Federal Daily - May 13, 2009

Budget Guidelines Call for Government to Grow Workforce

Federal agencies will hire several hundred thousand new civilian employees over the next four years according to an “Analytical Perspectives” document entitled “Building a High-Performing Government” posted May 11 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The document, released as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, laid out an overarching reform strategy and advised changes to streamline the federal hiring process—which it described as overly cumbersome. For example, the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) developed a process map that reflected every activity, requirement and hand-off associated with FSA hiring. The map consisted of 114 discrete steps, and more than 45 hand-offs between managers, administrative officers, and human resources specialists. The department has since worked to streamline that process. The OMB document also suggested that the government should make greater use of management rotations both within and between agencies. “Just as important as changing what Washington does is changing how it does it,” the document said. “We cannot begin to tackle the challenges we face without restoring responsibility and accountability to government.” To see more, go to: www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2010/assets/building.pdf.

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NTEU Praises Move to Delay Elimination of Time-in-Grade Limits

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) on May 11 applauded an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) move to delay implementation of the regulation eliminating time-in-grade restrictions on federal employee promotions. The OPM proposed rule, published May 11 in the Federal Register, would move the time-in-grade revocation date from May 18 to Aug. 16. The notice seeks public comment on the merits of revoking, retaining or amending the time-in-grade revocation, a product of the previous administration. NTEU points out that the revocation would mean that federal employees in competitive service General Schedule positions at grades 5 and above would no longer have to serve 52 weeks in a grade before becoming eligible for promotion to the next grade level. Instead, employees would be eligible for promotion based on management’s evaluation of their readiness. NTEU President Colleen Kelley said the attempt to eliminate the time-in-grade rules was a final attempt by the prior administration to impose pay banding and other alternative pay systems on the civil service. Such a rule change, she stressed, should take place openly after careful study by all interested parties. “A key element in an effective civil service is both the perception and the reality of fairness and objectivity in the treatment of employees,” Kelley said. “The time-in-grade rules help foster such an environment.” In its announcement, OPM said extending the proposed effective date of the final regulation to Aug. 16 would help avoid the unnecessary expense of allowing a rule to take effect that may later be amended or revoked. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1430 or http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-11014.htm

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OIG Examines FBI Disciplinary Process

Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on May 11 released the findings of its examination of how the FBI disciplines its 30,000-member workforce, which includes about 250 SES employees. Although the agency has made strides in improving the way it disciplines employees, the rank-and-file perception of a double standard of discipline between higher-ranking and lower-ranking employees— identified in previous DOJ reviews—continues, the OIG said. An OIG review of FBI disciplinary decisions showed that there may be some data to back up that perception. The OIG found that allegations of misconduct were much more likely to be determined to be unsubstantiated against SES employees than allegations against non-SES employees. The OIG also found significant differences in the rates that SES employees’ penalties were mitigated on appeal (five out of six, or 83 percent of the time) as compared to non-SES employees’ penalties (44 out of 247, or 18 percent of the time). “While adverse appeals by non-SES employees are decided by a Disciplinary Review Board consisting of SES and non-SES members, adverse appeals by SES employees are decided by a Disciplinary Review Board consisting of only SES members,” the report said. “We believe that a board composed exclusively of SES employees hearing an SES employee’s appeal can result in either bias or the appearance of bias.” In response, FBI Assistant Director John Miller noted that the OIG’s findings suggest that SES employees are more likely to have unsubstantiated allegations made against them in the first place. This should “help further dispel any perceptions of a ‘double standard of discipline’ favoring higher ranking employees,” Miller said. “Overall we are encouraged to learn that the majority of our employees surveyed believe they would be treated fairly and objectively if they were the subject of a misconduct investigation.” To see more, go to: www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/FBI/e0902/final.pdf or www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/oig051109.htm.

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