Federal Employment

GAO surveyed a random sample of government employees during 1991 about what their experiences in working for the government had been, how employment conditions compared with their expectations before they started working, what plans they had for staying or leaving, and what their views on possible employment policy changes were. While many employees believe that the government's employment programs fall short in meeting their needs, the many positive aspects of federal employment pointed out by the respondents are encouraging. For example, most respondents indicated that their work is more important than they thought when starting out in government--a belief that could help improve the public perception of government employment. Similarly, the willingness of many older workers to extend their careers if given the right incentives suggests that older workers could help meet future employment needs. The respondents' desire for more flexibility in federal employment programs, including flexitime, expanded leave sharing, and child care, indicates that government could be a much more attractive employer if it were to help employees balance work and family responsibilities.

GAO found that: (1) two-thirds of respondents said they probably or definitely would accept a federal job again if they were making the decision again today; (2) the remaining one-third said they would not or were not sure what they would do; (3) 13 percent of respondents said they were actively seeking paid jobs outside the federal government; (4) one-third said it was likely they would leave within the succeeding 5 years, while only about 60 percent of all respondents said they were likely to stay until retirement; (5) the respondents indicated interest in programs to help them cope with their work/family circumstances; and (6) 6 percent of the respondents said they were eligible to retire, and many had formulated retirement plans.