Pay for Performance

Sep 06 2010
OIG Blog Category: Labor 105 Comments

What’s the best way to encourage good performance? Employers have always struggled with this question. One answer is to pay employees based on how well they perform their jobs. Many private sector employers have adopted pay-for-performance (PFP) programs, and several federal agencies have also experimented with PFP. Some federal PFP programs have operated successfully for many years; others have been more controversial. Last year, Congress terminated a PFP program at the Defense Department. Employees complained that the program was arbitrary and lacked transparency. Clearly, designing a successful PFP program is not always easy.

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The Postal Service adopted an annual PFP program in 2003. PFP is the only source of annual pay adjustments for Postal Service non-bargaining employees. Employees and their managers review targets and expectations at the beginning of the year. During the year, managers provide feedback to employees through mid-year performance reviews. Then, at the end of the year, employees receive a rating.

For most employees, the rating is based on a combination of their individual accomplishments and how well certain targets have been met by the unit, district, area, or the Postal Service as a whole. The employee’s position determines the choice of targets included. For example, the rating for a postmaster of a small Post Office would be based on factors such as how well Post Offices in his or her group met revenue and expense targets and how well the district met delivery performance goals.

The Postal Service’s PFP program has won awards and been cited by other organizations as a model to emulate, but there have been some criticisms. Some of the factors on which an employee is evaluated may be outside the employee’s immediate control. Given the Postal Service’s current financial condition and the drop in mail volume, it can be difficult for even high-performing employees to receive an increase.

What do you think? What makes for a good system of rewarding performance?

This topic is hosted by the OIG’s Risk Analysis Research Center (RARC).

Please remember we do not post comments that contain vulgar language or include the names of individuals. See our Comment Policy for further information.

Comments (105)

  • anon

    PFP IS A STRAIGHT SCAM! Friends of friends rate their "clicks" higher than other supervisors who have been performing an excellent job for years! Supervisors who started 3-12 years AFTER ME have received HIGHER PFP ratings than me AND WE ARE ALL SUPERVISOR DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS in the SAME PLANT! The difference in pay ranges from $1000-4500 annually. OIG: Please look into this! The rating system of SDOs doing the EXACT SAME JOB is unethical, biased, and illegal. STOP PFP NOW! STOP PFP NOW! PFP is a straight SCAM! Systematic way to suppress "certain SDOs" pay! 44101needs to be SHUT DOWN!

    Jul 31, 2017
  • anon

    The USPS grades supervisors unfairly and based on who's liked and who's not. For example, there are supervisors who perform the same job, started 10-15 years AFTER me and their base pay is higher than mine, and we are both Plant supervisors. Also, there are supervisors who started the SAME TIME AS ME and make $2-4,000/year more than me. I hate working for this biased organization. There is so much nepotism, favoritism and racism that is it despicable. They create a phony "NPA" system that is designed by man with false indicators strategically designed to SUPPRESS YOUR PAY! Again I hate this biased organization that hires family and friends and promotes their buddies all while ignoring educated employees with stellar records who may not "fit their criteria" because they are not in the "click." I have postal documents to prove everything I am stating. They are available upon request.

    Jul 31, 2017
  • anon

    I almost guarantee the Rockville Centre Post Office (11571) is running a scam to boost revenue. Two years ago they changed their procedure and no longer put annual PO Box fee bills in individual mailboxes. Now, with as little as a two week notice, they put cancellation notices in the box, of course along with the accompanying fee for re-instatement. For the last two years, even though they talked me into an automatic credit card payment, they have been cancelling out my PO Box, then say no one is around to wave the penalty fee for non-payment. No right!!! It is an obvious money grab. My best guess is to get higher bonuses, probably tied to higher revenue.

    Jul 11, 2017
  • anon

    The "PFP" program in the USPS doesn't. Management's decisions are based on how much their bonus will be. There are always people willing to do less work for more money, so the mngt sector won't dwindle. In the end it's the customer who ends up feeling the pintch, either through bad service or no service (and repoccusion for the workers writing in with a comment or complaint).

    Apr 13, 2017
  • anon

    PFP is the biggest bull crap i ever heard! Because of the carriers they still have their jobs, its a circus! Its modern day slavery. Nothing but lies and patronizing fake personalities! No wonder why there is more carriers leaving the USPS than coming in!

    Aug 11, 2016
  • anon

    Pay for performance?!?!?!? The SUPERVISORS LIE about the numbers so the carriers are skipping breaks and running all day so the SUPERVISORS can get paid for performance?!?!? Exactly who is doing all the performing??????? So glad the supervisors are given incentives that they don't deserve!!! They aren't walking in the rain or falling down in the snow to make fake times...they are sitting in their nice warm and dry office waiting for their bonus!!!

