Author??? Sorry to say, this article reads like an unsuccessful bid for business. When you find the first convict going to Privacy Act jail, please do let the HR community know! I don't mean to belittle the principles, just hope the current cadre of hr directors carry this load successfully without the hammer attitude.
In response, although I have not done extensive research on your question, I am personally aware of one Personnel Director who was fined $5000 and put on probatioion for two years for a Privacy Act violation.
The Difference...
Left Lane Reactionary US Gubmint Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:56 AM
The difference between private enterprise and Federal employment is those Merit Principles. No private firm assumes an obligation to be fair and equitable in its employee dealings. No private firm has an Office of Special Counsel to review its actions and prosecute wrongdoing.
The attempted emulation of private hiring practices dilute our committment to these principles and our duty to the public. The needless and hyped race to hire, the convenience-driven reduction of significant candidate-provided information for reasoned evaluation, the use of easily manipulated automated evaluation systems to create broad lists of "categorically ranked" candidates in the first place...hasty decisions based on less information with an onus on management to ascertain the truth within the provided puffery to meet a time-to-fill standard...one wouldn't buy a new refrigerator with that degree of product knowledge and consideration.
Silly season
Fly on the wall Outside the Beltway Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:36 AM
With all the concerns I have re: poorly selected and trained supervisors/managers in the Federal government, this is the least of 'em. We've got folks with no clue how to deal with unionized employees, no idea what their EEO responsibilities are, no notion how to evaluated performance. Political discussions are the least of my concerns! I worked in HR for many years. The only merit principles we were concerned about were nepotism, buddy systems, and other non-merit bases for selecting, upgrading, promoting, and rewarding second-rate people. That's side of the merit system is as bad (or worse) than it ever was. Vote influence is the least of my worries!
Guidelines for promotion
Lead Soc Ins Spec Social Security Administration Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:03 AM
Are there any guidelines in the personnel manuals? If so, where can I find them? Thanks
Merit System Principles
Team Leader SSA Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:10 AM
And we're surprised? Government supervisor and managers are continually barraged with information about "diversity", but seldom hear about merit system principles. They're evaluated on their promotion of "diversity," instead of merit. If we valued merit system principles as much as we value assuring ourselves that our employees are the right color, gender, etc., perhaps our managers would pay more attention to merit.
Great article - highlights training void in Govt
Specialist Interior Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:37 AM
Great articel! It highlights the training void left by the OPM which due to downsizing and lack of funds for the vision of a decentralized federal personnel system which we had until the early 1990s.
Ironically, if there is one function that would upright and balance federal personnel functions across the board, that would have cross-cutting benefits, efficiency, etc. govt wide, it would be a centralized federal supervisory personnel training function to properly and fully train supervisors.....
Abuse of merit system principles
Engineer HUD Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:01 PM
1)"selection and advancement should be determined solely on the basis of relative ability, knowledge and skills"-This is not followed at HUD not because managers don't know about it but because the hire and promote based upon their own prejudicial attitudes. 2) "All employees and applicants for employment should receive fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or handicapping condition" 3) Employees should be retained on the basis of adequacy of their performance, inadequate performance should be corrected" 4)Employees should be-(A) protected against arbitrary action, personal favoritism" 5)Employees should be protected against reprisal"
For numbers 2,3,4 and 5, managers violate these principles. They do so because they want to promote a particular race or ethnicity, such as Hispanics, and they know that if they are caught no punishment will result.
Merit System Principles
HR consultant/trainer - Steve Oppermann N/A Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:47 PM
Phil - Excellent article. I have had similar experiences in terms of training managers and supervisors who had little or no familiarity with the merit system principles or with prohibited personnel practices. One major part of the equation is education, as you noted. Another part is accountability: If a manager or supervisor does violate a merit system principle or engage in a prohibited personnel practice, does anyone above them hold them accountable? I've seen a lot of news stories lately on Federal agencies where there hasn't seem to be much accountability, if any.
As for the agencies charged with preserving the integrity of the merit system principles, it seems to me that OPM has greatly reduced its personnel management evaluation role. I do think MSPB has developed excellent studies with viable recommendations, and that GAO does a fine job of reviewing and reporting on agency programs and problems. As for OSC, the Special Counsel himself is under investigation.
Political pressure
Bank Examiner OCC Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:11 AM
Gee, does this mean that my supervisor should not (a) tell me who she is voting for, (b) ask who I am voting for, and then (c) make snide, nasty remarks because I am not of the same political persuasion? I guess somebody at the OCC should get on the ball and inform managers that they are not allowed to ask us our political views and then make nasty cracks because we do not all think (and especially VOTE) the same way the manager does. Not that this will register on anybody's radar because somehow people never see themselves in these articles. . . .
NSPS and Merit System Principles
Budget Analyst DOD Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:19 AM
Do the Merit System Principles have any validity at agencies where the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) has been implemented? I don't believe there are any personnel practices that are prohibited at the agency where I'm employed.
We all need to focus here - training dollars were the first line item to be tossed out at the facility level. That's been about eight years ago...Hmmm.
Merit System Principals
SSS USDA Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:32 AM
Do these principals apply to the USFS too? I don't think my supervisor has ever heard of them. He sure doesn't practice them.
Re: Merit System Principals
Union steward USFS Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:57 PM
That true at the USFS - Merit principles are not even considered.
