Earlier this month, the federal government ended its COVID-19 public health emergency after three years. Nationwide, Americans likely may not notice the changes in the way the government treats the pandemic, but health insurance will not cover COVID-19 vaccines and  treatment in the same way. Federal employees participating in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program will see similar changes to their coverage because of the end of the public health emergency.

Kevin Moss is a senior editor with Consumers’ Checkbook. Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees is available now. He’s also a GovExec contributor and his latest post is “Fed Health Care Changes and the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.” He joined the podcast to discuss the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program and the ways that it is changing because of the end of the public health emergency.

Hiring is a difficult task for any organization, but federal agencies have stresses that others do not. With waves of retirement happening at agencies like the IRS, Veterans Affairs Department and others, open positions go unfilled for extended periods of time. But, our guest today writes that retirees are a good source of talent for the federal government, if only it were not so hard to hire them back.

Ronald Sanders was a federal civil servant for almost 40 years, serving in senior positions with the Defense Department, the IRS and the Office of Personnel Management.  He is also of “Federal Retirees Could Be a Great Talent Source, If Only It Were Easier to Bring Them Back.” He joined the podcast to discuss his post and bring federal retirees to agencies.

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The financial industry is behind other industries in adopting DEI principles. With DEI becoming more of a priority, financial organizations are grappling with both history and the present within the DEI framework. 

Jim Casselberry is CEO and Co-Founder at Known, LLC and has more than thirty years of experience in the financial advising and investment management industries. As part of our #MoneyMonday series, he joined the podcast to talk about diversity in the financial industry.

The debt ceiling hangs over federal employees as an unprecedented default could come as soon as the first week in June. Negotiations remain ongoing as President Joe Biden attends the G7 summit in Japan this week, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that the two sides are still far apart. Still, both sides remain optimistic that a deal will be struck before a default.

GovExec reporter Eric Katz joined the podcast to talk about the debt ceiling negotiations and how they continue to affect federal employees.

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In the last few weeks, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. federal government have lifted declarations of COVID-19’s crisis status. As the U.S. public health infrastructure moves away from that period, preparing for the next public health crisis will be paramount. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 response can provide better response to the next pandemic or emergency situation.

Dr. Richard Stone is an Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the Army and as the Executive in Charge at the Veterans Health Administration during the COVID-19 crisis. He is the author of the recently released Save Every Life You Can: A Reflection on Leadership and Saving Lives During the COVID-19 Pandemic. He joined the podcast to talk about public health systems, leadership and his experience during the pandemic.

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Before maximum telework, there was flexiplace and telecommuting. Agencies in the late 20th century had a version of telework, though that version seems like it belongs in the stone age to modern eyes used to VPNs, Slack and other modern components of telework. 

Tom Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and editor in chief at GovExec Media. He is also the author of a post in his “That Time” series headlined “That Time Even Minimum Telework Was Viewed With Wonder and Fear.” He joined the podcast to talk about the history and evolution of telework at agencies.

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The General Schedule was enacted into law in 1949 and remains to this day.  Of course, much has changed in government since 1949 and the changes to the General Schedule have not kept up with the time. Our guests today write that the GS system has been described to them by feds as trying to work while wearing cement shoes. 

Doris Hausser and Kimberly Walton are former federal human capital senior executives. They are both Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration, where they serve on the Standing Panel on the Public Service. They’re also co-authors on the latest in a series of posts on GovExec addressing the challenges that face government modernization headlined “The General Schedule System Needs An Upgrade, Now.” They joined the podcast to discuss their post and the General Schedule.

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The United States Treasury Department reached the $31.3 trillion debt ceiling in January, prompting “extraordinary measures'' to keep the U.S. from a default. Economic experts have predicted an unprecedented default as soon as June. Negotiations around the debt limit are slow going, increasing the likelihood of major disruptions to government operations and dire consequences to the world economy.

Dr. Patrick Gourley, PhD, is an associate professor of economics at the University of New Haven. He joined the podcast to discuss the debt ceiling landscape.

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic came into our lives in 2020, remote work has become the norm in many organizations. Remote work gives hiring managers the ability to cast a wider net, it gives employees more flexibility and it is popular with the workforce. But, remote work can bring some heartburn, too and some organizations are slow to adapt to it.

Shane Spraggs is the Forbes Books co-author, with Cynthia Watson, of The Power of Remote: Building High-Performing Organizations That Thrive in the Virtual Workplace. He is the CEO of Virtira, a completely virtual company that focuses on remote team performance. He joined the podcast to discuss remote work.

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After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency expires Thursday. While FDA and NIH officials have said that the end of the PHE will have minor impacts on their agencies, it has both symbolic and practical value for public servants. Telework and data collection will change, as well as things like free vaccines and tests for the public. 

GovExec's Courtney Bublé, Eric Katz and Erich Wagner have been covering the COVID-19 pandemic since before the public health emergency began in 2020. they joined the podcast for a reporters' roundtable on the end of the PHE and how it will affect government.

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According to recent research, fewer employers see a meaningful relationship between a four-year college degree and job competency. According to a report from American Student Assistance and Jobs for the Future, 81% of employers believe that organizations should hire based on skills rather than degrees. 

John W. Mitchell is president and CEO of the global electronics industry’s trade organization, IPC. He’s also the author of the upcoming book Fire Your Hiring Habits: Building an Environment that Attracts Top Talent in Today’s Workforce. He joined the podcast to talk about the connections between hiring and skills or education.

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