Federal workers are quitting their jobs for much the same reasons that private workers are leaving their employers. Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images
Money May Not Be Federal Workers' Main Motive For Quitting
The reasons driving federal employees to leave government service, and other pay and benefits news.
A lack of respect in the workplace and no opportunities to advance may be bigger drivers than low pay for people choosing to leave the federal government, according to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
MPSB analyzed its own survey data after reviewing the results of a Pew Research Center survey that focused on why people quit their jobs in 2021. The main drivers, according to Pew, were lack of respect at work, no opportunities for growth, and undesirable pay. The 2021 Merit Principles Survey asked federal employees about the three issues Pew identified as well as respondents’ intentions regarding quitting their jobs.
The MPS had over 25,000 respondents, with 12.2% of those surveyed saying they had “very high” quit intentions. There were three statements used in the survey, and respondents could agree or strongly disagree to the statements:
“My organization provides employees with opportunities for growth and development.”
“I am treated with respect at work.”
“My organization pays employees fairly.”
According to MSPB, having an opportunity to move up in the company decreased an employee’s quit intention score by nearly 50%, and strongly disagreeing on the growth option question doubled employees quit intentions to nearly 27%.
Strongly agreeing that their organization paid them fairly cut employees’ high quit intention to 15%, while strongly disagreeing increased high quit intention to 25%.
The answer to the survey question “I am treated with respect at work” is telling. Employees that strongly disagreed with the question had a high quit intention of 37.9%, according to MSPB, while those that felt they were treated with respect at work had a high quit intention of 6.1%.
In the end, MPSB found that federal workers are quitting their jobs for much the same reasons that private workers are leaving their employers.
How Next Year's Health Insurance Premium Increases Stack Up
Federal employees will spend an average of 8.7% more on their health insurance premiums in 2023 compared to this year, according to the Office of Personnel Management. This is the largest percentage increase in more than a decade. The following table shows health insurance premium increases from 2013 to now.
|
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Premium Increases (% increase from the previous year) |
|||
|
Year |
Overall Increase |
Employee Portion Increase |
Government Portion Increase |
|
2023 |
7.2% |
8.7% |
6.6% |
|
2022 |
2.4% |
3.8% |
1.9% |
|
2021 |
3.6% |
4.9% |
3% |
|
2020 |
4% |
5.6% |
3.2% |
|
2019 |
1.3% |
1.5% |
1.2% |
|
2018 |
4% |
6.1% |
3.2% |
|
2017 |
4.4% |
6.2% |
3.7% |
|
2016 |
6.4% |
7.4% |
6% |
|
2015 |
3.2% |
3.8% |
3% |
|
2014 |
3.7% |
4.4% |
3.3% |
|
2013 |
3.4% |
3.7% |
3.3% |