Re: Merit System Principals
Supervisor USFS Fri Oct 3, 2008 9:48 AM
I disagree with the other USFS folks on here. Supervisors on my unit are all made aware of Merit Promotion Principles and Prohibited Personnel Practices. I think that often there is too much information for first line supervisors to absorb and they may not understand how it all relates to them and/or they quickly forget it as situations where they have to use the MPP or PPP do not arise often. That is what happens when we expect first line supervisors to be working supervisors with targets to meet on top of the supervision responsibilities.
merit principles
dod
Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:19 AM
Author??? Sorry to say, this article reads like an unsuccessful bid for business. When you find the first convict going to Privacy Act jail, please do let the HR community know! I don't mean to belittle the principles, just hope the current cadre of hr directors carry this load successfully without the hammer attitude.
Re: merit principles
Self-employes
Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:11 PM
The Difference...
US Gubmint
Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:56 AM
The difference between private enterprise and Federal employment is those Merit Principles. No private firm assumes an obligation to be fair and equitable in its employee dealings. No private firm has an Office of Special Counsel to review its actions and prosecute wrongdoing.
The attempted emulation of private hiring practices dilute our committment to these principles and our duty to the public. The needless and hyped race to hire, the convenience-driven reduction of significant candidate-provided information for reasoned evaluation, the use of easily manipulated automated evaluation systems to create broad lists of "categorically ranked" candidates in the first place...hasty decisions based on less information with an onus on management to ascertain the truth within the provided puffery to meet a time-to-fill standard...one wouldn't buy a new refrigerator with that degree of product knowledge and consideration.
Silly season
Outside the Beltway
Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:36 AM
With all the concerns I have re: poorly selected and trained supervisors/managers in the Federal government, this is the least of 'em. We've got folks with no clue how to deal with unionized employees, no idea what their EEO responsibilities are, no notion how to evaluated performance. Political discussions are the least of my concerns! I worked in HR for many years. The only merit principles we were concerned about were nepotism, buddy systems, and other non-merit bases for selecting, upgrading, promoting, and rewarding second-rate people. That's side of the merit system is as bad (or worse) than it ever was. Vote influence is the least of my worries!
Guidelines for promotion
Social Security Administration
Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:03 AM
Are there any guidelines in the personnel manuals? If so, where can I find them? Thanks
Merit System Principles
SSA
Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:10 AM
And we're surprised? Government supervisor and managers are continually barraged with information about "diversity", but seldom hear about merit system principles. They're evaluated on their promotion of "diversity," instead of merit. If we valued merit system principles as much as we value assuring ourselves that our employees are the right color, gender, etc., perhaps our managers would pay more attention to merit.
Great article - highlights training void in Govt
Interior
Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:37 AM
Great articel! It highlights the training void left by the OPM which due to downsizing and lack of funds for the vision of a decentralized federal personnel system which we had until the early 1990s.
Ironically, if there is one function that would upright and balance federal personnel functions across the board, that would have cross-cutting benefits, efficiency, etc. govt wide, it would be a centralized federal supervisory personnel training function to properly and fully train supervisors.....
Abuse of merit system principles
HUD
Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:01 PM
1)"selection and advancement should be determined solely on the basis of relative ability, knowledge and skills"-This is not followed at HUD not because managers don't know about it but because the hire and promote based upon their own prejudicial attitudes. 2) "All employees and applicants for employment should receive fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or handicapping condition" 3) Employees should be retained on the basis of adequacy of their performance, inadequate performance should be corrected" 4)Employees should be-(A) protected against arbitrary action, personal favoritism" 5)Employees should be protected against reprisal"
For numbers 2,3,4 and 5, managers violate these principles. They do so because they want to promote a particular race or ethnicity, such as Hispanics, and they know that if they are caught no punishment will result.
Merit System Principles
N/A
Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:47 PM
Phil - Excellent article. I have had similar experiences in terms of training managers and supervisors who had little or no familiarity with the merit system principles or with prohibited personnel practices. One major part of the equation is education, as you noted. Another part is accountability: If a manager or supervisor does violate a merit system principle or engage in a prohibited personnel practice, does anyone above them hold them accountable? I've seen a lot of news stories lately on Federal agencies where there hasn't seem to be much accountability, if any.
As for the agencies charged with preserving the integrity of the merit system principles, it seems to me that OPM has greatly reduced its personnel management evaluation role. I do think MSPB has developed excellent studies with viable recommendations, and that GAO does a fine job of reviewing and reporting on agency programs and problems. As for OSC, the Special Counsel himself is under investigation.
Political pressure
OCC
Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:11 AM
Gee, does this mean that my supervisor should not (a) tell me who she is voting for, (b) ask who I am voting for, and then (c) make snide, nasty remarks because I am not of the same political persuasion? I guess somebody at the OCC should get on the ball and inform managers that they are not allowed to ask us our political views and then make nasty cracks because we do not all think (and especially VOTE) the same way the manager does. Not that this will register on anybody's radar because somehow people never see themselves in these articles. . . .
NSPS and Merit System Principles
DOD
Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:19 AM
Do the Merit System Principles have any validity at agencies where the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) has been implemented? I don't believe there are any personnel practices that are prohibited at the agency where I'm employed.
Retired DVA employee/Union leader
AFGE
Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:05 PM
We all need to focus here - training dollars were the first line item to be tossed out at the facility level. That's been about eight years ago...Hmmm.
Merit System Principals
USDA
Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:32 AM
Do these principals apply to the USFS too? I don't think my supervisor has ever heard of them. He sure doesn't practice them.
Re: Merit System Principals
USFS
Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:57 PM
Re: Merit System Principals
USFS
Fri Oct 3, 2008 9:48 AM