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Washington, D.C.—The biennial workplace survey of federal employees by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released today reveals the enormous opportunities open to the incoming Obama administration to improve the federal workplace and thus service to the public, the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees said.

“There continue to be serious unaddressed problems throughout the federal workplace,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “This survey highlights employees’ frustration with inadequate resources, unfair treatment, a lack of confidence in senior leaders and inadequate training for frontline managers.”

The NTEU leader said the survey shows clearly that federal employees are both committed to their work and believe their work is important—more than nine in ten agreed on the latter point—but that senior management is largely failing them. “One case in point,” she said, “nearly half said they do not have sufficient resources to get their jobs done.”

She took sharp issue with the analysis of OPM Acting Director Michael W. Hager who claimed the survey results show the current administration has improved the strategic management of the federal workforce. “Most steps taken by this administration have had a seriously negative impact on federal employees,” said Kelley. “In fact, the survey reveals that, with a few exceptions, the largest departmental agencies were conspicuously absent from the top ten in any of the four survey categories.”

President Kelley said she was disappointed that OPM did not provide information on how agencies ranked in the four survey categories beyond the top ten.

As one example of the opportunity presented the incoming administration, Kelley noted that more than half the respondents—52 percent—said they believe that arbitrary action, personal favoritism and coercion for partisan political purposes continue to be tolerated in federal agencies. Further, she said, slightly little more than half of the respondents—52 percent—said they have a high level of respect for their organization’s senior leaders.

“Clearly, neither of these results is acceptable,” President Kelley said. “It should be a given that in order to operate effectively and efficiently, the federal workplace should be free of arbitrary decision-making, favoritism and actions directed toward employees based on political considerations.”

Moreover, she said, “one of the key duties of senior management is to earn the respect and trust of frontline workers. It is sad that so many top leaders in this administration seemingly have failed to do so.”

The NTEU president noted that fully 82 percent of survey respondents reported their belief that they are being held accountable for achieving results—a finding three percentage points higher than the 79 percent of two years ago.

“Federal employees are highly-motivated individuals who believe in the missions of their agencies,” said Kelley.

The NTEU leader said federal employees “look forward to working with a new administration and new agency leadership that will provide agencies with the staffing, tools and resources they need to accomplish their missions and will listen to employees’ ideas about how to do the work better.”

A renewed focus on how to achieve agency missions is necessary to address performance issues in federal agencies.

“For too long, agencies have been underfunded, understaffed and led by political appointees who were ambivalent—at best—about their missions,” Kelley said.

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.