Poor Performers: Obama's NLRB Employees Give Their Agency Leaders Barely Passing Grades

When it comes to workplace satisfaction, the employees within President Obama’s National Labor Relations Board don’t seem too thrilled with their leaders at the agency.

Every year, the National Labor Relations Board surveys its employees regarding their views on their work at the agency.

According to the most recent NLRB employee survey (called the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey), it appears that the “laborers” working for the agency that referees disputes between labor and management have given “management” rather mediocre grades.

While NLRB employees gave high marks to their own personal feelings of accomplishment and purpose in their specific jobs, questions that centered around the controversial agency’s management at the higher levels received rather low marks.

Here are a few highlights of areas where Obama’s NLRB managers “need improvement.”

Motivated? Only 43.86 percent of the respondents surveyed agreed with the statement “I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things.”
Retaliation? While a majority (57.25%) of respondents agreed with the statement “I can disclose a suspected violation of any law, rule or regulation without fear of reprisal,” the fact that 42.75% either did not have an opinion or disagreed with the statement indicates that there is fear of reprisal amongst at least some of the agency’s employees.
Training? Only 39% agreed with the statement “My training needs are assessed.”
A problem with slackers? Only a minority (25.45%) agreed with “In my work unit, steps are taken to deal with a poor performer who cannot or will not improve.”
…and Non-Performers. Slightly more that one quarter (29.43%) agreed that “In my work unit, differences in performance are recognized in a meaningful way.”

Less than one third (31.92%) believe “the survey will be used to make my agency a better place to work.” This indicates there is a sense of futility in responding to the survey itself.

Less than half (40.92%) are satisfied with the policies and practices of the NLRB’s senior leaders.

One area that is particularly damning to the NLRB’s leadership is this: Less than half (47.48%) agree that “Arbitrary action, personal favoritism and coercion for partisan political purposes are not tolerated.”

While you can see the entire survey results below, one might note that, in many workplaces these are the typical “early warning signs” that a workforce may be vulnerable to being unionized.

However, ironically, since many NLRB employees are already unionized, unionizing the NLRB isn’t an option.

Related: