Roadmap Released to Bring More Military Spouses into Government Service
Putting military spouses to work with a steady job in the federal government is a priority for the Biden Administration.
Military spouses face a 21 percent unemployment rate (much higher than the national rate), as they deal with frequent moves, caring for family members when a loved one is deployed, and other challenges. That places the financial burden on the service member and can sometimes lead to families exiting the military.
President Biden issued an executive order on the issue last year. Now, the administration is laying out a roadmap to implement the EO to “advance career stability and expand employment resources” for military-connected families.
The fiscal year (FY) 2024 to 2028 Government-wide Military-Connected Strategic Plan was published jointly by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“This plan will serve as a roadmap to assist agencies with strengthening their ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote and retain this skilled and diverse pool of talent,” said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja and OMB Deputy Director for Management Jason Miller. “Agencies are encouraged to evaluate current employment policies, practices and procedures to address the goals and actions in this plan.”
The plan includes strategies based on three goals:
· Eliminate Employment Barriers and Strengthen Military-Connected Families’ Access to Agency Programs.
· Increase the Number of Military-Connected Family Members Serving in the Federal Government.
· Create Workforce Development Opportunities to Support the Sustainability of Military-Connected Employees.
Parts of the plan centers on expanding telework and making sure that federal supervisors are aware of telework options for military spouses. Such an option would allow employees to move to a new station and keep their job. If telework is not applicable, the plan encourages supervisors to work with other agencies to find a position for a military spouse or engage with local organizations to help the military spouse find a new position.
“When considering flexible work arrangement, agency policies could remind managers and supervisors to consider the unique needs of military spouses, caregivers, and survivors,” noted the plan.
It also calls for the State Department to rework the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program.
OPM also plans to revise its annual training for HR representatives and hiring managers to include new information about hiring flexibilities.
Legislation
The roadmap tasks OPM and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to look at potential legislation to expand eligibility for derived preference to a family member or survivor of a veteran who is unable to take advantage of the law.
In addition, OPM will tweak the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to measure military spouses’ experience in government and collect data to measure agency progress on the issue.
“Agencies should evaluate the impact of these new efforts to increase the employment and retention of military-connected individuals’ agency-wide, and OPM and OMB will assess Government-wide progress,” wrote Director Ahuja and Deputy Director Miller.
