Prof. Nicholas Bednar ’16 Quoted by Washington Post About Cancellation of Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey

Professor Nicholas Bednar ’16 was quoted by the Washington Post about about the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. In past years, the survey has provided a benchmark for agency leaders to make improvements and has offered the most comprehensive view of overall engagement and satisfaction among civil service workers. The results, which have previously been made public, also provide watchdogs with data to hold agency leaders accountable for poor management. This year, however, the Office of Personnel Management pushed back the survey in February, saying that questions needed to be revised to remove references to diversity, equity, and inclusion. While some agencies are considering conducting their own surveys, Prof. Bednar said it was unlikely that all the agencies will be able to conduct their own surveys this year, and that even if they did, results would be limited because many federal employees may not participate out of fear of retaliation. He said, “In the current climate, it is hard to place full confidence in the accuracy of government-administered surveys because the employees who remain in these agencies are so fearful of retaliation.”