Women’s group backs personnel reform but urges caution

An advocacy group for women in the federal workplace this week offered measured support for governmentwide personnel reform.

Federally Employed Women, a private nonprofit lobbying organization, released a position paper on the Bush administration's draft Working for America Act Wednesday. The act, if introduced and passed by Congress, would institute pay-for-performance and market-driven raises, and would limit union influence.

At this point, it is still a working document, and no lawmakers from either chamber have said they would introduce it.

In its paper, FEW expressed support for the underlying notion of pay for performance, but pushed for slow implementation, separation of labor relations from human resources reform and preservation of workplace diversity.

"We support, in concept, a pay-for-performance proposal," FEW Vice President Rhonda Trent said. But, she added, "certain parameters must be met and included before any agency should move forward in implementation."

FEW's paper advocated putting governmentwide reforms on hold until similar personnel changes are implemented at the Homeland Security and Defense departments. Both departments have been stymied by union lawsuits and difficulties in designing a workable pay-for-performance program.

The organization also echoed a proposal made by the Government Accountability Office in October to split the bill into two parts, divorcing the labor relations elements from human resources.

"The federal government has acquired much more experience and knowledge about how pay-for-performance systems should be set up, and what works and what does not work," the paper said.

FEW said its constituents have "expressed concern" about workplace diversity under the proposal, and said the group's first priority is to ensure that a new system "include the spirit and intentions of the Equal Employment Opportunity laws."

To that end, the organization proposed adding a requirement to gather and analyze data on workplace diversity and its correlation with raises, bonuses and higher-paying positions.

"It is essential that we closely monitor whether compensation is becoming biased against women or minorities as the new pay system is implemented," FEW said.

In addition, FEW echoed the concerns of some other nonunion employee groups that its voice be heard in the development and implementation of any personnel reforms.

Office of Personnel Management Director Linda Springer said she welcomes FEW's input.

"I am glad Federally Employed Women is interested and took time to review the Working For America Act," Springer said. "I'm particularly pleased they are supportive of pay-for-performance systems."

While FEW does support pay for performance, the group expressed concern that performance-based increases will replace both across-the-board raises and performance bonuses. FEW is advocating a separate fund to keep bonuses intact.