On the basis of data submitted by the 41 departments and agencies and our discussions with them, 77 individuals holding noncareer positions were converted to career positions during the 32 months from May 1, 2001, through December 31, 2003. These conversions were reported by 18 of the 41 departments and agencies we surveyed. The other 23 departments and agencies reported no conversions during thi

GAO noted that: (1) federal agencies have broad statutory and regulatory authority to design and implement a variety of incentive programs, including monetary incentives (such as performance and other cash awards) and nonmonetary incentives (such as plaques, trophies, and personal expressions of gratitude and support from superiors) to directly support their unique missions, goals, and organizati

GAO noted that: (1) each of the 9 private sector organizations that GAO reviewed implemented human capital strategies and practices that were designed to directly support the achievement of their specific missions, strategic goals, and core values; (2) GAO identified 10 underlying and interrelated principles of human capital management that are common to the 9 organizations and viewed as the foun

GAO noted that: (1) little progress has been made in improving persistent labor-management relations problems at the Postal Service since 1994; (2) although the Postal Service, the four major unions, and the three management associations generally agreed that improvements were needed, they have been unable to agree on common approaches to solving such problems; (3) these parties have not been abl

GAO noted that: (1) little progress has been made in improving the persistent labor-management relations problems that had, in many instances, resulted from autocratic management styles, the sometimes adversarial attitudes of employees, unions, and management, and an inappropriate and inadequate performance management system; (2) these problems have generally contributed to a sometimes contentiou

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed union activities at the Social Security Administration (SSA) and how these activities compare with other federal agencies, federal corporations, and the private sector. GAO noted that: (1) unions have significant involvement in operations and management decisions and union representatives use authorized paid time off to conduct their activities;

GAO discussed the administrative redress system for federal employees. GAO noted that: (1) the federal employee redress system is a complex and duplicative system that affords employees redress at three different levels; (2) the system is inefficient, expensive, and time-consuming because of its complexity and the variety of redress mechanisms available; (3) the system contains significant overla

GAO discussed some of the issues surrounding the future of the federal civil service. GAO noted that: (1) Congress has periodically updated its provisions in response to changing conditions; (2) reforming the current civil service system involves creating a system that meets the requirements of the current workplace and is flexible enough to respond to future demands; (3) private-sector employers

GAO found that: (1) the agencies have spent significantly more money on employee training and have used in-house training for at least part of their training efforts; (2) in-house training has resulted in reduced costs, customized programs, and credibility with employees; (3) increased and more direct communication between managers and employees has improved the flow of ideas, information sharing

GAO found that: (1) mail service in the Washington, D.C. area has declined in part due to an unexpected increase in mail volume; (2) labor-management relations in the Washington, D.C. area are among the worst in the country; (3) customer satisfaction in the area declined dramatically in 1994 because local units were unable to maintain mail service at previous levels due to employee shortages, poo