The FED Weekly

In this episode of The FED Weekly, we deliver a comprehensive update on federal workforce developments for the week of February 1-7, 2026. Key highlights include President Trump signing the $1.2 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act, ending the partial government shutdown, and stabilizing government operations—though DHS funding remains temporarily unresolved. Federal civilian workers received a 1% pay raise, lagging behind retiree COLA increases. Major legislative movements featured reforms in procurement, early separation incentives for federal employees, and renewed interest in bills addressing retirement fairness and pay raises. OPM issued updated shutdown guidance and introduced Roth-in-Plan conversions to the Thrift Savings Plan. Retirees are facing delays due to a backlog in OPM retirement processing, while healthcare premiums and administrative changes add to their concerns. For current employees, a finalized rule reclassifies many policy-determining roles as at-will, reducing key protections and triggering union protests, alongside stricter performance rating distributions and data calls on union time usage. The episode closes with advice to stay informed as federal workforce policies continue to evolve.