Arbitrary firing of thousands of employees and the abrupt ouster or sidelining of experienced career leaders aren't yet reflected in the latest scores. Image: Dmitry Naumov/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffAn overall employee engagement and satisfaction score rose from 65.7 to 67.7, but that reflects survey results from last spring and summer and not the “turmoil and uncertainty” of events since the second Trump administration began, the Partnership for Public Service said in releasing its dates annual best places in government to work report.
“Over time we have seen that agencies with high Best Places to Work scores and rankings are responsive to and address employee concerns, invest in leadership development and involve the workforce in finding solutions to deliver vital services more effectively to the public,” it said.
“The current moment, however, represents an extremely challenging time for employees and federal leaders alike, with President Donald Trump issuing numerous executive orders and taking steps that are altering the work of numerous agencies, adversely affecting employee morale and that could lead to a degradation of public services,” it said.
“These steps include buyouts and the arbitrary firing of thousands of employees, including those with less than two years on the job; the abrupt ouster or sidelining of experienced career leaders; a halt of all work at selected agencies; a requirement that employees return to the office full time and in person, ending remote work; a hiring freeze except for some essential areas; and a plan calling for the removal of civil service job protections and the replacement of career civil servants with political appointees.
However, the Partnership said that it remains “hopeful that amid the turmoil and uncertainty, agency leaders in the year ahead will seek to support, motivate and engage the workforce in ways that will allow them to fulfill their important agency missions and serve the public interest.”
It pointed out for example, that among the factors pulling down employee engagement and job satisfaction are recognition, employee input, pay, professional development and work-life balance.
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