FEVS Reports Increased Federal Job Satisfaction During Pandemic

Despite sudden, far-reaching changes to how work is conducted across government due to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal employees reported increased job satisfaction and employee engagement in the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

The FEVS is conducted annually by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to survey the “organizational climate” of the federal government at large, as well as within individual agencies. The survey measures the perspectives of federal employees across job types, agencies and locations on a wide variety of topics, with a particular focus on management practices, policies and workplace experiences. For 2020, the FEVS was distributed as a census to all permanent and nonseasonal federal employees. Forty-four percent of the federal workforce, or 624,800 employees total, responded.

Results from the survey included a 4 percent increase in overall employee engagement over 2019 levels, with 72 percent of survey participants approving of agency leaders, direct supervisors and their overall work experience. Survey participants also reported improvements in overall work environment, rewards and recognition, and opportunities for professional development and growth.

Notably, participants were surveyed on workplace flexibilities and necessities related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use and availability of telework, personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks or gloves, and health and safety protocol training. Around 59 percent of federal employees teleworked every workday during the peak of the pandemic, compared to only 3 percent before the pandemic. Kathleen McGettigan, OPM’s acting director, cited flexibilities like telework as a key factor in ensuring that employees can remain safe and healthy while accomplishing agencies’ missions.

Most survey respondents noted that pandemic-related organizational support was readily available to them: 65 percent said expanded telework was necessary and available for use, 64 percent said PPE was readily available at their worksite, and 61 percent said cleaning and sanitizing supplies were present at their worksite. More than 75 percent of federal employees said their agency provided clear and consistent communication about organizational status and what to expect in their workplace moving forward.

However, despite improvements to job satisfaction and employee engagement, the survey reported that the pandemic disrupted workplace effectiveness in many areas. Of the respondents, 23 percent reported that the onset of the pandemic was either extremely or very disruptive to their ability to do work. Nearly half of employees, 48 percent, reported greatly or somewhat increased work demands brought on by the pandemic. Overall workplace effectiveness saw some declines during the pandemic but still managed to retain positive ratings. For example, 86 percent of respondents reported that their work unit met the needs of customers during COVID-19, an 8 percent decline from the 94 percent recorded pre-pandemic.