Do You Work for the Government? You May Be More Likely to Die Than Get Fired
- Posted on July 21, 2011 at 11:11pm by
Buck Sexton
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USA Today reported earlier this week that for some federal employees, death by natural causes is statistically a bigger threat to end their careers than being fired. According to the paper’s analysis on federal employment retention:
HUD Headquarters
“Death — rather than poor performance, misconduct or layoffs — is the primary threat to job security at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Management and Budget and a dozen other federal operations.”
So could that actually be costing taxpayers?
Last year, USA Today reported that the average federal salary was an eye-popping $81,258 (not including benefits). And now, during a time of 9.2% unemployment, USA today is also reporting that the 500,000 federal employees making over $100,000 a year enjoyed a 99.8% retention rate for their jobs in 2010.
EPA Headquarters
If you want a snapshot comparison with the private sector, John Palguta, former research chief at the federal Merit Systems Protection Board which handles federal firing disputes, offers the following:
The federal government fired 0.55% of its workers in the budget year that ended Sept. 30 — 11,668 employees in its 2.1 million workforce. Research shows that the private sector fires about 3% of workers annually for poor performance.
Federal agency spokesmen claim the low numbers of dismissed federal employees are the result of excellent personnel as well as intelligent hiring practices.
They may have a point, at least in comparison to some unionized state employees. In many major American cities, the ratio of public school teachers fired for performance reasons is about 1 in a 1000.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is tackling this problem of entrenched public employees at the state level, as seen in this video:
But the question remains as the debt ceiling talks rage on- is anyone going to step into Christie’s shoes at the federal level?
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GiGi80
Posted on July 23, 2011 at 10:39pm” Do You Work for the Government? You May Be More Likely to Die Than Get Fired”
Great headline, Buck. I am fairly sure that virtually 100% are, statistically speaking, more likely to die than to get fired.
Is there an actual editorial staff here?
Report Post »Theodwulf
Posted on July 23, 2011 at 8:30amI work for the federal government (WG-10). There is some truth to the government worker nay-sayers on the whole BUT alot of it is skewed because the biggest offenders are at the top of the pyramid and “juiced in”. It’s not that hard to “fire” someone , including Union members, it just requires management to do their job and go by the “Book”(OPM guide). The rules prevent capricious termination without cause , it doesn’t prevent termination WITH cause.
As “Pata” said many of us are Veterens , I am (US ARMY ‘90-’94) as are many of my coworkers. Tardiness, “no call, no show”, drinking, drug use, fighting , harrassment and other work place follies that lead to termination ,are rare in the Government work place enviroment. It was a big change from construction jobs I have had over the past 14 years , where many of the aforementioned activities happened on a daily basis .
Report Post »Bill Wallace
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 1:32pmIf anyone wants evidence of this, call up medicare and try to deal with them.
Or MSPRC. 1-866-677-7220.
After waiting on hold for 45 minutes, listening to that insane music, you get to hash it out with someone who will admit:
1. They violated their own deadlines to respond to letters.
2. They want information you previously sent them…3 times…dating back to a year prior.
3. They will pass it to a supervisor to investigate why they didn’t make the deadline, and it will take 10 business days to conduct the investigation…and which will result in them telling you they dropped the ball or just failed to do what they should have.
Nobody gets fired. Nobody does anything. Hand in hand.
Report Post »Ready2Rumble
Posted on July 23, 2011 at 2:55pmWhy is it that Radio Shack can call up all of your purchases for the last ten years, but you have to send your information to the government repeatedly?
BTW, trying to terminate a federal employee for incompetence or wrong-doing takes nearly an act of God. I read a story of one federal employee who was caught embezzling money. In the private sector, she would have been terminated on the spot and arrested. Not so in the federal sector: she was terminated after 39 months of hearings and proceedings. I am not sure if she was collecting her pay and bennies, but it would not surprise me if she was.
Let’s all keep working harder – the parasites depend on us.
