President Donald Trump signed an executive order Dec. 18 that authorized the closing of federal agencies and excusing of federal employees from duty on Dec. 24.
The order follows a long tradition of presidents opting to close agencies on Christmas Eve when it falls on a Monday, rather than having agencies open for one day after the weekend and before the usual Christmas Day holiday.
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The order leaves authority to the executive heads of agencies to determine whether employees would be considered necessary for national security, defense or other public need, and therefore be required to still come in to work Dec. 24.
Feds should check with their agency leadership to determine whether they have been deemed essential personnel for the Christmas Eve holiday.
Jessie Bur covered the federal workforce and the changes most likely to impact government employees for Federal Times.
Agencies will have until the end of 2022 to make sure that their job listings involve more than just a self-assessment to determine whether an applicant has the right qualifications.
The Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program comes as the federal government struggles to draw young talent to replace those soon to retire.
Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, meaning feds will receive their paid holiday the day before.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student loans after prolonged work in the public sector, could become easier to navigate.
Agencies have just over six more months to make use of Schedule A hiring authorities for pandemic response.
John Greenstein of Bluescape outlines the steps federal leaders can take to create a more equitable environment in the age of hybrid workplaces.
The White House released an action plan that calls for expanding the number of agencies that can track and monitor drones flying in their airspace.
Traditionally, the president observes the date with an annual Easter egg roll for children on the White House lawn.
The president also announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Biden tweeted afterward that “we’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America.”
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