MPS Survey to Begin Soon for Federal Employees

July 31, 2016

The Merit Systems Protection Board has announced that it will be conducting an MPS survey in a few days’ time. The survey would be based on different topics and it would be conducted in stages so that the federal employees do not feel pressured. The MSP Board is seeking help from the agencies for better participation. The survey is not conducted annually but it is a great platform for feds to voice their opinions on crucial matters.

Federal Employees Get a Platform to Voice their Opinion

The MPS survey would allow the federal employees to share their views on how fairly they are being treated at work. They would also get a chance to highlight the workplace issues and their thoughts on the issues. The topics on which the employees can share their opinion vary from fair treatment to harassment and from addressing poor performance to non discrimination. It also involves topics like recruitment and retention as well as HR services.

The Survey

The survey would be named the 2016 Merit Principles Survey. It will be conducted in the months of July and August. It would gather the opinion of about 120,000 federal workers. This survey is not done annually. This survey is also sent out in smaller samples. This time, the survey will be sent in three versions. Each of these versions would include different topics. The survey is divided into versions because the Board wants to reduce the demands on federal employees and agencies.

The Difference

The MPS survey is different from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Office of Personnel Management because it focuses more on human resources policies, human resource practices and merit system principles.

Seeking Support

The MSPB had informed the agencies and major unions about the survey beforehand because it wanted them to help in making the survey more successful by increasing the employee participation in it.

The Results

The results of the survey are shared with the Congress, the President and many other federal decision makers. The aim of sharing these results is to ensure that only the effective and merit based human resource policies and practices are being promoted in federal agencies. This survey to help federal employees voice their opinions has been conducted regularly since the year 1983. It is a vital part of the statutory oversight responsibilities that need to be fulfilled by the MSPB.