Legislation (S-967) offered in the Senate would set new training standards and requirements for managers and supervisors. The main sponsor is Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chair of the Senate federal workforce subcommittee, who said that the government suffers from "inconsistent guidance on training and sometimes inadequate training due to an agency’s other priorities and limited resources."
"Given the growing number of federal managers who are eligible to retire, and the need to attract a robust, well-skilled workforce, it is important that employees who are expected to manage and supervise have the tools to do so effectively," he said. He noted that the recently released data from an OPM government-wide workforce survey show several areas of concern regarding management.
The bill would require that new supervisors receive training in the initial 12 months on the job, with mandatory retraining every three years on how to work with employees to develop performance evaluations and evaluate employees. Current managers would have three years to obtain their initial training. The bill also would require mentoring for new supervisors and training on how to mentor employees, and require training on the laws and procedures relating to whistleblower and anti-discrimination rights.
