The GAO report also noted, however, there is a perception in the workforce that the performance problem is larger. For example, employees participating in a Merit Systems Protection Board 2000 survey perceived that 14.3 percent of their coworkers were performing below reasonably expected levels. More recently, in a 2004 OPM survey in response to the statement “in my work unit, steps are taken to deal with a poor performer who cannot or will not improve,” 27 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, while 41 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed, the report noted. “It is generally agreed that even a small number of poor performers can have a negative impact on the work environment. In this regard, general agreement exists that poor performance should be addressed earlier rather than later, with the objective of improving the performance,” GAO said.