Workforce

The IRS is slowly improving how it hires and manages its workforce, a Treasury  audit  (.pdf) found, adding that without continued focus the agency could easily become overwhelmed by difficult new challenges.

Reservists who complete 20 years of service must wait until age 60 to draw their retirement benefits, but active servicemembers draw their benefits whenever they retire. Reformers have long tried to reduce that inequality, and Rand looked at three possible ways to do so for a recent report.

The Internal Revenue Service has managed to cut its overall timetable for filling vacancies, say auditors, but the agency's hiring process still isn't setting any speed records. In highlighting a success story, for example, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration notes in a recently released Nov. 27   report  (.pdf) that the IRS's information technology division now gets new employees on board in an average of 90 days.

Another management discrimination and favoritism investigation will be launched against the Transportation Security Administration, this time by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.In a Jan. 25  letter  (.pdf), the EEOC said it has decided to conduct its own investigation after the Homeland Security Department auditors found widespread favoritism in hiring and promotion practices as well as a failure to address EEO complaints.

Human capital officers at the Office of Personnel Management will now work on pilot programs that address governmentwide Obama administration priorities, while policy offices assume the role of providing other agencies with guidance on HR policy and its application.

Agencies should focus on eliminating unnecessary functions and address poor employee performance to show they properly use funds because budgets may soon decrease, says the Merit Systems Protection Board. When addressing poor performance, MSPB first recommends employee training and development.