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Washington, D.C. – Federal employees from around the country report declining workplace morale and a growing belief that their agencies are being deprived of the resources necessary to serve taxpayers, according to National Treasury Employees Union National President Tony Reardon.

A new survey of federal employees by NTEU shows that the current climate in Washington is alarming to the men and women of the civil service.

“What strikes me about these survey results is how federal employees are shouldering anxiety both for their personal well-being and that of the nation,” Reardon said.

The online survey, conducted in January, was answered by 730 federal employees who hold leadership positions in their local NTEU chapters.

Their responses provide a distressing view of what life is like on the front lines of our federal agencies: shrinking workforces, heavier workloads, paychecks that don’t stretch as far as they used to, less job security, and an overarching concern that the taxpaying public will be who suffers the most.

"When federal employees talk about low morale and budget cuts, it’s not just about them, it’s about all of us,” Reardon said. “They know better than anyone what happens when a government agency starved of funding and personnel falls behind in its daily duties. The damage is real.”

Reardon announced the survey results at the opening day of NTEU’s annual legislative conference, when union members from around the country descend on Capitol Hill to fight for adequate agency budgets, sufficient compensation and fair workplace policies.

Below are some survey findings and excerpts from their answers. NTEU will not disclose the names of the employees who answered the survey to protect their privacy and prevent retaliatory actions.

82 percent say morale is declining or poor, up from 81 percent last year

“DOE employees are tired of being a punching bag. Treat us like the white collar professionals we are, addressing and solving national and energy security issues vital for our economy, our country and the planet,” said a sustainability coordinator at the Department of Energy in Washington.

82 percent say their biggest personal fear is a cut to their pay and benefits

“Threats/proposals to cut our pay, benefits and the IRS as a whole leads to an unattractive work environment,” said an Internal Revenue Service revenue agent in Salinas, Calif. “With billions of uncollected taxes out there and a deficit in the trillions, it does not make sense to cut or deter the only agency that collects money to run the government.”

74 percent say that insufficient funding is the biggest challenge facing their agency, up from 65 percent last year

“High turnover leads to poorly and/or undertrained staff. At my job, an officer that is not adequately trained, or one that is exhausted from being required to work excessive overtime to cover vacancies, can lead to drugs or other dangerous goods being allowed to enter the country-on a good day. On a bad day, an officer can be badly hurt or killed,” said a Customs and Border Protection Officer in Savannah, Ga.

84 percent say the funding crisis has caused a staffing shortage where they work

“EPA employees are most concerned about drastic cuts to our workforce,” said an environmental scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency in Lenexa, Kansas. “Employees are very committed to the mission, so they work harder and harder with less.”

83 percent say losing retirement benefits would make them feel that their public service was not respected or valued

“In professional positions, the industry we regulate pays two and three times what the government pays us. We chose to work for the federal government because we believe in its mission and with the promise of a pension. It is not fair to change the deal after so many years of service,” said an employee with the Food and Drug Administration in Dallas, Tex.

90 percent say they wished Congress and the public would understand that federal employees are middle class workers facing the same economic challenges as other Americans

“Our pay raises are not even keeping up with cost of living,” said an IRS tax examining technician in Denver, Co. “What once used to be a pretty decent job with great benefits has now become an embarrassment. After 28 years with the Service, I will be looking for a better employment opportunity which is very sad. I love my job.”

Reardon has urged NTEU members to share their stories directly with their members of Congress.

“As you read their responses, one thing jumps out, over and over again: Federal workers draw a direct correlation between poor working conditions and the corrosive effect on public services,” Reardon said. “They chose a career of public service because they believe in national security, public health and economic growth and they are understandably frustrated when those important government missions suffer.”

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 32 federal agencies and departments.