Special commission envisions treating public service more like military service 7 hours ago A report from the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service envisions a more universal idea of service that recruits feds in some of the same ways as the military. (Senior Airman Kathryn R.C. Reaves/Air Force) Increasing interest in government jobs requires creating a cohesive idea of service across all areas of international, government and military roles, according to members of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service who spoke at a May 19 House Armed Services Committee hearing. The commission’s sweeping report on improving service in the U.S., which was released in March, detailed changes to both federal and military personnel practices, as well as better educating the public about the ways in which they can and should serve.
Paid parental leave for USPS employees included in postal reform bills 3 hours ago Two pieces of legislation aimed at reducing the financial burden on the U.S. Postal Service and modernizing its operations passed out of committee May 13. (Matt Rourke/AP) Employees of the U.S. Postal Service could soon be included in federal provisions guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid parental leave under legislation reported favorably out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee May 13. The committee passed two USPS reform bills the Postal Service Reform Act and the Postal Service Improvement Act aimed at modernizing mail delivery operations and removing financial stressors on the agency.
Have the DoD’s special hiring practices hurt more than helped? May 6 The union representing many Department of Defense employees argues that special hiring authorities are the reason the agency struggles to fill out its workforce. (pepifoto) The Department of Defense has dozens of civilian hiring authorities at its disposal, some unique only to that agency, in order to bring on the best and most flexible talent in service of the nation’s defense. But according to the union that represents approximately 300,000 employees at the agency, it is those very hiring authorities that have caused the DoD to struggle in finding and keeping enough talent in key areas like STEM, acquisition, financial management, cyber, artificial intelligence and foreign language skills.
Biden: Federal employee awards highlight ‘noble’ public service May 5 President Joe Biden said that he hopes the Sammies awards will inspire more people to get into public service. (Evan Vucci/AP) President Joe Biden applauded the Partnership for Public Service’s 2021 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals finalists May 5 as a reminder of the important work that federal employees do to serve the American public. “This is the 20th anniversary of the Sammies. These awards aren’t just the Oscars of public service, they’re a reminder that public service is noble, an impactful profession,” said Biden at a May 5 event honoring the 2021 finalists.
Teleworking feds were far happier with their jobs in 2020 2 hours ago The 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey showed that feds working away from the office were more engaged than those unable to telework. (Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images) Federal employees who moved to either full- or part-time telework during the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher engagement and satisfaction with their jobs than those who could not work remotely, according to results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey released April 26. The overall employee engagement score for feds who worked three or more days of telework a week was 76 percent compared with only 62.5 percent engagement for those employees who could not telework.