Julia Ziegler is the web manager at Federal News Radio.

EPA cuts furlough hours

In the second phase of furloughs at the Environmental Protection Agency, employees are now looking at 23 furlough hours instead of 47.

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U.S. Park Police cancels furloughs

Furloughs for employees of the U.S. Park Police will end June 1, the head of the National Park Service announced Friday. The Park Police have already taken three furlough days since sequestration went into effect in March.

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IRS to furlough all 90,000 employees

The agency has identified five furlough days where it will, essentially, shut down entirely. A memo sent Friday to IRS staff from Acting Commissioner Steven Miller said the furlough days will start in May and continue through August.

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OPM searches for candid answers from departing SES members

The Office of Personnel Management wants more information on why members of the Senior Executive Service are leaving their jobs. It's hoping a new exit survey being distributed to departing SES employees will help agencies improve their retention, recruitment and succession planning efforts. OPM said it wants employees to be as candid as possible with their answers to the anonymous survey.

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All federal offices in D.C. are closed today, except for emergency employees

Due to inclement weather, the Office of Personnel Management has announced that all federal offices in the Washington, D.C., region are closed on Wednesday. Non-emergency employees may telework or take an excused absence. Emergency employees are expected to report to their worksite unless otherwise directed by their agencies.

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Feds given the day off on Christmas Eve

Federal employees got the news they were waiting for today. The White House announced they'll be given the day off on Monday, Dec. 24, giving them a four-day weekend many had been hoping for.

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New technologies key to Postal Service revitalization

From digitization of mail to GPS tracking, the Postal Service is investing in new technologies to help it grow revenue. Ellis Burgoyne, the agency's chief information officer, says his department is concentrating on five main projects in 2013 that will help the Postal Service cut costs while improving efficiency and customer service. USPS ended fiscal 2012 with $15.9 billion of debt.

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New marketing chief helps USPS practice what it preaches

Nagisa Manabe hasn't spent her entire career with the Postal Service but, after just six short months, she's making her presence known. Under her direction, the agency has committed to spending 15-20 percent of its marketing dollars on direct mail — the same amount it recommends to its own customers. Her goal — getting the Postal Service out of the red through the development of new innovative products and the use of effective marketing techniques. The new chief marketing and sales officer brings with her a career's worth of experience from the private sector — including jobs with powerhouse companies like Coca-Cola, Campbell's Soup and the liquor industry.

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No new buyouts on Postal Service horizon

The U.S. Postal Service will not be offering any new buyouts in the near future, according to Anthony Vegliante, the agency's chief human resources officer. USPS offered three different buyouts in 2012. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Vegliante said the Postal Service will drop to around 500,000 employees by the end of January due to multiple consolidation efforts at the agency.

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Postmaster General urges quick action in lame duck session

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says his number one priority is seeing legislation passed in the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress that will help the U.S. Postal Service get out of debt. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Donahoe details the latest on the agency's financial situation, buyouts, the consolidation of mail processing centers, and its plan to cut window hours at half of its post offices across the country.

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Federal News Countdown: SES reform, congressional deadlines

John Sawislak, senior fellow Telework Exchange, and Julia Ziegler, Federal News Radio's web manager, count down the top federal news story of the week.

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NSA shares leadership secrets to mission success

Chris Inglis, the deputy director of the National Security Agency, said agencies need good managers and leaders, as well as employees with specific skill sets. He said NSA's balance between the three is helping it succeed at its core missions.

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NSA clears up misconceptions about compliance

In his first interview ever, John DeLong, the compliance director at the National Security Agency, clears up the misconceptions that exist about his job as well as the work done in his office. He says compliance is where rules intersect with technology, people and the activities at NSA.

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NSA: More safeguards needed to protect networks from cyber attacks

Debora Plunkett, the director of the National Security Agency's Information Assurance Directorate, said there is good news and bad news when it comes to protecting the U.S. from cyber threats on a daily basis. In an exclusive interview for Federal News Radio's Agency of the Month program, Plunkett said getting the nation's networks to a higher level of security is multifold.

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NSA hiring reforms serve as model for government

Efficient recruitment and hiring practices might seem like a hard get at a high-security agency like NSA. But Kathy Hutson, the director of human resources at the National Security Agency, says the hiring protocols at her agency today demostrate all the reforms the Office of Personnel Management is recommending for the rest of government.

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Retirement wave and more

Federal News Radio's Julia Ziegler and Jolie Lee and Sean Reilly of the Federal Times will discuss a wide range of issues affecting workers in the federal government.
May 2, 2012

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Federal News Countdown: Federal employee morale, pension hikes

Diane Cochran, principal for human capital services at Kelly, Anderson and Associates, and Julia Ziegler, Federal News Radio's web manager, count down the top federal news stories of the week.

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How to get the morale mojo back in your federal office

If morale in your office is down, you aren't alone. Federal employees across the government tell Federal News Radio they are feeling the same way. We get tips from the experts on how to re-establish a positive atmosphere in your office.

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Congress to feds: We feel your pain

Over 20 bills affecting federal employees' pay, benefits, and pensions have been introduced by members of Congress in the past year. Federal employees tell Federal News Radio those are the kinds of things directly affecting their morale and motivation. What does Congress think about that? Federal News Radio asks both Republicans and Democrats as part of our series, "Managing Morale."

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Federal morale deeply impacted by pay freeze, 'fed bashing'

Federal managers and employees alike are suffering from low morale problems, according to the results of an exclusive Federal News Radio survey. The survey is part of our three-day special report, "Managing Morale."

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