Discussion 5: Job Satisfaction

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Survey: Federal workers’ job satisfaction drops

By Lisa Rein, Published: November 8

Salary freezes, continuing budget cutsand furloughshave eroded moraleamong federal employeesso deeply that many do not recommend thegovernment asagood placeto work, asurvey released Friday found.

Thevast majority of employeesthink that thework they do isvaluableand look for waysto do their jobsbetter. But the across-the-board budget cutsknown assequestration, which took effect in March, havehelped push already low job satisfaction to itslowest point since2010, according to thegovernment’sEmployeeViewpoint Survey.

Thesurvey “showsastrong and resolutegroup of employeeswho aredevoted to their agency and country,” KatherineArchuleta, thenewly confirmed director of theOfficeof Personnel Management, wrotein the survey’sconclusion, “but aregrowing weary dueto current policiesand practicesaffecting agency operations and resources.”

Sheexpressed alarm at thelong-term implicationsfor recruiting and keeping top talent at agencieslosing veteran employeesto retirement and theprivatesector.

“Without amorepredictableand responsiblebudget situation, werisk losing our most talented employees, as well ashurting our ability to recruit top talent for thefuture,” Archuletawroteof thesurvey results, which wereposted on theOPM’sWeb site.

The16-day government shutdown, which started Oct. 1, wasnot factored into theviewsshared by 376,577 employees. Theresponsesweregiven in April through June, monthsbeforeCongressfailed to reach a stopgap budget and it shut down thegovernment, furloughing almost half theworkforce.

Morethan 90 percent of employeessaid that their work isimportant and that they would put in extraeffort to get ajob done. But theeffectsof sequestration arepalpableat almost every agency, thesurvey found: Only 44 percent of employeessaid they had sufficient resourcesto do their jobs, compared with 48 percent last year and 50 percent in 2010. And only half said their agenciesprovided enough training, an areawherethe government hascut spending dramatically.

Government-widescoreson pay, opportunitiesfor advancement, whether innovation isencouraged and other markersof how employeesfeel about their jobsdropped in almost every category over last year’ssurvey.

Only 63 percent said they would recommend their agency asagood placeto work, down from 67 percent last year. Employeesalso havedeep concernsabout compensation after threeyearsof salary freezes, with 54 percent saying they weresatisfied with their earnings, adrop of fivepercentagepointsfrom last year and 12 pointsfrom 2010.

Only 19 percent agreed that pay raisesarecommensuratewith how well they do their jobs.

“Thesearedismal numbers, and anyoneconcerned with theability of our government to recruit and retain the thoughtful, innovativeand dedicated peopleweneed to takeon challengesnow and in thefutureshould be alarmed,” Colleen E. Kelley, president of theNational Treasury EmployeesUnion, said in astatement.

Managersaresupposed to usetheresultsto identify problemsand comeup with ideasfor improvement. The AgricultureDepartment, for example, responded to concernsin 2012 that not enough employeeswere eligibleto telework; theagency’sscoresin thisareaimproved markedly.

ThePartnership for Public Serviceusesthesurvey to compileits“Best Placesto Work” rankings, set for releasein December.

Thegovernment dived deeper into demographic datait received for asecond year about veterans, disabled, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. Veteransmakeup 28 percent of theworkforce, gays and lesbians2.7 percent, and thedisabled 13 percent.

Thejob satisfaction of thegroupslagsbelow their non- veteran, straight and non- disabled colleagues.

Thesurvey also highlighted demographic differencesin job satisfaction among thegovernment’soldest and youngest employees. Thoseborn in 1945 or earlier — atiny fraction of theworkforce— had thehighest moraleoverall, whilethoseborn between 1965 and 1980 wereleast satisfied.

Telework continued to beabright spot, with 76 percent of employeesreporting satisfaction with their agencies’ policies. Supervisors’ growing flexibility with balancing work and homelifefor their staffshas proven to beagood alternativeto bonusesand other financial incentivesthat aredisappearing, thesurvey found.

Eighty percent of thosesurveyed said their supervisorsor team leaderstreated them with respect, up from 79 percent last year.

Thereisno datafor 2011, becausethesurvey wastraditionally doneevery two yearsand last year becamean annual survey.