January 2023 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
The State of the Civil Service — And More
Only a week ago, I was saying “Happy New Year” with regularity. Suddenly, and in the span of just a few days, it seems that 2023 is well under way.
Things certainly look different this year than they did last January. We’ll kick off this month’s newsletter with the annual State of the Civil Service article, including updates on MSPB, EEOC, FLRA, and OPM.
But that’s not all. We’ll also discuss topics, including:
- Clean record agreements and impacts on hiring practices
- Forgotten benefits of in-person training
- How certain days of the week are required for telework as a reasonable accommodation
- Federal workplace trends in 2023
We get many of our newsletter ideas from FELTG readers. If there’s something you’d like us to write about in 2023, email us or Ask FELTG.
We’d love to hear from you.
Take care,
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
The State of the Civil Service: 2023 Edition
By Deborah J. Hopkins, January 17, 2023 Happy new year, FELTG Nation! The previous 12 months have included several milestones and significant changes in the Federal civil service. So, I’m once again using the month of January to share some highlights about exactly...
To Tell the Truth: Clean Record Agreements and Hiring
By Barbara Haga, January 17, 2023 Last month, I wrote about problems with clean record agreements (CRA) in the hiring process. While the OPM regulations now contain no bar to doing them, living up to their terms can present some huge problems. This month, Iet’s look...
The Good News: You are the Hidden Benefit of In-Person Training
By Ann Boehm, January 17, 2023 In-person training all but disappeared during the pandemic. Thankfully, technology enabled us to adjust through virtual training. As in-person training has started creeping back and I’ve ventured back out on the road, I’ve paid attention...
In-Office Thursdays Only? Some Employees Really Do Need Specific Telework Days
By Deborah J. Hopkins, January 17, 2023 If your agency has an employee who, as a reasonable accommodation (RA), teleworks three days a week, and reports to the office one day a week, you might think the agency has the right to choose which day the employee reports to...
Workplace Trends 2023: The Path to a Happy and Productive Workplace
By Dan Gephart, January 17, 2023 Meet the new year. Same as the old year. After scouring numerous reports, studies, blogs, and magazine articles by “workplace experts,” the top three challenges and trends that will most likely impact Federal workplaces this new year...
Ask FELTG: What do OPM’s new regulations say about clean record agreements?
OPM’s new regulations on 5 CFR parts 432 and 752, which went into effect Dec. 12, 2022, removed the 2020 regulations’ prohibition on clean record agreements. Agencies are once again free to use clean record settlements. This was probably the most contested portion of...