017 Larry Baca began to work as a Supervisory Engineer, GS-13, and the Chief of Operations and Maintenance Division in the Directorate of Public Works at the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
DHS Issues Terrorism Advisory Due to Heightened Security Concerns
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekoske has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to security concerns following the inauguration of President Joe Biden. According to the bulletin, there is reason to believe that Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs) could be ideologically motivated to challenge the presidential transition and exercises of governmental authority.
President Biden Orders Review of Scientific Integrity Across Executive Branch
“It is the policy of my Administration to make evidence-based decisions guided by the best available science and data,” asserted President Joe Biden in a new executive memorandum requiring sweeping review and implementation of science-based policies and practices across the executive branch. The January 27, 2021 memo “reaffirms and builds on” prior Obama administration memoranda on scientific integrity.
GAO Issues Recommendations for Federal Agencies to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its sixth report to review the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-partisan watchdog claims there is a major lack of federal action on COVID-19 response, especially in terms of vaccine distribution, for which the U.S. still does not have a comprehensive plan.
New Legislation Calls for Expanded Paid Leave for Feds
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) recently introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act, which would provide 12 weeks of paid leave every year to all federal workers to deal with personal illness, care for a family member with illness, or in connection with a family member going on or returning from active military duty.
New Year, New President, New Administration
Last week on the FEDtalk podcast, host Jason Briefel was joined by Jessica Klement, the Staff Vice President, Policy and Programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE); Randy Erwin, the National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE); and Chad Hooper, the Executive Director of the Professional Managers Association (PMA).
Giant Pandas Play in the DC Snow
D.C. has gotten some snowfall in the past few days. Humans aren’t the only ones playing in the snow and enjoying the winter wonderland! Check out this video of pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo rolling around in the snow and having some fun.
What does college debt have to do with life insurance?
Planning for the unexpected may help ease the financial stress of college tuition.
Preserving Competence in the Civil Service
If one wanted to cripple the leadership and efficiency of the civil service, it would be difficult to design a more efficient way to do it than the creation of Schedule F. Not only would the result of Schedule F have been a routine, mass firing every four to eight years of the upper echelons of the bureaucracy that enables the government to function, but it also would have created an incredible incentive for competent feds who would make excellent leaders to do everything in their power to avoid promotion to the level where their talents could be best used.
Biden Rescinds Schedule F, Workforce Executive Orders from Trump Administration
President Biden rescinded several executive orders imposed by President Trump within his first few days in office. Among the rescinded orders is one signed on October 21, 2020 that created a new “Schedule F” class of federal employees.
Biden Announces Interim Agency Heads as Confirmations Continue
President Joe Biden has announced several temporary agency heads as he awaits the confirmation of his nominees. Most of these interim leaders are career civil servants who know their agencies well. On Inauguration Day, for the first time in recent history, the president had none of his cabinet members confirmed by the Senate.
Democrats Propose 3.2% Pay Raise for Feds
Democrats in both the House and Senate are pushing for a 3.2 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2022. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), would give all federal employees a 2.2 percent pay increase and an average 1 percent increase in locality pay.
Message for All Career Staff
President Joe Biden has a message for federal employees: one team, one America. Listen to this message from the president as he thanks feds for all of their hard work and promises to create a stronger America with them.
Cheers to an Engaging Year
Looking back at the past year and looking forward into 2021, the National Academy of Public Administration* (the Academy) is focused on increasing engagement. Engagement is a critical component of our success, whether it is engaging Academy Fellows and stakeholders in thoughtful discussions about addressing the 12 Grand Challenges in Public Administration or, in our studies, engaging our client agency to identify successful paths forward, or engaging our own workforce.
Supervisory Roles in Excepted Service Do Not Tack under 5 U.S.C. § 3321 to Satisfy Supervisory Probationary Period in Competitive Service
Deborah Mouton-Miller worked for the United States Postal Service (USPS) as an Audit Manager until April 2017, when she transferred to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General for a promotion as Supervisory Auditor. Mouton-Miller’s position with USPS was classified as GG-0511-14, step 8, and her position with DHS was classified as GS-0511-14, step 8.
59th Presidential Inauguration NSSE Designation Expanded
The Department of Homeland Security announced on January 12 that the designation of the 59th Presidential Inauguration as a National Special Security Event (NSSE) would be expanded following the events at the Capitol and requests from stakeholders. Pursuant to Presidential Policy Directive-22, the inauguration was previously declared an NSSE from January 19, 2021 to January 21, 2021. However, in response to a number of requests from Congress and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC, the NSSE period began on January 13.