Report Post »cromag11b
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 12:26pmYes, this is why all Dept of the Army civilians just had to fill out a “Do you want forced early retirement or severance pay. we need to know by end of July”
Also govt salary numbers almost always included legislator’s pay when they want to make it sound outrageous.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 12:54pmContracting out base services and other critical functions contribute to the high salaries too. You remove the lower grades and allow contractors to do the same function for much more money you end up leaving the higher grades in place to manage, plan and award such contracts.
No one takes that into consideration either.
The public is totally unaware of the how this came to be…Regan had a goal of contracting out 50% of the work force…they did meet that goal early on but no one tracked it so they ended up greatly exceeding the goal. They actually ended up contracting out contracting positions. Scary, hell yes.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:34amI think the data is skewed. DoD did get rid of deadwood in the 80‘s thru to the end of the 90’s and they continue to streamline today.
BRAC, combining CMD with DCASR, DoD got rid of lower grades and mid grades. The higher grades had to pick up and do those things required of the lower grades in addition to their own responsibilities.
Personally in two years I fired 6 federal employees for not performing. PIPs are a common way to get rid of dead wood in DoD. It’s not that hard to fire a federal employee.
I take exception to the broad paint brush of federal employees. If you had pointed the broad paint brush at SBA, GSA, DOE, Education department etc I’d have no problem with it…Those agencies hire managers from DoD for one purpose only…DoD employees know how to get things done. DCAA is also one great agency of hard working folks that contributes and augments DoD contracting.
DoD is doing everything with no one right now. And they plan on taking down more of DoD…the only agency that you need to protect USA. They will do whatever the president wants. If he wants a 30% cut in DoD…they will give it to him…but not the other agencies.
You folks play into the hands of the rancher…he won’t get rid of any feds in the other agencies…it’s always DoD that takes the hits. You need to look at the total pie and determine which agencies are at risk of failing if you continue to cut…and DoD is going to fail…it is exactly what Obama wants. And he will repl
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:38am1500 character limit sucks.
He will replace DoD with what? He’s said it when he was running for president…do you recall? I do.
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:04amthat explains all of those fat lazy worthless government workers ,, no way they can be fired..
Report Post »i promise you if they worked for my company or any other companies i know they would be fired so fast there heads would spin …
JBsCabin
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:25amThe whole nature of our market place must change, we cannot afford to keep government workers of any kind who are not the best of the best, nor can we continue to perpetuate jobs that UNIONS protect in spite of low productivity and collective bargaining issues which prevent workers from doing anything but their “5 minutes” of scheduled work each hour!…….paid too much and produce too little! Any employer should be able to fire unproductive workers….PERIOD!
Report Post »touch
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:02amWorking for the VA for example is a JOKE. They have all these nice saying‘s like we are here to serve our nation’s vets. etc. The bottom line is CORRUPTION at the top. Primary Care Doctors are overloaded, frustrated, and have NO balance in life. Recommendation is to take your high earnings while at the VA and get your finances in order as quick as you can and then get out!!!!!
Do not be OWNED BY THE MACHINE….
Report Post »joyfulgiver
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:17am“more likely to die than get fired” I just listened to a woman that is willing to drive 70 miles one way for her govt job that relocated in order to work an additional 7 years to get lifetime medical benefits. I guess when you’re on a mission to get lifetime medical benefits, quality of life doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sure if she did the math, totaled up the hours on the road, time away from family, extra stress on her health, she would realize there is NO benefit in the 140 minutes on the road five days a week for 7 more years. This is the mentality of the public sector employee. Notice, it sounded like she was going to work the minimum “7 more years” to get the benefits, then be done.
NO private sector job offers lifetime medical benefits, nor should they! When did a benefit become an entitlement?
A benefit as defined in Webster’s 1828 dictionary. I don’t look at current dictionaries anymore, they change the meaning to fit their purpose.
BEN’EFIT, n. [Primarily from L. beneficium, or benefactum.]
