Workforce news
DailyFED's workforce section covers news about federal jobs themselves: the yearly pay raise, reductions in force and separation offers, shutdowns and back pay, telework and return-to-office policy, hiring and personnel rules. Each story links to the guide or data page that explains what it means for you.
October20264 stories
- Hatch Act Rules Come Into Focus Ahead of the MidtermsWith the 2026 midterm elections approaching on November 3, Hatch Act rules have been clarified by the Office of Special Counsel, which recently issued new guidance and announced enforcement actions…
- Federal Jobs for Young Workers: OPM’s “Try It for a Few Years” PitchFederal jobs for young workers are becoming a bigger focus for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Director Scott Kupor is taking a different approach to recruitment: Don’t ask young people…
- Shutdown RIF Policy Rescinded: What the New Settlement RequiresThe shutdown RIF policy that led to thousands of federal employees receiving reduction-in-force notices during the 2025 government shutdown has been formally rescinded.
- Federal Employee Bonuses: Agencies Can Now Approve Awards Up to $25,000Federal employee bonuses could have a faster path to approval under a new change from the Office of Personnel Management.
September20268 stories
- Deferred Resignation Program Cost: Why the “400% Return” Claim Is DisputedThe Deferred Resignation Program cost is now at the center of a dispute over whether the program ultimately saved taxpayers money.
- OPM Health Claims Data: The Dispute ContinuesOPM health claims data collection has become a growing privacy dispute for federal employees, retirees, and their families, and a new round of scrutiny has put the issue back in the spotlight.
- Federal Law Enforcement Retirement: Who’s Eligible?A group of 19 House Republicans is asking the Office of Personnel Management to take another look at federal law enforcement retirement rules, arguing that some federal police officers perform duties…
- USPS Financial Health: Where Do They Stand?If you work for USPS, you’ve probably heard some version of “the Postal Service is losing money” for years.
- Social Security Fairness Act: What the Numbers Show Nearly Two Years LaterNearly two years after the Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), a new Congressional Research Service report provides a…
- Were DRP Departures Actually Replaced? OPM and a Watchdog Group DisagreeA new data analysis has kicked off a real dispute between a prominent government watchdog group and OPM’s own director over what actually happened after last year’s DRP departures What the…
- Federal Telework Arbitration Cases Are Raising the Same Question AgainA growing number of federal telework arbitration cases are producing the same basic lesson: an agency’s decision to bring employees back to the office does not necessarily allow it to ignore existing…
- 2027 Federal Pay Freeze and Paid Leave: Two Changes Federal Employees Should WatchThe 2027 federal pay freeze is now the White House’s plan for most civilian federal employees, while a separate paid-leave proposal is moving through Congress.
August20266 stories
- Federal Employees Using AI: Is It Actually Helping?Federal employees using AI is no longer a future-looking trend at OPM.
- OPM Retirement Processing Could Get a Technology UpgradeFederal employees have heard plenty about OPM retirement processing delays.
- FEEA Emergency Loans: The Federal Financial Safety Net Many Feds Don’t Know AboutFEEA emergency loans can provide a financial lifeline to eligible federal and postal employees facing certain unexpected hardships.
- How to Get Your Federal Personnel File After You Leave GovernmentIf you need your federal personnel file after leaving government service, the process just became much easier.
- USPS FERS Contributions Remain Suspended. Here’s What the New IG Report Found.USPS FERS contributions from the Postal Service remain suspended four months after the agency’s emergency cash conservation plan began.
- OPM Finalizes New RIF Appeal Rules for Federal EmployeesThe new RIF appeal rules finalized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will change how certain federal employees challenge workforce actions beginning September 2, 2026.
July20262 stories
- Could This Bill Prevent the Next Government Shutdown?A bipartisan Senate proposal introduced this month would fundamentally change what happens when Congress misses a funding deadline, replacing a government shutdown with...
- OPM’s FEHB Health Claims Data Plan Raises New Privacy QuestionsIf you’re enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program or the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, you’ve probably never thought about where your...
What we cover here
- Pay. The proposed and final yearly raise, locality changes and new pay tables.
- RIFs and offers. Reductions in force, VERA and VSIP announcements.
- Shutdowns. Furlough rules and back pay.
- Workplace policy. Telework, return to office, hiring and personnel rules.
- Time off. Extra days off granted by executive order.
The rules behind the headlines
Look up current pay on the GS pay scale page and this year's federal holidays.
When the news affects your job
A RIF notice or a separation offer brings decisions with deadlines. A Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC®) can help you see what each option means for your retirement. Get matched with an FRC, free.
More sections: all news · retirement · benefits · TSP
