Federal Newscast

The Social Security Administration is seeing improvements to service delivery in all metrics after implementing a digital-first approach. New numbers from the agency show historic productivity gains over the past two years for the workforce and increased service delivery speed for customers. SSA also surpassed 105 million registered users of my Social Security, which made it the largest digital financial services provider. The agency also highlighted its most recent achievement related to the Social Security number database. SSA corrected roughly 15% of all active Social Security numbers by adding missing death date and citizenship status information. SSA says it is implementing stronger internal controls to prevent future data-entry inaccuracies.

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More details are emerging on the Trump administration’s revisions to paid administrative leave. Agencies’ ability to pay employees not to work during workforce reduction efforts has been formalized. Paid leave will also be allowed during reduction-in-force notice periods, the Office of Personnel Management says. OPM’s latest guidance comes after it finalized regulations to conform with the rules for the deferred resignation program. OPM is expected to soon update other online resources to reflect the new regulations.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More details are emerging on the Trump administration’s revisions to paid administrative leave. Agencies’ ability to pay employees not to work during workforce reduction efforts has been formalized. Paid leave will also be allowed during reduction-in-force notice periods, the Office of Personnel Management says. OPM’s latest guidance comes after it finalized regulations to conform with the rules for the deferred resignation program. OPM is expected to soon update other online resources to reflect the new regulations.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Veterans Affairs Department added 15 new or updated features to its electronic health records system just ahead of two new rollouts. VA says the updates began at the end of September. Among the changes, clinicians can now see vital signs, documentation, orders and key events on one streamlined timeline. VA says that supports faster, more informed decision making in urgent situations. Another feature lets ultrasound images flow directly into the federal EHR, which VA says will reduce duplicate tests and give clinicians timely access to diagnostic information. VA says it will roll out the EHR to facilities in Alaska and Cleveland starting next week.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal union is calling on Congress to intervene in the Small Business Administration’s planned office relocations. The American Federation of Government Employees says SBA’s relocations should all be paused, at least until the agency releases more information about its plans. SBA has been looking to relocate offices in Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta and Denver, along with several other cities. In a letter to congressional committee leaders this week, AFGE alleges that SBA has not fully analyzed how the relocations will affect public-facing services or the possibility of employees quitting.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.