Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.—Results from a survey of federal employees clearly indicate that the pay for performance proposals advocated by the administration, which would put even more discretion in the hands of managers than they now have, would do little to improve the federal workplace, the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees said today.

The survey, administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shows that more than 60 percent of employees do not believe that their leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment. Moreover, less than half of the employees surveyed think positively about the integrity of their leaders and the fairness of the workplace.

“While the survey shows that federal employees overwhelmingly like working in the public sector, they have real concerns with issues of fairness and objectivity in the workplace,” said National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen M. Kelley. “These issues must be addressed before any more discretion is given to front-line managers.”

The union leader also called “extremely troubling” survey results showing federal employee concerns that agencies are not making maximum use of their skills; that fewer than one-third of respondents believe awards programs provide incentives to high quality work; that fewer than half

believe that rewards are determined by how well they do their work; and that more than one-third of employees are considering leaving their agencies.

“Implementing pay for performance proposals that do not address these concerns would provide additional incentive to those considering leaving the government,” Kelley said, “further draining top talent from the federal sector.”

On the matter of pay, the NTEU leader took note of OPM’s emphasis on a survey finding that some 64 percent of federal employees say they are satisfied. “Even if we accept that finding at face

value,” she said, “that leaves more than one-third of the federal workforce dissatisfied with the level of their pay—and that harsh reality continues to put the government at a disadvantage with the private sector in the competition for quality workers it needs.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 29 agencies and departments.