retention

Today marks three months since the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Just as a scab was beginning to form over that painful scar, the congressional community was again thrown into a lockdown by an armed threat bringing back all the terrible memories. You may feel that nothing will ever be back to “normal.” Trauma takes a long time to heal, and everyone heals differently. But there are many outside groups that want to help congressional staff recover and, in time, thrive.

This January 29 webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate. The program will include congressional staff hiring guidance CMF has collected during its 43 years of service to the Congress, and will feature experts on the value and strategies of hiring a diverse staff. Watch a recording of the webinar here.

Last week, CMF and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) held a webinar for congressional staff on the topic of workplace flexibility ("workflex") and discussed how it IS possible to have these types of arrangements in Congress. Not to worry if you missed the webinar — we recorded it and also offer you a downloadable guide ("The Workflex Toolkit for Congress") that walks you through the various types of workflex (hint: it's more than telecommuting), addresses common concerns, and provides assessments and templates for you to implement workflex in your office.

Whether you missed CMF's recent webinar on performance management, or are looking for more information, CMF has additional guidance, handouts, and sample performance review forms for you. Use these tools and resources to improve your staff's performance so they reach their full potential and your organization reaches its goals.

The Democracy Awards Finalists for the four office categories were announced in February. Twenty House and Senate offices were honored in four categories: Constituent Service, Innovation, Transparency and Accountability, and "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment. Two winners (one Republican and one Democrat) from each category will be announced in May. Prior to this announcement, we've been highlighting the finalists from each of these categories. This week we’re recognizing the Democracy Award finalists in "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment.

This study, conducted in 2017, identifies common practices and norms on the benefits and personnel practices employed by House and Senate personal offices. Its purpose is to assist congressional managers when determining or evaluating their office policies and practices.