Administration Supports Revisions

The Bush administration supports changing the “deadly sins” provisions, saying in its budget proposal earlier this year that it favors allowing a broader range of potential penalties, thus “reducing employee anxiety resulting from unduly harsh discipline or unfounded allegations.” The deadly sins provision has been an ongoing concern of the National Treasury Employees Union, which says the provisions are too broad and vague, that they create fear and confusion in the workplace and leave employees’ careers vulnerable to frivolous allegations. When it was created, the deadly sins listing was seen as a potential precedent for similar mandatory disciplinary rules in other agencies, but the concept has not caught on outside the IRS, in part because of the concern about potential for abuse. The House-passed measure now moves to the Senate.