Troops returning from war have to overcome some pretty big hurdles before fully adjusting to life at home. Most concerning is how military personnel are being taken care of mentally, physically and financially.

The president has signed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, a bill that took years to get through Congress. The new law gives federal workers more protection when reporting corruption and wrongdoing. The Government Accountability Project has been pushing for this law for well over a decade.

President Barack Obama is on his way back to Washington today to continue fiscal cliff talks with Congress. All eyes are turning to the Senate now, after House Speaker John Boehner withdrew his "Plan B" before a vote.

When you think of what happened this year with regards to the federal government, you can't help but think of sequestration. It hasn't even happened, yet it has cast a shadow over nearly every conversation federal managers have. But Don Kettl, dean of the school of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, has a tip for us: There are other developments that could shape the federal workforce in 2013.