Cummings, Lynch, and Connolly Request GAO Study to Further Enhance Effectiveness of Federal Workforce

Washington, D.C. (Mar. 27, 2014)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, sent a letter requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study federal employee engagement and recommend steps the federal government can take to improve it.

"The last few years have been challenging for federal employees," the Ranking Members wrote. "They have endured a three-year pay freeze, unpaid furloughs, and a government shutdown. Stakeholders, including federal employee organizations, have noted that federal workers have become increasingly dissatisfied with their employment, and that this may be compromising the federal government's ability to serve the American people."

Their letter requests that GAO assess the morale and effectiveness of the federal workforce, including recruitment and retention, performance and productivity, the achievement of agency missions, the extent to which the Office of Personnel Management helps agencies improve employee engagement, and lessons to be learned from agencies that have significantly improved employee engagement.

Click here to read the full letter.