Merit board wants to know if favoritism is fading

That's why MSPB is looking for feedback from government employees on how well agency supervisors are complying with merit systems principles.

"We recognize that managers must exercise some judgment when taking personnel actions, including selections, work assignments, performance management and providing for workplace flexibilities," MSPB said. "Unfortunately . . . many of today's federal employees suspect that the merit-based ideal remains elusive because too many federal managers make decisions based on their personal feelings or alliances and not on a more objective evaluation."

Under the merit systems principles that govern federal human resources activity, managers must use objective criteria, such as assessments of an employee's knowledge, skills and abilities when making hiring, promotion, pay or other personnel decisions. They are not allowed to show preference based on personal feelings or relationships with employees.

In a 2009 report, MSPB found that 72 percent of federal workers believed promotions were based on "who they know" rather than competence or hard work, while 70 percent believed some supervisors practiced favoritism. Progress has been made to increase fairness, but continued employee perceptions of favoritism decrease leaders' credibility, the integrity of personnel decisions, and the effectiveness of hiring, performance management and pay, according to the report.

MSPB starting circulating an online questionnaire on July 18 and will survey approximately 50,000 federal workers through Sept. 2.

While you are awaiting those results, click here to take our informal poll.