1. An act of kindness; a favor conferred.
Bless the Lord,O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Ps.103.
2. Advantage; profit; a word of extensive use, and expressing whatever contributes to promote prosperity and personal happiness, or add value to property.
Men have no right to what is not for their benefit.
3. In law, benefit of clergy. [See Clergy.]
Report Post »BEN’EFIT, v.t. To do good to; to advantage; to advance in health, or prosperity; ap
nysparkie
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:05amThank God I’m retired from State government. I read the headline on this story and started feeling for my friends still employed. Boy was that close for me.
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:41amAnd, THAT”S THE REASON WHY NOTHING IS DONE!
They sit there for YEARS doing nothing and screwing up ****….
AND…..IF or WHEN the worker is ABOUT TO DIE DUE TO OLD AGE….
they pass the job over and hire a FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND.
That’s called “In-House Hiring”…..and the general public won’t even know a position was open, it’s an “inside job”. And the LEGACY CONTINUES.
There really needs to be a CAP on what a Federal Employees makes….
$100,000.00 for sitting on your azz for 30 years, non-productive, and not providing NO SERVICE to or for the general public, is a bit much.
I know a PROGRAM Director who is married and has been on the job for YEARS – ALL he does is hand off HIS duties to his Staff and have affairs with women in his office or from other agencies.
He’s dumb as a rock…well, actually, a ROCK SERVES A PURPOSE…anyway, he has SEX WITH THEM IN OFFICES, CLOSETS, DESKTOPS, ETC….and has NO FEAR of being caught or fired. None of his superiors will touch the subject – BECAUSE they are probably doing the same or have done. Neither he or his Dept. serves the public as they should AND the Tax Payers are paying for HIM to do this.
Yet, employee’s at non-Federal jobs “ hit the ground running” and HAVE TO maintain that level –
ALL DAY – EVERY DAY…and for FAR LESS….and MUST DO IT WITH A SMILE, otherswise, you are considered as HAVING AN ATTITUDE.
How screwed up!
Report Post »liberalsarealiens
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:36amDealing with any government agency is an absolute pain in the A$$! To call them slow does not due justice to the word. Getting hired by the government for any position and not being of the “right” kind of person is also just about impossible! Entrenched would be a good word to discribe their mind set.
Report Post »Millhouse2therescue
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:46amPublic sector is the part of the problem, and this is why I think we are doomed. No one wants to cut their own head off and say that their public sector job is not needed or can be done by the private sector. Fact of the matter is that private sector can do just about anything better then the public given a chance.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:11am“Federal agency spokesmen claim the low numbers of dismissed federal employees are the result of excellent personnel as well as intelligent hiring practices.”
______________
Really? Really? Have you been to the DMV lately? Have you been to the Social Security Office lately? Excellent personnel? Really? What a hoot. I almost spit my coffee on the computer screen.
Report Post »Tusker
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:02amLoriAnn12, you are DEAD ON! Having worked for SSA, I can tell you out of the 100 plus folks in that office there MIGHT have been MAYBE 20 that actually worked! I can’t tell you how much bureaucratic bs that goes on in that Administration. The system is held up by thousands of grievances not to mention addendums to regulations. Folks there don‘t have a clue what’s going on. Excellent personnel and intelligent hiring pratices? BS! Anyone had to deal with FEMA… another BS dept same with DHS……….. good grief, this is just typical coming from the hill! Has ANYONE from this administration ever told ONE truth?
Report Post »PatA
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:08amOMG, hater alert!!!….I’m a Federal worker and maybe our firing numbers are lower because for the most part the workers ARE better. Many workers are retired Vets or military affiliated who are already, for the most part, very disclipine and have excellent work ethics. Many require security clearances that your average joe can’t qualify for. Many require drug testing. Many have degrees. So please, stop all the hating on us people that actually serve our country.
