7 questions the Senate should ask OPM pick Beth Cobert
Beth Cobert has not testified before Congress since becoming acting director of OPM in July. From the data breaches to workforce issues, senators have plenty of...
6. How should agencies discipline employees for misconduct and sloppy work?
Since the Veterans Affairs Department was embroiled last year in a patient-care scandal, members of Congress have decried the slow pace of punishment within the federal government. At the heart of several bills is the belief that federal employees should be fired more quickly, with less time to appeal the decisions.
The Obama administration has threatened to veto the latest version of that legislation. But it has stayed largely silent on this issue, said Stier, leaving the Veterans Affairs Department and federal employees’ groups to duke it out with Congress.
OPM’s stated mission is to make the federal government “America’s model employer for the 21st century.” Part of that is dealing with misconduct and poor performance.
“Even pro-government folks admit the government does not do a good job of dealing with poor performers,” said Jeff Neal, a former federal personnel official who is now senior vice president at ICF International. He expects Congress also to ask questions about agencies’ tendency to put employees that they are investigating on paid administrative leave, sometimes for months.
At the same time, Cobert should clarify how agencies can recognize and reward good performance, Stier said.
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