Federal Employees and Experts Offer Tips for Re-Energizing the Workforce

"Please recognize we have a mission, and we need to get back to that mission -- protecting workers. It would be a simple matter to read the OSHA law again and make it part of their new administration's agenda."

-- Veteran scientist at Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration

"Because things have been done so badly under Bush, President Obama will have to pick his shots carefully. We don't have lot of money to work with. This will make it more difficult to re-engage in these agencies. They've been on a starvation diet and they may not be re-nourished."

-- Jeff Ruch, director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

"Obama is inspirational, but he needs to get specific very quickly about what he means by making public service cool again and getting rid of poorly- performing agencies. Federal employees need to know he supports them. The role model for him could be George H.W. Bush.

One of the first things he did was meet with senior executive service and express to them his committment to public service. "

-- Paul Light, New York University professor and transition expert

"Come up with the top 10 major issues that need attention in each department, pick a few that can be done the quickest. Do something positive as quickly as they can. That would go a long way to improving morale. That will give hope. And "hope" is not in the vocabulary of most of the people who work for EPA, and for many other federal agencies as well. "

-- Regional EPA employee who works on wetlands protections.