2018 Employee Viewpoint Survey

Introduction

In accordance with 5 CFR Part 250; Subpart C – Employee Surveys, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) posts annual employee surveys describing employee engagement and global satisfaction as well as leadership and management practices. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers the Annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), which measures employees' perceptions of the work environment. In partnership with the Department's FEVS Community of Practice, DOL's Office of Employee Engagement reviews and analyzes results to determine patterns and themes to identify DOL's strengths and challenges; communicate results to all levels and work units within the Department; provide guidance for the completion of Agencies' annual Employee Engagement Action Plans; and determine a DOL-wide engagement strategy for maximum organizational effectiveness and improvements.

The FEVS captures data on Employee Engagement, Global Satisfaction, and the New Inclusion Quotient (New IQ), as well as four additional themes: Leadership & Knowledge Management, Results-oriented Performance Culture, Talent Management, and Job Satisfaction.

DOL focuses on the following FEVS indices: Employee Engagement, Global Satisfaction, and a new Performance Culture Index comprising of three sub-categories: Training & Development; Performance & Recognition; and Communication.

Survey Administration, Sample Size, Response Rate

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administered the FEVS between May 3rd and June 14th to all eligible full-time and part-time permanent DOL employees onboard as of October 31, 2017, which was a total of 14,339 employees. Of those eligible to participate, a total of 8,075 surveys were completed – yielding a response rate of 56.3 percent, which was lower than the previous year's rate of 59.8 percent, but has outpaced the government-wide response rate for the last five years.

Demographics

Survey respondent demographics included:

• Location: 38.1 percent located in DOL headquarters; 61.9 percent located in DOL Field Offices
• Gender: 48 percent women; 52 percent men
• Ethnicity: 11.6 percent Hispanic/Latino
• Race: 70.5 percent White; 18.4 percent African American; 5.7 percent Asian; 0.9 percent American Indian/Alaska Native; 0.5 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; 4.0 percent Two or More Races
• Persons with Disabilities: 17.2 percent
• Supervisory Level: : 69.9 percent non-supervisor; 8.2 percent team leader; 13.9 percent supervisor; 6.2 percent manager; 1.9 percent executive
• Pay Grade: 0.1 percent Federal Wage System; under the General Schedule – 2.8 percent Entry Level (GS 1-6), 51.0 percent Mid-Level (GS 7-12), and 44.0 percent Senior Level (GS 13-15); 0.2 percent Senior Level (SL); 1.4 percent Senior Executive Service; 0.5 percent Other
• Federal Tenure: 17.1 percent 3 or less years; 34.8 percent 4-10 years; 26.8 percent 11-20 years; 21.4 percent more than 20 years
• Age: 3.6 percent 29 and younger; 21.6 percent 30-39; 25.6 percent 40-49; 32.7 percent 50-59; 16.4 percent 60 and older

2018 DOL FEVS Results

Overall results — DOL's 2018 FEVS results were generally slightly lower than its 2017 results. DOL's percent positive scores were higher than the government-wide average on 48 of total survey items.

Thirty-nine survey items were identified as "Strengths," with positive responses of 65 percent or higher.

Three survey items were identified as "Challenges," with negative responses of 35 percent or higher.

2018 Strengths: DOL's top five positive responses were:

• item 7: When needed, I am willing to put in the extra effort to get a job done (96 percent);
• item 13: The work I do is important (91 percent);
• item 8: I am constantly looking for ways to do my job better (90 percent);
• item 50: In the last six months, my supervisor has talked with me about my performance (88 percent); and
• item 12: I know how my work relates to the agency's goals (87 percent).

2018 Challenges: DOL's three negative responses were:

• item 33: Pay raises depend on how well employees perform their jobs (40 percent);
• item 9: I have sufficient resources (for example, people, materials, budget) to get my job done (38 percent); and
• Item 67: How satisfied are you with your opportunity to get a better job in your organization? (36 percent).

Comparison with 2017 Results — DOL's 2018 results show that 6 items increased since 2017. Of those, 2 items increased two percentage points or more. DOL achieved the highest percentage point increases on:

• Item 29: My work unit has the job-relevant knowledge and skills necessary to accomplish organizational goals (+8.0 percent); and
• Item 23: In my unit, steps are taken to deal with a poor performance who cannot or will not improve (+2.0 percent).

DOL's 2018 results showed a three percentage point decrease from 2017 in Global Satisfaction and a one percentage point decrease on the New IQ. In addition, the results showed a two percentage point decrease from 2017 in the Employee Engagement Index and its sub-components (Leaders Lead, Supervisors, and Intrinsic Work Experience) and a one percentage point decrease on the DOL Performance Culture Index and its sub-components (Training & Development, Performance & Recognition, and Communication).

DOL is proud of its sustained commitment to organizational improvement, and specifically to increases relevant to our mission on items 29 and 23. DOL employees remain steadfast in their dedication and teamwork to accomplish the Department's mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

DOL still seeks higher positive responses from its workforce and continues to implement strategies toward improving communication, training and development, leadership, and performance and recognition within each agency. DOL will continue to work diligently and collaboratively to identify opportunities for improvement, address employment barriers and workforce concerns, and foster an environment of excellence that supports all of our workers and allows them to contribute to their and our Department's fullest potential. DOL will continue to use survey results to support the development and implementation of ongoing improvement strategies.