Feds are a committed group

Two new surveys give us the rap on how federal employees and managers perceive their work and telework. The latest Federal Human Capital Survey makes it clear, if it was ever in doubt, that federal employees value the work they do for the American people.

The study found that even though fewer than half, 49 percent, of the surveyed workers are satisfied with the recognition they get for doing a good job, nearly all -- 90 percent -- believe their work is important. The majority say their work gives them a feeling of personal accomplishment.

That's good because only 22 percent of employees see a link between performance and pay raises. But intangibles count too, and the majority, 78 percent, say they receive support to balance work and family. On Jan. 30, the Office of Personnel Management will release the agency-by-agency results of the survey. I'll be away so I hope you will tell me how your agency fared.

Meanwhile, the Telework Exchange and Federal Managers Association issued a survey this week showing how federal managers view telework. Not much is new, but it is the first survey to validate the idea we all had that managers who are reticent about telework want face-to-face contact. Managers who teleworked or supervised teleworkers were more favorable to telework.