Not only did that have an adverse effect on morale and productivity, but in a shrinking government, employees have so much of their own work to do that they cannot do someone else's too. In addition, the Clinton administration and Congress have placed increased emphasis on dealing with performance problems in recent years. Earlier this year OPM produced a special CD-ROM guide, Addressing and Resolving Poor Performance , which provides managers with straightforward suggestions and easy checklists. Managers have embraced the publication. Nine months after its release, OPM says more than 30,000 copies of the guidebook are in circulation.
Studies show that managers are taking action more often today.
By 1996, this had increased to 32 percent. And supervisors are going the distance and firing problem performers. An August 1997 newsletter from MSPB's Office of Policy and Evaluation said that in 1996 more than 10,000 employees were involuntarily separated from their federal jobs by their supervisors. About 3,000 of these resigned, but their official records indicate that their supervisors had initiated action against them for poor performance, misconduct or both. So firings do happen.