FEDweek

06/26/2026

Uniform Allowance to Nearly Double July 13

OPM has finalized a long overdue increase in allowance for federal employees who must wear uniforms in their official duties from $800 to $1,500, following a comment period on interim final rules it issued in April.

A notice in the June 26 Federal Register says that commentors “overwhelmingly” supported the increase, “explaining that costs of uniform items such as specialized firefighting and public safety uniforms, jackets, pants, shirts and boots have risen substantially since the last adjustment in 2007 and now often exceed the $800 maximum allowance.” Link in comments ...

06/26/2026

Lawmakers Demand Data as USPS Pushes Ahead With Network Redesign

Senators are increasing pressure on the U.S. Postal Service to provide detailed forecasts showing how its planned operational changes will affect service performance, costs, and long‑term solvency.

Their push aligns with a recent letter from Reps. James Walkinshaw and Kweisi Mfume, who said USPS has not delivered the 5‑year projections Postmaster General David Steiner committed to during spring testimony.

The USPS is seeking regulatory and borrowing relief and has said the status quo is unsustainable - and so far this year it has suspended payments into FERS and limited "non essential" spending. Meanwhile it's signing deals with commercial carriers and continuing with DFA.

But letter says Congress needs “a full accounting of how these decisions affect service, cash flow, and the workforce,” and lawmakers argue they cannot evaluate USPS’s proposals without that information. Story continues, link below...

06/25/2026

Senate Defense Spending Bill Mum on Union Rights; Would Maintain DWCF Civilian Levels

A Senate Committee has produced its version of a budget measure for DoD/DoW that unlike the House version does not seek to overturn the Trump administration order revoking union rights for most employees of the department who previously had such rights.

That is a repeat of the situation that occurred last year, when the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the annual defense authorization bill was similarly silent on the 2025 executive order citing national security grounds for removing longstanding union representation rights there and at some two dozen other agencies. Continues, link in comments.

06/25/2026

OPM Prodded on Conducting Employee Viewpoint Survey

Two dozen Capitol Hill Democrats have prodded OPM on conducting the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, reminding the agency that law requires the FEVS to be conducted annually—it wasn’t, last year—and to include certain questions that reflect on an administration’s management practices.

“For years, the FEVS has given leaders real-time insight into their organizations. This valuable workforce management tool has delivered critical perspective into leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, organizational culture, and workplace trust. This data has been relied on to better performance and create reforms,” said a letter to OPM director Scott Kupor.

06/25/2026

TSP’s C Fund Passes $500 Billion Mark for First Time

The TSP’s common stock C fund crossed the $500 billion mark for the first time in May, while the lifecycle L funds collectively reached above $300 billion and the international stock I fund crossed $150 billion, also for the first time.

Counting its portions in the L funds, the C fund stood at $507.9 billion at the end of last month, accounting for 43.9 percent of all assets in the program, which also reached a new record total of $1.156 trillion, according to a presentation at the monthly meeting of the TSP governing board.

06/25/2026

Audit Raises Issues with Live Chats and Chatbots at IRS

In a report whose findings could provide a lesson to other agencies increasingly turning to automated systems for customer service, the inspector general audit has raised issues with both automated chatbots and live chats hosted by agency employees at the IRS.

The report noted that the IRS’s small business/self-employed division has used live chats since 2017 for inquiries into matters such as balances due or delinquent returns, and that in late 2021 it expanded that program to include automated chatbots. Continues, link in comments 👇

06/24/2026

The Postal Service won’t deliver mail ballots in states that refuse to turn over lists of voters under a proposed rule, the agency’s chief executive said Wednesday, angering Democrats who warn the decision will disenfranchise voters.

Postmaster General David Steiner defended the rule at a Senate hearing and dismissed accusations that the Postal Service was acting politically after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March restricting voting by mail.

Steiner also said, in response to a question, that the Postal Service would adhere to a court order blocking the rule if one were issued.

By Jonathan Shorman, News From the States

The U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver mail ballots in states that refuse to turn over lists of voters under a proposed rule, the agency’s chief executive

06/24/2026

A provision in the Senate defense spending bill for fiscal 2027 authorizes a limited pilot program to test the feasibility of allowing DoD/DoW civilian personnel to access military commissaries.

Section 623 of S-4784 would allow the Secretary of Defense to authorize testing expanded access at 16 stores within CONUS spanning different regions and installation types through January 2028.

A provision in the Senate defense spending bill for fiscal 2027 authorizes a limited pilot program to test the feasibility of allowing DoD/DoW civilian

06/24/2026

You can take me CLICK2GO - The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is rolling out its grocery delivery program nationwide after a successful expansion in January, when it transitioned 'CLICK2GO' from a multi-year pilot into full deployment, rolling the service out to 70 commissary stores nationwide — adding 62 stores to the eight that had participated in the pilot since 2022.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is rolling out its grocery delivery program nationwide after a successful expansion in January, when it transitioned

06/24/2026

GAO Report Offers Accounting of Workforce Losses and Reasons for Leaving

Following is a summary of workforce changes across 22 major federal agencies during 2025, based on data compiled by GAO.

Overall federal staffing at these agencies fell by more than 255,000 employees (11.3%), driven primarily by retirements, resignations, and deferred resignation programs, which together accounted for nearly 80% of all separations. Link below 👇👇