Following an award ceremony for the Civil Service's senior executive of the year award, the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and the director of the Office of Personnel Management announced proposed changes intended to streamline hiring procedures in the Civil Service. The proposals include easing restrictions on buyouts for resignations and early retirements, recruiting bonuses for senior executives, increased pay caps, the implementation of pay bands, and the increased use of experimental hiring, pay, and promotion systems. Public employee unions have criticized the administration's proposal, saying that it is an attempt to circumvent Congress's authority and will do nothing for rank-and-file members.
See STEPHEN BARR, The Washington Post, October 15, 2001