Recently, a prominent good government group released its first batch of rankings stemming from its analysis of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The Partnership For Public Service found that some of the best performing agencies experienced a decline in employee morale in 2022 after a small uptick over the past few years . *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/government-executive...
Last August, Congress enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, which included billions of dollars for IRS modernization. Last week, the tax agency released “Internal Revenue Service Inflation Reduction Act Strategic Operating Plan,” o utlining the ways that the agency plans to use the money, including hiring thousands, upgrading capacity and other changes. GovExec reporter Eric Katz is covering the IRS. He joined the podcast to analyze what’s in the strategic plan and how it will affect the agency....
The years of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken their toll on American institutions, including the public health infrastructure tasked with dealing with the pandemic. The media and information ecosystems brought forward a lot of incorrect information that have contributed to dangerous myths that remain today about vaccine safety, the virus and public health. Feng Hao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of South Florida, where one of his areas of research is t...
It seems almost too obvious to say, but inadequate employment levels play a huge role in poverty levels of communities. In a time of staggeringly disparate economic indicators in the pandemic-era United States, the question of low unemployment rates demands further examination. Our guests today have co-authored a forthcoming book that explores just this topic and more. Coming in April, Moving The Needle: What Tight Labor Markets Do for the Poor looks at what happens when jobs are ample, but work...
Governmentwide DEI efforts have faced a fair amount of criticism and such programs at the Defense Department are no different. Critics of DEI – often using the term "woke" – have most recently tied it to military recruiting and readiness concerns at the Pentagon, though officials dispute those claims. Kevin Baron is Executive Editor at GovExec sibling site Defense One . He joined the podcast to discuss readiness and DEI efforts at the Pentagon. *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedi...
Nearly anyone who has dealt with it agrees that the federal hiring process is broken. Years of court fights, legislative fixes and special interests have produced a hiring system that frustrates hiring managers and applicants alike. There may be ways, however, to modernize the hiring process. Angela Bailey and Jeffrey Neal are both former Chief Human Capital Officers for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as current fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration. They’re...
Americans have to fill out various forms and enlist accountants or software like TurboTax or H&R Block. The time tax – as Professor Donald Moynihan has noted – that Americans spend on doing taxes is an administrative burden in and of itself and non-IRS software or online options are only free to a point. Anna Massoglia is OpenSecrets' Editorial and Investigations Manager, where she researches the influence on money in government and politics. As part of our #moneyMonday series, she joined th...
Since its introduction to the American market five years ago, concerns about video sharing app TikTok have been constant. The spotlight on massively popular mobile application has culminated in TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifying in front of Congress last week. Tom Guarente is VP of external and Government Affairs at Armis, a FedRAMP certified asset-management platform. He joins me now to discuss the current discourse around Tiktok. *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company...
The world is changing rapidly, with government having to face new crises with different and more innovative solutions. COVID-19 has changed the work landscape and the ways that Americans relate to work, but government challenges remain, even as boundaries fade. A new report by Deloitte outlines more trends that agencies must adjust to, in order to better face the coming years. William D. Eggers is the executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights, where he is responsible for th...
As with many things in the federal government the systems by which documents are classified could use some tweaks. Modernizing the classification is overdue, from the overclassification problem to the funding of agencies tasked with administering the system to the ways penalties are brought down for running afoul of the rules. Two members of the House last week introduced a bill to shore up part of the system , including increasing civil penalties for those who mishandle classified information. ...
The recent collapse of three banks has brought up questions about the environment and where government’s role is within the financial industry. Since 2008, the issue of overseeing the financial industry has evolved, but an incident in 2018 may shed some light on the questions that come up about our current situation. Tom Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and editor in chief at GovExec Media. He is also the author of a post in his “That Time" series headlined " That...
Earlier this month, the Office of Personnel Management outlined some goals and initiatives federal employees can see from FEHB plans coming next year. Included in the carrier call letter are some added fertility benefits. Kevin Moss is a senior editor with Consumers’ Checkbook. Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees is available now. He’s also a GovExec contributor and his latest post on our site is headlined “ Feds Can Expect to See Improved Fertility Coverage from FEHB Plans i...
The tension between politics and governance is an all-too-common part of the lives of federal employees. But, the Trump presidency mainstreamed terms like “drain the swamp” and “Deep State, ” putting the federal bureaucracy into the spotlight. In any discussion of the role of civil service during the Trump presidency, neutral competence and expertise in public service need to be examined. Stuart Shapiro is the Interim Dean at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public at Policy Rutgers Universi...
According to a new study in Personnel Review , organizations that have strategic and effective HR and IT departments are better set up for success when shifting to remote work. As the new American work-life normal becomes clearer, effective telework becomes more important to organizations. On Wednesday's podcast, GovExec Daily’s Adam Butler and Ross Gianfortune discussed what makes effective telework and what has changed about remote work since 2020. *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.l...
While women make up half the population, women are underrepresented in leadership roles at large organizations. According to research, women face challenges when leading teams that men do not, including many stereotypes about leadership style. But, as social mores change, traits often associated with femininity like empathy may become more a part of leadership. Dr. Nicole Price is the author of Spark the Heart, Engineering Empathy In Your Organization , which will be released in April. She also ...
