A recent report by the CBC has pegged the cost of federal public service absenteeism at $1B per year. According to the CBC story, the average public servant is taking 18 days a year in sick leave, double what their private sector counterpart does in that same year. While the story does discuss fairly obviousRead… Read more »
In many ways, the government contractor community is in a state of uncertainly with pending budget cuts in this austere environment. When reading the news, it often feels like Henny Penny is doing all of the reporting and the outlook is very dire. But is the sky actually falling? Market Connections will be releasing thisRead… Read more »
Here’s a terrific checklist of questions managers should be able to answer as they undertake a consolidation of infrastructure or management functions. It is buried in a new report by the Government Accountability Office. Sometimes GAO does terrific work but couches it in ways that its value may not be immediately obvious to busy readers.Read… Read more »
What a rough past month it has been for public servants from across Canada. All told, around 12,000 notices have gone out to public servants represented by the Public Service Commission. Personally, I am unaffected by the recent job cuts. During these tough times, it is hard to not feel survivor’s guilt as the processRead… Read more »
Social Connect via: With the release of the federal budget on March 29, 2012, a sigh of relief could be heard all across Ottawa as the full extent of spending cuts and lay-offs were revealed. The cuts to Departments were lower than expected with most Departments being asked to find 5-6% in savings with variationsRead… Read more »
Social Connect via: For public servants across the world and more specifically in Canada, austerity measures being introduced by their governments represent a threat to their livelihood. Public service has traditionally been viewed as a cushy, secure job with wonderful benefits. Public service is not the most well paid job but the job security andRead… Read more »
With budget crunches for the foreseeable future, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson says “Tough budgets should trigger innovation, not fear.” And for many government leaders, innovation means transformation of their work and their agencies. The IBM Center has released a leader’s playbook for guiding transformation. The IBM Center report, “A Leader’s Guide to Transformation: Developing aRead… Read more »
Two new reports out this past week focus on tools and techniques for agencies to cope with the new fiscal austerity they face in years ahead. One is by the Partnership for Public Service, the other by the Government Accountability Office. They are both worth reading because they focus on smart ways to make cutsRead… Read more »
We know federal government shutdowns are rare occasions. What we don’t know is every exact federal government service that we Americans can live with and without and what we may be better off with and without. So the shutdown, as much as I don’t like the idea of being furloughed, presents a rare opportunity forRead… Read more »
In today’s Federal Diary, Washington Post Columnist Joe Davidson makes reference to Federally Employed Women’s recent publication “Federal Workers Keep America Running: Every Hour of Every Day”. http://few.org/docs/FederalWorkers.pdf What’s your take on Feds Keep America Running? This just scratches the surface, but provides food for thought on the services feds provide that so many AmericansRead… Read more »