“Serving those who serve in government”
Two recent news items cast a spotlight on the federal hiring process and the different qualities that can make for good candidates. First, there was the report from Federal News Network that Congress has advanced a bill that would reform the federal hiring process....
What are disciplinary actions? Some of the actions that commonly come to mind are suspensions, demotions and removals. However, the truth is that while “discipline” means one thing in lay terms, it means something entirely different in the law. There are two key...
Federal agencies want to find and hire the best possible talent. However, they may be going about it the wrong way. A recent study suggests that a focus on raw talent or brilliance may result in gender bias. Published in Psychological Science, the report claims that a...
Applying for federal jobs can be a chore. USAJOBS cites ten steps to the federal application process. And, of course, you have the exhausting work of updating and tailoring your resume to address the skills and experience the position demands. But what happens after...
The Bureau of Prisons is responsible for keeping prisoners locked away. However, it may have locked away much more than that. The Bureau has long drawn unwanted attention for its culture of secrecy and coverups, and new cracks have exposed a scandalous series of...
For just over five years, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) had gone without top leadership. This meant the board was unable to fully complete its work. But what is that work? What does it mean that the MSPB once again, finally, has a governing quorum of...
It is nearly impossible to find an issue, political or otherwise, on which everyone in the United States currently agrees. And that is certainly true when it comes to vaccine mandates. The current administration has issued several vaccine mandates aimed at protecting...
Any federal employee who has suffered a serious injury or illness has gone through the disability retirement process. The administrative steps involved with obtaining benefits constitutes a notoriously difficult process. The first question anyone asks in this...
The EEOC recently released a report on age discrimination in the federal workforce. It is based on data from 2017 and offers three key takeaways: Workers age 40+ enjoy better representation in the federal workforce than in the private sector Federal employees file...
Many employees work hard at their jobs to advance their careers and achieve personal satisfaction in their professional lives. For many employees, that advancement comes in the form of a promotion. A new job title comes with more job responsibilities and often, an...