If that federal employee sitting next to you on the Metro each morning seems a little grumpier these days, she’s not the only one.
Satisfaction among federal workers is down for the first time in four years, according to an annual survey of government agencies that ranks attitudes about everything from agency leaders to workplace culture.
Best places to work in the federal government
Concerns about pay, leadership and departments’ missions are the main factors behind the growing gloom. Agency heads and the rank and file agree that President Obama’s decision to freeze salaries for two years and Republican efforts to cut government programs are contributing to the unease in federal offices.
The pay freeze “keeps qualified candidates from looking at us,” said Barbara Rose, a clinical program specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We need at least five more people in my office.”
“We’re learning to do more with a lot less,” said John Reynolds, a management analyst with the Environmental Protection Agency. “But that’s consistent across the country, not just in government.”
Government-wide, 64 percent of employees were satisfied with their work, a slight drop of 1.5 percentage points from last year but the most pronounced dip in the history of the “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” rankings. Morale improved at just 31 of the 308 federal agencies, bureaus, departments and offices in the survey, published by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan think tank.
Some offices are islands of relative happiness: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. scored the highest among larger agencies, earning an overall score of 85.9 percent out of 100 and dethroning the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which placed first in the past three surveys.
But other agencies are struggling: The National Archives and Records Administration placed last among large agencies, plummeting more than seven points from last year, the worst year-to-year drop of any large agency.
Archivist David Ferriero said a reorganization plan is causing a fair amount of turnover. “For some people, the reorganization is a breath of fresh air, and for other people, it’s an issue of dealing with change,” he said.
Among smaller agencies, the Surface Transportation Board topped the list for the third time, earning 91.1 out of 100, the survey’s all-time high score. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative placed last for small agencies.
Lorraine Green, the trade office’s senior human resources official, said in an e-mail Tuesday that the agency is “very concerned” about its rankings and plans to hold employee focus groups to determine how to improve.
Among other top performers, the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan congressional auditor, finished third among large agencies, dropping from second last year. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, a first-time participant that monitors nuclear safety issues, placed second among smaller agencies, followed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
In addition to topping the rankings of large agencies, the FDIC had the largest year-to-year gain, climbing 8.5 percentage points.
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