Recently introduced legislation in the House of Representatives would add a series of questions to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to gain better insight into the views and experiences of federal managers when it comes to matters surrounding taking disciplinary action with under performing employees.
The Manager Attitudes and Notions According to Government Employee Responses (MANAGER) Act (H.R. 9593) was introduced by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX). It was introduced on September 16, 2024, and passed out of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup shortly thereafter on September 18.
The bill would require the Office of Personnel Management to add several questions to the FEVS that focus on federal managers’ morale and their experiences of disciplining poorly performing employees.
Specifically, the legislation would add these questions which would include an option for respondents to provide narrative responses to each question in addition to any other quantitative or qualitative response options:
- I have confidence my agency leadership will support me if I try to discipline an employee.
- I have confidence in the current system to discipline employees.
- I feel supported as a manager.
- I have adequate training regarding how to discipline employees.
- I have adequate time to observe new employees and attempt to correct deficiencies before their probationary period expires.
- I have opted not to attempt to discipline an employee over the past year because I have no confidence in the system.
- My input is sought regarding labor negotiations that will impact my work unit.
- I would recommend that a colleague in my agency become a manager if given the option to do so.
- The inability to discipline poor performers or otherwise bad employees hurts the morale of my work unit.
- Good employees in my work unit have left because of the inability to discipline problematic employees.
OPM would have to make the changes within 180 days of enactment of the legislation.
Peters said that the bill is part of an effort to eliminate waste and increase productivity in government agencies. He said in a statement:
Efficiency in government agencies is essential for taxpayers and government employees alike. I am committed to creating and supporting legislation that eliminates waste in our government to protect taxpayers. Federal managers are responsible for getting results to the American people. This survey will identify areas where federal employees in supervisory positions need support to ensure that our government is working effectively for our citizens.
Feedback from federal employees on past surveys indicates that federal employees feel little is done to address poor performers within their agency workplaces. The most common response (41%) on the 2023 FEVS results in response to a question about what happens to poor performers in individual work units was that they “remain in the work unit and continue to underperform.”
Only 10% of respondents said that the underperforming employees are removed or transferred, and another 6% said that the underperforming employees end up quitting. Just 18% of respondents said that poorly performing employees remain in the work unit and improve their performance.
