OPM Launches Special Combined Federal Campaign for Texas Storm Victims
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced in a March 11, 2021 memo that it is launching a thirty day Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity giving drive to assist Texans who were impacted by the winter storm in February.
OPM Instructs Agencies to Restart Union Talks to Reverse Trump-Era Orders
An Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo dated March 5, 2021 provides instructions on how agencies should reverse course on several Trump-era workforce policies. A number of executive orders were passed in 2018 that specifically restricted union activity and made it easier for federal employees to be fired.
Call for Nominations for FY2021 Presidential Rank Awards
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced in a March 3, 2021 memo that it would be opening nominations for the FY2021 Presidential Rank Awards (PRA). The awards program was suspended in 2020 by the prior administration. The PRA is one of the most prestigious awards that can be given to a career civil servant and was established in 1978.
OPM Memo States Marijuana is Not a Disqualifier for Federal Employment
A February 25, 2021 OPM memo announced that candidates for federal employment should not be barred from federal employment on the sole basis of marijuana usage.
Personnel Vetting, Suitability, Clearance, and Credentialing Efforts Move Forward
The federal government’s efforts to modernize and rationalize its workforce vetting policies and protocols continue to move forward, with actions coming at the tail end of the last administration and in the first month of the Biden administration.
OPM Releases Memo on Recent Pay and Leave-Related Legislative Changes
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a memo on February 16, 2021 detailing several legislative changes and extensions affecting federal employee pay and certain benefits with the implementation of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
OPM Abandons Merger with GSA
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced that it would not be following through with its proposed merger with the General Services Administration (GSA). President Trump’s government reorganization initiative, which has been in the works for several years, included a push to combine GSA with OPM to form the new “Government Services Agency.”
OPM Revamping Modernization Efforts
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is launching an attempt to reboot its IT modernization efforts and update its technology. OPM’s Office of the Inspector General released a report that identifies IT modernization as a top priority for the agency. Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana and independent consultants have laid out a plan that would reform OPM’s technology and fix many of its IT issues.
UPDATE: OPM Finalizes Rule on Removal Executive Order
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently instituted final regulations that would make it easier for agencies to discipline and fire federal employees. The final rule, set to go into effect on November 21st, was created based on President Trump’s Executive Order 13839 from 2018. The rule streamlines the process by which agencies can demote employees.
OPM Halts Diversity and Inclusion Trainings Pending Mandatory Review
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a memo Friday pausing all diversity and inclusion trainings in the federal government until they are review by OPM. The move comes following several Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memos aimed at eliminating certain trainings that have been labeled divisive and anti-American, as well as a presidential executive order to the same effect.
OPM Guidance Proposes Updated Requirements for Public Service
An OPM guidance released on Friday builds on an executive order released by President Trump on June 26 directing agencies to expand the use of valid, competency-based assessments and narrow the use of educational qualifications in the federal hiring process. A primary goal of the executive order is to mimic the private sector’s use of competency-based assessments rather than degree-based hiring.
Payroll Tax Deferral Program Leaves Federal Employees Seeking Answers
The White House recently announced an executive order that authorizes employers to defer the Social Security payroll tax from September 1, 2020 through the end of the year for employees who make less than $3,999 per biweekly pay period, known as a payroll tax deferral. This new order has left many agencies and employees with various questions like whether employees can opt-in or out of the program and what happens to federal employees who leave their agencies before or during the window of repayment.
OPM Launches Annual Charity Fundraiser
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is launching their annual charity fundraiser, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which will run from September 21, 2020 to January 15, 2021. CFC is the largest annual workplace charity campaign, involving over 200 domestic and international charity campaigns that raise millions of dollars every year. The program gives federal employees the opportunity to give back to their communities.
OPM Launches New Records System
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is introducing a new records system titled “Federal Competency Assessment Records” that will collect and store OPM data to be used for training and development purposes.
Federal Workers Deemed Essential Allowed to Restore Annual Leave
A new interim final rule by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) explains how agencies can restore annual leave for employees who are deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, most federal employees can carry over 30 days of leave to the following year even if they accrue more. However, agencies can restore “use or lose” privileges in extenuating circumstances.
OPM Releases New Guidance on Paid Parental Leave
The Office of Personnel Management issued an interim final rule to implement the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act amendment to the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to certain federal employees who are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The act covers parents who recently gave birth as well as those who are adopting or fostering a child.
OPM OIG Details Agency’s Failure to Provide Documents in Letter to Congress
In a letter to House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government, the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG) outlined how the central management agency has failed to comply with the laws requiring OPM to provide the OIG with “timely access to agency records.”
OPM Releases Proposed Rule on Continuation of Benefits, Services During Government Shutdown
In a proposed rule submitted to the Federal Register on July 20, the Office of Personnel Management implements provisions within the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 2020 NDAA) that ensure the continuation of certain federal benefits and services in the event of a lapse in appropriations. The FY 2020 NDAA names certain Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) services as emergency services under the Antideficiency Act.