A new survey administered by the Transportation Security
Administration shows roughly the same percentage of its
employees are satisfied with their jobs as are not, and that
a little over half feel they offer “world-class security.”
Questions about their own job security, rewards and
recognition, the work environment, and strategic planning,
brought “less favorable results” while those about
customer orientation, diversity, teamwork, use of resources
and supervision generally showed a more positive outlook.
Nearly half — just over 20,000 — of the TSA work force
responded to the questions provided by the Office of
Personnel Management about two months after TSA reduced
its work force from 55,000 to 45,000.
“Overall, 35 percent of employees said they are satisfied
or very satisfied with their jobs, while 42 percent said
they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 23 percent
were neither,” said TSA.
According to the results, 55 percent of employees said they
agree or strongly agree that TSA is providing world-class
security with 28 percent saying they disagree or strongly
disagree and 17 percent saying neither. Fifty-seven percent
of those responding said TSA provides world-class customer
service, with 22 percent disagreeing and 21 percent neutral.
The survey comes as individual airports debate about whether
to return to private contractor companies for screener services.
Fifty-one percent said they felt customers are satisfied,
19 percent said they felt the opposite, and 30 percent took
no position, according to TSA.
Overall, the results reflect the stress from a rapid start-up,
asserted TSA.
“It is critical for TSA to build employee trust and morale by
following up on the survey results,” said RAdm. David M. Stone,
USN-Ret., TSA’s assistant secretary for homeland security.
“We’ve already taken numerous steps to improve the working
environment and will continue to build on these efforts
moving forward,” he added.
TSA says it’s made progress in the past year “in addressing
employee concerns by further development of human resources
programs, providing redress to problems through the offices
of Civil Rights and Ombudsman, holding town hall meetings,
and giving local federal security directors more authority
in such areas as hiring and training.”
