WASHINGTON—For the fourth consecutive year among the largest federal agencies, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) ranked number one in employee commitment and satisfaction, while during the same period, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ranked last, 19th out of 19.
The determination is based on the Annual Federal Employees Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), administered by the Office of Personnel Management. It enables employees to offer their opinions on engagement, motivation, job satisfaction, and agency leadership. By this tool, NASA is said to be the best place to work in the federal government. No one is exactly saying aloud that DHS is the worst place to work in the federal government, but their scores would seem to indicate a serious morale problem.
On April 27, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing, titled, “The Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal Government,” to probe into some of the issues that affect federal employee engagement and satisfaction. Testifying were personnel administrators from NASA, DHS, Department of Labor (DOL), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), who each have the identical title, Chief Human Capital Officer. DOL and HUD were specifically invited because as a large and medium-size agency, respectively, they had made the largest improvements in employee satisfaction and engagement.
