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OPM director calls for regulatory reforms, announces work-life pilot programs

By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com May 6, 2009

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry said at a Tuesday reception kicking off Public Service Recognition Week in Washington that he will move quickly to remove unnecessary regulations and work with the Interior Department and the General Services Administration to create a model series of work-life balance programs at the campus the agencies share in Foggy Bottom.

"If you don't burn out prairie grass, new grass can't come back," Berry said at the event, sponsored by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. He pledged to undertake a "controlled burn" of "a lot of rules and a lot of red tape."

Berry said he wanted to act swiftly to remove regulatory barriers that prevent federal retirees from returning to the agencies where they worked to help with specific projects, and to eliminate rules making it difficult for agencies to retain talented interns. He also called for changes so veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will be able to find jobs that suit their skills and interests in agencies outside the Defense Department.

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In addition to pursuing regulatory changes, Berry said he intended to institute dramatic changes at his own agency, beginning with an ambitious reform of work-life balance programs. He said he would give OPM's current work-life programs a grade of D+, "maybe, if I'm being generous."

Berry said OPM would work with Interior and GSA to create a set of model programs for the 7,000 employees who work at the three agencies' headquarters, which are located within blocks of each other in Washington. His goal, he said, was to turn the three workplaces into a "utopia" within 12 months.

Though he did not detail in his remarks the pilot programs he intends to set up, Berry said in an interview afterward that he expects to begin by improving the quality of a health clinic that serves the agencies.

The approach Berry outlined would mirror his approach to work-life balance programs as an assistant secretary at the Interior Department during the Clinton administration. In that position, Berry held a series of town hall meetings to determine employees' needs and based on their suggestions, upgraded the department's cafeteria and health clinic.

The initiative also responds to priorities set by First Lady Michelle Obama, who urged a focus on work-life programs during a visit to OPM in April, and concerns expressed by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, about the internal management of OPM at Berry's confirmation hearing in March.

"I think the best way you can help other agencies is to get your agency working in terms of management and in terms of employee satisfaction so you can use your agency as a role model," Voinovich told Berry. "You're going to have to spend the next couple of years shaping that joint up."

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  • See "Linda's comment back in May. We have waited 3 years for our QDRO to be processed. my former husband (one time dir. of DC OPN Office!)and I have been told time and time again that there is no file for us ...that "you have been told what to file" and yet we have receiived several document stamped by OPM and or signed for by OPM. This has caused us considerable financial and emotional distress. Letters in Oct have brought the following response per my former husband:'two letters arrived from OPM. One is dated Oct. 26 from the retirement division, and (can you beleive this!!) they claim """"they need an official copy of the court order and property settlement with an official seal from the court. They claim we were informed to do so, and until they get it they can't implement the court order."""" (How many times are they going to lose it!!!) A second letter (Oct. 28)came from the IG investigation office and they say they are investigating the complaint and will report to us. Maureen C. Gavin Posted November 7, 2009 1:57 PM
  • Spouses and family of DOD workers should be allowed to use gym facilities on board base to encourage exercise and health. Currently they can only come escorted by the ID holder namely me which rarely works with conflicting schedules. Spouse and children I.D.'s should be issued to allow them to use the facilities. The whole family’s health matters because they are all under the Federal Health Plan and better health results in lower cost. jmk909er Posted October 30, 2009 10:13 AM
  • I may be wrong but I've noticed that GovExec strips comments after some grace period. One of those posts contained a nugget of wisdom that most in the working world know very well: It's not enough to "urge" or "encourage," if change requires forcing executives to act, then that's the path to take, not the path of least resistance. There is a despicable culture of ennui and complacency that has created frustration, inefficiency (and ineffectiveness), and yes, corruption. Instead of yanking out banners and posters that are nothing more than modern-day smoke-and-mirrors, let's work toward efficient, responsible and accountable government. Many of the contributing factors--couldn't resist the ol' NSPS Performance Appraisal Application term--involve the payback system known as political appointments. Organizations in dire trouble need leaders who are intimately knowledgeable about the organization's policies, operations, and practices. Get a clue, political appointees: No one asked for "role model" this or that--it seems nothing more than a marketing scam that just won't go away--but we do ask for a government that responds effectively to the tasks assigned to it. Having compassion for employees is just "normal" management; what we have now is a crop of super-ambitious (than you NSPS) egomaniacs that give even sociopaths a bad name. Jackson Richards Posted May 12, 2009 8:22 AM
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