Business

The Pentagon Has No Idea How Many Employees It Needs

Defense headquarters offices were asked to reduce their budgets 20 percent by 2019. So far, the Pentagon cannot say how it will meet that goal. By Eric Katz

Policy

Republican Lawmakers Try Again To Cut 115,000 Civilian Defense Jobs

Rep. Kevin Calvert, R-Calif., is leading the charge to rein in an 'out of control' bureaucracy and save $82.5 billion over five years. By Eric Katz

Ideas

What Fallows Missed About the Military-Civilian Gap

Why there is a gap between the military and America is as important as how it occurs. By Mark Seip

Business

VA Bonuses for Bad Employees Targeted Again

The House introduced legislation Monday that would give the VA authority to make employees pay back bonuses. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Who Will Be the Next 'Mayor of the Pentagon'?

Congress wants to upgrade the chief management officer position to the third most powerful position at the Defense Department. By John Kamensky

Ideas

Improve the VA by Keeping It Simple

Cultural change at the VA has to go beyond the necessary initial focus on ethics and values. It needs to penetrate the bureaucracy. By Alex Nicholson

Business

Ahead of Veteran’s Day, VA Announces Major Reforms

VA Secretary Bob McDonald just announced a major overhaul of the government's second-largest agency. Will it work? By Ben Watson

Business

Hagel Approval Rating Just 26 Percent Among National Security Workers, Troops

Defense Secretary Hagel’s logs a rock-bottom approval rating among his own workers as Obama reportedly considers cabinet shakeup. By Gordon Lubold

Business

VA Secretary Says He’s Moving Fast To Remove Bad Employees

VA Secretary Bob McDonald is defending his commitment to holding employees accountable and firing them when necessary. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Phoenix VA Whistleblowers Win an Undisclosed Settlement

As another 50 whistleblower disclosures await formal investigation, three VA employees who were demoted for speaking out win settlements to clear their name. By Charles S. Clark

Business

The Unintended Consequence of Hiring Veterans

An increase in veteran representation in federal jobs coincided with declines for women from 2000 to 2012, an upcoming review shows. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Cost of Living Adjustment Will Be Announced on Oct. 22

Next year’s cost of living adjustment for military retirees and veterans receiving benefits is expected to be somewhere between 1.6 percent and 1.8 percent. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Would Pay Scales Close the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap?

A better understanding of what cybersecurity professionals do, along with implementing a graduated pay scale, could be two big steps in the right direction. By Aliya Sternstein

Business

Is the Pentagon's Personnel Reform Turning a Corner at Long Last?

From one union's perspective, the Defense Department's negotiations with labor groups are progressing at a surprisingly positive pace. By Eric Katz

Business

Civilians in Iraq to Get Higher Premium Pay

U.S. civilians working on stabilization efforts in Iraq can now earn more for overtime, nights and weekend work through the end of the year. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Phased Retirement for Federal Workers Is Finally Here

The law allowing federal employees to partially retire while continuing to work part-time for the government is finally being implemented. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Pentagon's Civilian Workforce Could Face New Performance Evaluations

The Pentagon plans a do-over for its poorly-received civilian pay and performance evaluation system from 2006. Will this attempt be any better than the last? By Eric Katz

Business

The Air Force Is Offering Separation Incentives to Thousands of Civilians

But the reductions will still only save the Air Force a small fraction of the $50 billion required by the 2011 Budget Control Act. By Eric Katz

Ideas

How to Fix the Government's Security Clearance Mess

We need to continuously monitor who has top secret clearance. Here’s how. By Steve Nguyen

Business

Now It's Official: Furloughs Frustrate Defense Department Personnel

Differences implementing the cost saving measure across the services led to grumbling about morale and problems with retention inside the department. And don't expect it to end soon. By Amelia Gruber