A security clearance is a key part of many jobs in the federal government and in the federal contracting world. Not only does it give someone access, but it also can help a job seeker’s financial prospects. Lindy Kyzer is the editor of ClearanceJobs.com, a former Defense Department employee and a GovExec contributor. Her latest GovExec post is headlined “National Security Compensation Sees a Significant Increase.” She joined the podcast to discuss compensation and security clearances. *** Follow...
The challenges to building a talent pipeline in government are not new, but they remain a huge part of human capital management in the public sector. Though its opportunities for career development and relative security separate public service from the private sector, government continues to struggle to cultivate young leadership. Building a talent pipeline will be crucial for the federal government to continue to modernize and serve the public mission. As part of Government Executive Media Grou...
Systemic racism continues to be a part of American society, particularly in the workplace. Measuring inequality with better data will produce better analysis of – and solutions to – inequalities in systems like education, economic development and human capital. Temilola Afolabi works with the Center for Open Data Enterprise. She has a post on our site headlined “Needed: More and Better Data for a More Equitable Federal Workforce.” She joined the podcast to discuss data equity....
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the U.S., prisons and jails were hit particularly hard. Not only were staff members getting sick, but the nature of incarceration meant that social distancing and mitigation efforts were ineffective. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the agency is also facing a staffing shortage, putting extra pressure on the BOP. GovExec’s Courtney Bublé recently visited FCI Cumberland , a federal facility in Maryland that houses more than one thousand people. Sh...
President Joe Biden released his budget last week and re-emphasized his want for the federal government to become a “model employer” that can compete with the private sector in the race for talent. The budget document contains a series of other workforce and customer service provisions backing up this goal, including a pay raise proposal for federal employees. GovExec senior reporter Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce. He joined the podcast to discuss the workforce provisions in White Hou...
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 50 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Part D plans. With the passage of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, reforms to Medicare Part D will be enacted, so everyone – including federal annuitants – enrolled in the plan will have to pay attention to the changes. Kevin Moss is a senior editor with Consumers’ Checkbook. Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees is available now. He’s also a GovExec contributor and his l...
Joe Biden released his $6.9 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2024 on Thursday. The White House is trying to sell the budget as one that makes government “equitable, effective and accountable” and one that cuts waste, fraud and abuse in spending. Eric Katz and Courtney Bublé joined the podcast to discuss the FY24 budget documents released by the White House . *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/government-executive...
The way people work and manage has changed over the last few years, with hybrid and remote work becoming an increasingly important part of life. Creating a culture that works in remote environments will be key to the future successes of any remote team. Our guests today have a recently-released book on the ways that leaders can design teams and culture from a distance, as well as ways to nurture employee engagement in those environments. Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel are the authors of the T...
Joe Biden campaigned for the presidency with a promise that he would rebuild the federal workforce that the Trump administration had “hollowed out.” Two years later, that promise has been mostly unfulfilled, with some agencies reversing the trend and others still rebuilding at a sluggish pace. Eric Katz joined the podcast to discuss his series on Biden's attempts at rebuilding the workforce and his three - part series examining those attempts. *** Follow GovExec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin...
As public officials declare that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer controlling American life, big organizations like Disney and Amazon are asking their employees to come back to in-office work. With the shift to remote work over the last three years, employees and management may not see eye-to-eye on return-to-office policies. Stacie Haller is chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com. She has spent over 30 years in staffing and recruiting, career counseling, and job search coaching. She joined...
The rocky financial environment of the last year has left some Thrift Saving Fund participants frustrated. With the different options available for TSP participants, the International Fund might be overlooked as compared to other funds. W. Lee Radcliffe is the author of the book TSP Investing Strategies: Building Wealth While Working for Uncle Sam. He has a post on our site headlined “Don’t Overlook This Unloved Fund When Investing in the TSP.” He joined the podcast to talk about the TSP and the...
Forward-thinking organizations have bandied about the idea of a four-day workweek for years, but a new study out of the United Kingdom has brought some insight into the implementation and implications of the possibility . With the constantly-changing workplace and the COVID-19 changes affecting work-life balance, the four-day workweek experiment demands further scrutiny. Kathleen Quinn Votaw is the CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm. She’s also the author...
The Vacancies Act allows an incoming President 300 days in which to temporarily and unilaterally fill positions with "acting" officers. Recently, the Government Accountability Office found that Charlotte Dye, the General Counsel for the Federal Labor Relations Authority and two other officials in other agencies were in violation of the Vacancies Act rules. In Dye’s case, this could affect federal employees with business before the FLRA. Dan Meyer is an attorney and Managing Partner of Tully Rinc...
Early in February, a train carrying toxic chemical material derailed in eastern Ohio, starting a fire with smoke that engulfed the town of East Palestine. A series of decisions by authorities created an evacuation zone in the community, as well as a controlled release of toxic fumes. Cleanup is ongoing, but questions remain about the safety of the train, the tracks and the conditions. One of the agencies tasked with safety regulations around hazardous materials, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materi...
The future of public service work is unclear. Just in the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended in-office work, the way people meet and communicate. But, the merit system and its reinforcement of expertise in government work is – and will remain – key. Daniel Chenok is the executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government and Donald F. Kettl is professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Both are fellows of the National ...