Report Post »chomama1
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:25amI am retired FBI Special Agent. I and a lot of my fellow agents put our lives on the line for America. Not as often as the military guys, but one experience is enough for a lifetime. I know I earned everything I have gotten in retirement.
Report Post »Having said all that, yes, there are a lot of federal employees who should go and it is very difficult to get rid of them. Things have to change, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:51amWOW!….Ok, settle down. WE KNOW and YOU SHOULD KNOW…YOUR JOB is SAFE for the next 30- 40 yrs…IF the all and mighty Obama says YOU CAN HAVE YOUR JOB.
But, NO ONE IS HATING Fedl Workers…and NOT ALL Fed. Workers are ” DO-NOTHINGS”…and you very well may be & work with good fed workers, but can you really say, ALL Fed. Workers ARE doing a good job? I don’t think so.
People are expressing their unpleasant experiences in dealing with some Govt’ Employees , the ineptness or even arrogance, who are paid more than the average worker, who work without the added pressure of “ losing their job” for lack of performance, productivity or respect for the people they are THERE TO SERVE.
There is “ NO HATERAID” going on here for the Gov’t Workers, but on the same hand, it is dispicable for the average person who PAYS the Gov’t Workers Salaries, to be treated poorly and/or poorly served, one the backs of TaxPayers, who without them, the Gov’t Worker would not have a job.
Even YOU, wouldn’t continue to employ OR PAY a person who did not perform to expectations. As you indicate the pride in the workers at your workplace have excellent work ethics, degrees, and security clearance that ” average joe’s” like us CAN’T PASS…says you are ONE-UP on the lower qualified that YOU are there to SERVE…yet are paid by the LOWER QUALIFIED.
So, all that is being said is, those with Excellent Work Ethics, Degrees and Security Clearances SHOULD serve WELLl, in spi
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:04amIf you were to die today, would you go to Heaven?
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:27amMinimum wage workers might do a better job than the bunch we have in there now.
Ever heard the expression “You get what you pay for?” Well our government is out-of-control expensive, and the quality of its product has never been lower. We the People are not buying it anymore.
There’s a big wind of change coming up in 2012. It’s high time that big government went on a major diet!
Democrats and liberals are not giving America its moneys worth. You liberal-progressives could use some ethics too!
Report Post »http://www.neuezeitgeist.wordpress.com
Git-R-Done
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 4:33amThese government workers work for the taxpayers.
Report Post »LION4JESUS
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 2:32amPay them all minimum wage from the President all the way down as they are supposed to be paid, this is the compensation the Constitution grants to public servants and pencil pushers…Government jobs are and WERE never ever to be a career unless you are MILITARY……Career politicians is an oxymoron or should I say very moronic. How did we ever allow this to happen….oh yeah sleeping Americans allowed democracy to happen in our history past…democracy was forbidden in th eFore Fathers eyes, why because it causes slavery of all kinds….hmmm many Americans forget the old Political posters of Lincoln’s time and the crimes of Andrew Jackson and Johnson and we put these slavery racists on paper money, no wonder people want to buy gold and go back to the gold standard hmmm…American you better wake up and vote for those persons for a Constitutional Republic again…..or otherwise be a slave still……..at least help us free ourselves…
Report Post »Erabin
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:10am“no wonder people want to buy gold and go back to the gold standard hmmm”
No, that‘s because people don’t understand how incredibly stupid and impossible that would be.
Report Post »GadsdenPatriot
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 2:17amWith the amount of work they get done, who will notice the difference?
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 2:03amI wish that Mr Christie will run for President .
Report Post »Freedomspatriot
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 1:38amAll federal employees should be made to account for their time spent on all projects and achieve an efficiency rating to keep their job and get a paycheck every week. Preform or get fired without unemployment pay as the rest of the tax paying public has to do.
Report Post »Erabin
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:05amThe difference between you and me would be that I’d strive for better working conditions for private sector employees instead of trying to drag the public sector down to my level. Fight FOR your own privileges, not against the privileges of others.
There are no winners in a race to the bottom.
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