    Nov 24, 2015
  • anon

    Pay for performance, ha! Would someone like to tell me why they are paying new PMR hires more than PMR's and OIC's that have been employed for years????????

    Aug 28, 2012
  • anon

    My experience has been that poor performers are not dismissed, they are transferred. I have seen TV documentaries where some employees slept in their trucks while on duty and others drove drunk. They suffered no consequences. I have ongoing problems with packages stolen from the post office. Management's response has been a verbal shrug, i.e., "That's the way it is". Management can't or won't take effective action. No one seems willing to rock the boat. It is not surprising that the USPS is in debt; if a private business were run the way the post office is run, it would have gone out of business a long time ago. It is time to start firing people. Get rid of the incompetent, lazy or corrupt employee whether management or staff. Improve security so that crooks are caught and prosecuted (and dismissed). If there is not a fundamental change the way the USPS is run, then let it go out of business.

    Aug 23, 2011
  • anon

    this creates greed which in turn causes fraud in changing paperwork and hiding mail in trailers which is done at North metro mail facility.

    Apr 05, 2011
  • anon

    Pay for Performance can positively transform and organization or it can create chaos. It has to be very well thought out beforehand and the program’s development needs to incorporate all parties involved. We have over 15 years experience with developing PFP systems at Labor Performance and have seen them completely transform organizations’ results and employee morale. We find that the key to success is goal alignment. The pay incentives have to be for results that drive success to the organization. The programs that we have seen that have failed are when employee incentives are not fully aligned with the organizations goals, and in some cases, even inversely aligned. Needless to say those programs did not last long.

    Jan 25, 2011
  • anon

    Goals, goals and goals!! Nothing wrong with goals but when employees in administrative offices whether district or Area is looking to make goals to get pay raise, they do not provide sources to the management in the field. I see it first hand especially the ones who were hired after I was and making more money at the same level. These people could not supervise or manage the post offices they were in but these people send threatening emails CC boses just so that they can make their goals and get pay raise. When us supervisors and managers in the field meet on our end of year, we are told that we did not make goals, well we do not control sources. What if postmaster gives you goal of 1700 carriers off the street but refuse to hire carriers needed. What if boss gives you the goal to reduce workhours on the retail or F4, ofcourse I would care less about the service, in turn less revenue. These kind of goals got nothing but management fired for falsifying in the past. Anyway, I do not know if there is a better system. I suggest OIG to listen to some of the telecons, and you will be surprised to how we get treated no better than slumdog.

    Oct 19, 2010
  • anon

    I BELIEVE RE-EVALUATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE IS A MUST AND AS FOR BONUSES, THE NATION WOULD AGREE IT'S UNREALISTIC AND DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

    Oct 09, 2010
  • anon

    The current PFP system has not been administered equally throughout the Postal Service. Each Area or District has its own criteria for setting goals, and the end result is that many employees are left with unattainable targets that they had no input in establishing. The narrative above states the intent of the system very well, but it does not address the reality of a system that funds offices with less hours than it takes to keep the doors open, etc.

    Oct 07, 2010
  • anon

    The program was designed as a fair system to reward good performance. It has been manipulated by headquarters staff so the Postmasters, Managers, and Supervisors who are the employees who are responsible for making everything work are not appropriately compensated. Goals that are set at the beginning of the year are adjusted so this group do not meet the goals at the end of the year. The higher levels are compensated because the original numbers are not moved for their merit. Many of the Managers of Post Office Operations either do not understand how to score the non-tangible core requirements for Postmasters or they are instructed to downgrade scores for these items. The past 5 years has demonstrated a disappointing trend in the lack of integrity at the higher levels. Regular manipulation of calculations and numbers to meet an end result however none of the documents are reality.

    Oct 02, 2010
  • anon

    EAS employees get rewarded for the hard work the employees do. Main problem though all to often only the 'pet' employee gets the award.

    Sep 30, 2010
  • anon

    Management employees should be paid by the hour same as craft employees. Their PFP makes management far too aggressive and confrontational with craft employees in order to get "their numbers" up. Management is not held accountable for the millions of dollars in grievances the USPS has to pay out for avoidable violations of labor contracts.

    Sep 27, 2010
  • anon

    We are not being graded as individuals in the PFP but as a unit. If you are going to create a system that is going to aim to motivate Supervisors to do their best do it fair across the board. You have hard charger supervisors and you have slackers that are nothing but dead weight and how is it possible that we both get the same rating. How can we be rated as a unit when not everyone is doing their fare share? PFP discriminates against who your manager likes or don't like. It is not applied fairly to all.

