Agencies are facing tons of changing expectations from the Office of Personnel Management this year. In the last few weeks alone, OPM has told agencies how to think differently about awarding employees for good work, as well as how to implement recent changes to the federal probationary period. There’s also new guidance on where agencies should limit, or add more flexibility, on paid administrative leave. Jenny Mattingley, the Partnership for Public Service’s vice president of government affairs, joins us to help make sense of it all.

Plus, it’s a busy time for federal retirement. From rising health care costs to the surge in retirement applications, there’s a lot to keep track of. Not to mention, OPM has just launched a new online retirement system. To learn more about what makes a retirement case “clean,” how to avoid common delays, and what federal employees should be thinking about before they hit submit, Federal News Network’s Terry Gerton caught up with a principal at Retire Federal, Tammy Flanagan.

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The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill left most federal benefits untouched. But the reconciliation bill did introduce several new tax provisions that could impact how Americans save, contribute and plan for retirement. Thiago Glieger, a wealth advisor with RMG Advisors, joins us to help make sense of it all.

Later in the show, we hear advice about what to do when you get called in to testify as a congressional witness. It can be terrifying, but it is also a vital information link that supports lawmaking, oversight and public accountability. Bill LaForge, author of the updated book, "Testifying before Congress," gives us some insider tips.

Plus, new numbers show that 154,000 federal employees opted into the deferred resignation program this year. But raw numbers, of course, never tell the whole story. The Partnership for Public Service recently came out with an impact report, highlighting how the Trump administration’s changes have affected agencies. We get details from Max Stier, the Partnership's president and CEO.

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As it tries to cut hiring time, the Office of Personnel Management has converted the application process for senior executive positions to a two-page resume. The standard ECQ essays will be replaced by structured interview questions. Federal News Network's Terry Gerton got some advice on how to make those application conversions from Diane Hudson, director of the Certified Professional Career Coach program at the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

Later in the show, we review a new report from Indeed that confirms what many have been feeling for months: There are too many high-skilled job seekers right now, and too few jobs actually available. Senior economist at the Indeed hiring lab, Cory Stahle, dives into the results of the new research.

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After President Trump’s return-to-office orders, some agencies are unsure how to proceed with updating their remote work and telework policies. The Government Accountability Office says the administration needs to issue new guidance to help agencies better measure the effects of their telework policies on performance. A new report from GAO also details the results of a 2024 survey, which found that remote work has positive effects on recruitment, retention and cost savings. Dawn Locke, GAO's director of strategic issues, gives us the details.

Later in the show, we dive into the latest on federal probationary periods. Agencies officially have more leeway to fire federal employees who recently started a new job. That’s after the Office of Personnel Management finalized changes to the federal probationary period. OPM says its final rule sets expectations for a high-performing federal workforce. But Jenny Mattingley, vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, says OPM’s rule focuses on the wrong reforms for probationary employees. 

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Some federal employees have historically relied on remote work as a reasonable accommodation to help them make meaningful contributions in their jobs. But the Trump administration's blanket return-to-office directive has upended those remote work arrangements — and caused uncertainty for feds who depended on that flexibility. Federal News Network’s Terry Gerton got insights on the reasonable accommodation process, as well as some recourse options for feds, from Aaron Szot, a partner at Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch.

Later in the show, we dive into the latest data on military families, who have a major effect on military readiness across the country. Blue Star Families, an organization that advocates for military families, surveys the military family community every year to determine how well they're doing and how likely they are to continue their service. Blue Star Families Chief Impact Officer Lindsay Knight shares analysis on the new survey findings.

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Federal employee benefits could be on the chopping block. That’s as GOP lawmakers move forward with their budget reconciliation bill. Republicans are considering everything from cutting annuity supplements, to charging a fee to file a case with the Merit Systems Protection Board. It’s all to save about $50 billion out of the trillions needed to balance the budget and making the choice harder for federal employees who are weighing their options for taking an early retirement, or a deferred resignation. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman recently sat down with Federal Drive host Terry Gerton to help answer some common questions about the proposed cuts to federal benefits.

Later in the show, Federal News Network's Tom Temin catches up with Susan Tsui Grundmann on how things stand for federal employees. She was a long-time member of the Merit Systems Protection Board, director of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights and a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Plus, Federal News Network's Terry Gerton hears from former EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum on new technical guidance on how DEI-related initiatives may create unlawful discrimination in workplaces. But that guidance may raise more questions than it answers. 

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How to manage the government, it's the national topic at the moment. Right now the government is managed by Elon Musk and Doge. Or by cabinet secretaries who seem hell-bent on cutting away at their departments. Or at least it looks that way. Should we have a Department of Management? My next guest thinks so. I spoke with an outspoken retired federal chief human capital officer, and former political appointee, Jeff Neal.

Plus, the shock waves reverberate. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Junior wants to trim a third of the employees. For analysis of what this might mean for agency operations, we turn to a long-serving HHS executive now in private consulting, Jeff Grant.

Also, we turn to the topic of far-away feds. Federal employees and service members across the board face tough times. Sailors and Marines sometimes face special challenges when they return home, or they're still away at sea. That's where the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society comes in. It's accepting applications for 2025-26 education grants. For details, I spoke with the society's chief operations officer, retired rear admiral Dawn Cutler.

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Some 40,000 federal employees did decide to resigned per the Trump administration's early fork-in-the-road offer. They've been promised full pay for the rest of the fiscal year. What about pension benefits? Or access to the Federal Employee Health Benefits plans? We get some answers from long-time federal employment attorney Alan Lescht.

Plus, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is just one Congressional group considering ways to cut federal spending including employee benefits, and save tens of billions of dollars over the years. I spoke with certified financial planner Thiago Glieger for what he's concerned about.

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Just what do you get if you're caught up in a reduction in force? Like those Education Department employees RIF'd just this week. And what about if you decide to retire early? Federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan has been getting lots of these questions lately. She joins me now with a few answers.

Plus, is the goal of reducing the federal workforce by 10% wrong? Or just the way the Trump administration is going about it? And what about the persistent five-bullet email? Some perspective now from retired federal manager Abe Grungold of AG Financial Services.

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