employees | Voter.org

Congress ponders new discrimination protections for older employees

February 13, 2024 discrimination, Older, Protections, ponders, Congress, employees0 comment

A bill in the House would boost protections against discrimination of older workers, protections that were weakened by the Supreme Court back in 2009. It is called the Protecting Older Workers Against Age Discrimination Act (POWADA). For specifics, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked with Tully Rinckey attorney Michael Fallings. Interview Transcript: Tom Temin Now, this law applies to everyone in the public and private sectors. This proposed bill. Correct? Michael Fallings Correct. Tom Temin And in your experience, I mean, what types of discrimination occur against older workers…

Some agency leaders telling employees to prepare for a government shutdown

September 30, 2023 leaders, Some, government, Agency, employees, shutdown, telling, prepare0 comment

Even though Senate lawmakers are on the cusp of passing a bi-partisan continuing resolution to keep the government open to Nov. 17, agencies are telling their employees to prepare for a shutdown. The departments of Commerce and Homeland Security are among the agencies sending emails to employees today. “Prudent management requires the proper preparation for all contingencies, including the possibility that a lapse could occur. A lapse would mean that certain government activities would cease due to a lack of appropriated funding,” wrote Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in an email…

House GOP VA Committee members look to make firing of poor-performing VA employees easier

July 12, 2023 Easier, House, look, Committee, employees, members, Firing, poorperforming0 comment

House Republicans want to make it easier to fire employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Republicans on the House VA Committee are looking to advance the Restore VA Accountability Act. Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) is leading the bill and said the legislation will help the VA get rid of poor performers and those accused of serious misconduct more quickly. Federal employee unions and good-government groups say the bill will only make it harder for the VA to recruit employees. Lawmakers introduced this latest bill after the VA announced…

IRS commissioner tells agency employees of right to directly inform Congress about their concerns

July 8, 2023 Congress, about, Their, right, Agency, employees, Tells, concerns, Commissioner, Directly, inform0 comment

IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel told employees in a new memo about their constitutional and statutory right to make protected disclosures to Congress. The Washington Times stories: White House

GOP resurrects effort to make some feds at-will employees, thus easier to fire

May 13, 2023 Easier, Some, Fire, employees, effort, Feds, Resurrects, ‘atwill’, thus0 comment

Republicans have renewed their push to try to make it easier for agencies to fire federal employees. GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate reintroduced a bill to make feds at-will workers. Proponents of the Public Service Reform Act said it would make it easier to remove poor performers, and create more accountability and efficiency. It is an idea that former President Trump originally touted through a now-revoked executive order that created the Schedule F position classification. Republicans’ new bill would also abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board. Democrat…

Why federal employees are watching the political landscape more than ever

March 22, 2023 Political, ever, more, federal, than, employees, landscape, watching0 comment

If you wonder why federal employees worry, along with everyone else, consider: mini financial crises, a stubbornly bear stock market, no breakthroughs on Social Security solvency, and the debt-ceiling debate dragging out. For one point of view, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked with John Hatton, vice president for Policy at the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE). Interview transcript: Tom Temin People are concerned. I actually had a reader write to me asking, well, our TSP funds insured? Unfortunately, no. And nobody’s investments are insured yet,…