Discussion 5: Job Satisfaction

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This week we will be discussing the cause and potential effects of a recent drop in federal workers job satisfaction. First, read the article “.”

For your post, I would like you to touch on the following:

1. Which aspects of job satisfaction do the workers seem most dissatisfied with? Think of the nine common job satisfaction facets to identify the source(s) of low job satisfaction (Table 9.1 on page 217 in your book).
2. Explain what job satisfaction antecedents you think are responsible for the current low job satisfaction. 
3. Explain the potential outcomes of the situation using what you know about job satisfaction outcomes. What is likely to occur if the sources of low job satisfaction are not addressed?
4. Feel free to bring in any other relevant comments or observations you made during your review of the article (e.g., workers level of organizational/occupational commitment etc.).
5. Survey: Federal worker s job satisfaction drops By L Lisa Rein, Published: November 8 Salary freezes, continuing budget cuts, and furloughs have eroded morale among federal employees so deeply that many do not recommend the government as a good place to work, a survey released Friday found. The vast majority of employees think that the work they do is valuable and look for ways to do their jobs better. But the across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration, which took effect in March, have helped push already low job satisfaction to its lowest point since 2010, according to the governments Employee Viewpoint Survey. The survey shows a strong and resolute group of employees who are devoted to their agency and country, Katherine Archuleta, the newly confirmed director of the Office of Personnel Management, wrote in the surveys conclusion, but are growing weary due to current policies and practices affecting agency operations and resources. She expressed alarm at the long-term implications for recruiting and keeping top talent at agencies losing veteran employees to retirement and the private sector. Without a more predictable and responsible budget situation, we risk losing our most talented employees, as well as hurting our ability to recruit top talent for the future, Archuleta wrote of the survey results, which were posted on the OPM sWeb site. The 16-day government shutdown, which started Oct. 1, was not factored into the views shared by 376,577 employees. The responses were given in April through June, months before Congress failed to reach a stopgap budget and it shut down the government, furloughing almost half the workforce. More than 90 percent of employees said that their work is important and that they would put in extra effort to get a job done. But the effects of sequestration are palpable at almost every agency, the survey found: Only 44 percent of employees said they had sufficient resources to do their jobs, compared with 48 percent last year and 50 percent in 2010. And only half said their agencies provided enough training, an area where the government has cut spending dramatically. Government-wide scores on pay, opportunities for advancement, whether innovation is encouraged, and other markers of how employees feel about their jobs dropped in almost every category over last years survey. Only 63 percent said they would recommend their agency as a good place to work, down from 67 percent last year. Employees also have deep concerns about compensation after three years of salary freezes, with 54 percent saying they were satisfied with their earnings, a drop of five percentage points from last year and 12 points from 2010. Only 19 percent agreed that pay raises are commensurate with how well they do their jobs. These are dismal numbers, and anyone concerned with the ability of our government to recruit and retain the thoughtful, innovative and dedicated people we need to take on challenges now and in the future should be alarmed, Colleen E. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said in a statement. Managers are supposed to use the results to identify problems and come up with ideas for improvement. The Agriculture Department, for example, responded to concerns in 2012 that not enough employees were eligible to telework; the agencys scores in this area improved markedly. The Partnership for Public Service uses the survey to compile its Best Places to Work rankings, set for release in December. The government dived deeper into demographic data it received for a second year about veterans, disabled, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees. Veterans make up 28 percent of the workforce, gays and lesbians 2.7 percent, and the disabled 13 percent. The job satisfaction of the groups lags below their nonveteran, straight and non-disabled colleagues. The survey also highlighted demographic differences in job satisfaction among the governments oldest and youngest employees. Those born in 1945 or earlier a tiny fraction of the workforce had the highest morale overall, while those born between 1965 and 1980 were least satisfied. Telework continued to be a bright spot, with 76 percent of employees reporting satisfaction with their agencies policies. Supervisors growing flexibility with balancing work and home life for their staffs has proven to be a good alternative to bonuses and other financial incentives that are disappearing, the survey found. Eighty percent of those surveyed said their supervisors or team leaders treated them with respect, up from 79 percent last year. There is no data for 2011 because the survey was traditionally done every two years and last year became an annual survey.

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