Federal Government Policy and Business

Hardly any federal employees are fired for poor performance. That could be a good sign, report says.

The Washington Post: The low rate at which federal employees are fired for poor performance doesn’t prove the government accepts it but instead “could actually be a positive sign,” the agency that decides appeals of discipline against federal employees has said.

A report from the Merit Systems Protection Board in effect responds to members of Congress and others who contend that federal managers don’t care, or don’t dare, to take disciplinary action because of civil service protections.

“The number of employees removed for poor performance should not be used as a measure of an agency’s commitment to properly managing the performance of its employees,” said the report issued Tuesday.

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