Now, such a comment should not be taken as an accurate reflection of all federal workplaces, but it does offer a glimpse of the frustration in some offices. Poor performers, as a rule, make frequent errors, produce incomplete work, fail to meet deadlines and draw complaints from the public about their rudeness. They are often tardy to work and take more sick days than their co-workers. In its 1999 report, the OPM said supervisors complained that dealing with problem workers took too much time and energy and rarely won the support of upper management. For the most part, supervisors inherited their problem workers, who had an average of 14 years of federal service, the OPM found.
Some critics see civil service laws as a barrier to dealing with poor performers.
The laws provide employees with job protections to ensure uniform treatment and appeal rights and to prevent retribution by political appointees. Other civil service critics contend that the government needs tougher supervisors who are not afraid to fire people. But reports by the Merit Systems Protection Board suggest a better solution may lie in teaching old-fashioned people skills to supervisors. Many supervisors get promoted because they know the work better than anyone else, not because they are good at dealing with people. Better training could help supervisors motivate employees and deal constructively with performance problems, board reports suggest.