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Showing posts with the label federal employees

Why Business Leaders Should Speak Out During the Shutdown

On October 1, 2025, Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill to keep the federal government open. Three weeks have passed, and there is still no clear path forward. With each passing day, Republicans and Democrats alike become further entrenched in their positions, convinced that their cause is just. As a result, hardworking Americans, their families, and their businesses suffer. Government representatives who contend that holding out for an uncompromising win will be beneficial in the long run fail to appreciate the extent of the ongoing harm, and that whatever benefits may materialize in the future are quickly being erased by the damage inflicted now on so many Americans, as well as the millions of small businesses—government contractors and commercial firms alike—that both parties agree form the backbone of the U.S. economy.   Business leaders are uniquely situated as they have a direct view of the negative impact of the shutdown on their companies, their employees, and t...

OPM delivers final rule on paid administrative leave, 8 years after law was passed

  After eight years in limbo, agencies should now no longer be able to place federal employees on administrative leave indefinitely during personnel investigations. The Office of Personnel Management published a  final rule  this week on the 2016  Administrative Leave Act , capping how long federal employees can remain on administrative investigative leave to 10 days per year. The regulations clarify how agencies should implement the restrictions on paid administrative leave for employees who are under investigation or awaiting a decision on an adverse personnel action. Congress  passed the legislation  as part of the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act after growing concerns about the costs associated with administrative leave, as well as the long time periods agencies were taking to complete personnel investigations. In 2014, the Government Accountability Office estimated that the salaries of federal employees on paid administrative leave were ...