    Sep 22, 2010
  • anon

    The ratings were lowered illegally with no reasonable reason by the district manager, only an unreasonable excuse which was a lie. On top of that, the one goal that is rated locally, the communication goal, can be easily manipulated with lies and untruths, ie: 40 years in service, always been there for the office, served as OIC nearly 3 previous years, rated fy 2009 1 in communication out of a range of 1 to 15.

    Sep 22, 2010
  • anon

    The Post offices PFP program will never work as long as those that are managing it use it as a means to bully and intiminate those below them. On top of that its like hiting a moving target. Before a year is up they are either changing gore values or the percentages it takes to make them.

    Sep 21, 2010
  • anon
    alsina

    it should be for everyone not only for management, and let them run the show of their station too.

    Sep 21, 2010
  • anon

    pay for performance, exfc,mar gar score all of these not based upon the basic postal service's main character which is the service to the public. the whole agency become like the profit based like private corparation . the post office don't have money to treat their employee with couple of burger and hot dog anymore, but they DO have maney for the bonuses and award for the postal management like pay for performance system.

    Sep 20, 2010
  • anon

    Hit the street and do some real contribution to moving the mail.

    Sep 20, 2010
  • anon

    I'd rather we went back to the original way it was - I saw ours marked way down this year - even though we made the majority of our goals. This has been the first year we've felt we have no ownership of our process. We've got area folks telling us how to run, how fast to run, etc. Scores haven't been sent out since Dec. Can't share info with our people, because we don't have any info. I've always taken a lot of pride in my job - but for the past several years have felt like the company has absolutely no respect for supervisors. I saw that this year in our NPA. I even noted in answering the goals I was given that we could not make them.

    Sep 16, 2010
  • anon

    I am a Postmaster of a level 15 office. It is a very busy office. Each year I have revenue goals set for me. I have been given less hours to do more responsibilities, service, etc. I have not had a "raise" in several years, because I have ranked as a "non-contributor". I take offense at that. I work very hard to operate my office the best it can. I provide excellent service to my community. I care about my office. In this tough economical time, people spend as little as they can when it comes to their mailing needs, They are watching their pennies, and yet I have been told in order for me to qualify for my raise I must make more revenue. I do not feel like this system is fair.

    Sep 14, 2010
  • anon

    The Postal Service's pay-for-performance system is an utter and complete fraud. The criteria are arbitrary and in many cases beyond the control of the person being evaluated, and have helped turn the "Service" (what's left of "service," at any event) into a chase-the-numbers game, no matter what the impact is on service to our customers. Our focus on making arbitrary numbers at all costs, rather than actually moving the mail, has harmed our mission, demoralized the management ranks, and speeded up the move by the public away from hard copy mail and to the internet. The only--and I mean ONLY--people who have benefitted from this fiasco are some upper level executives, who have been able to emulate their private sector counterparts to a limited degree by manipulating the system. The sooner we get rid of this boon-doggle and return to a system that allows a focus on actually moving the mail, and provides freedom to make decisions without micromanaging based on a desire to hit arbitrary numbers and secure someone's bonus, the better chance we'll have to save this organization.

    Sep 13, 2010
  • anon

    I am an OIG employee. It seems that the OIG has been attempting to change and refine it's PFP process, as it encounters the same pitfalls that has plagued the Postal EAS PFP system. To that end, I applaude the OIG. Unfortunately, the OIG has not been sucessful. The system is full of inequties, subjectivity, and gross violations of it's own guidelines. I have a very specialized job, yet I have been grouped together with. higher paid, and favored position employees, in such a way that I could never get a fair evaluation. My score has been created, based on Field Office scores. Those Field Office scores are based on goal criteria that I have no control over. I have been denied a fair score based on an arbitrary ceiling, again based on the low Field Office score of the previous year. This was, in fact a violation of the OIG's own guidelines. Are you going to challenge unfair treatment to a director or manager 2 to 3 levels higher than yourself, and take on faith that you will be heard and treated fairly in the future? Probably not. The PFP system was devised so that the hard working would be rewarded, and the favoritism and bias would be eliminated. As the world of computing has taught us, every security measure is followed by a hacker, trying to undermine it. Every attempt to help, can be exploited, especially those that are poorly thought out. I don't know if the system can be fixed or not. I do not think that it should be continually amended and overflowed with changes. That's what legislatures do to fix flawed legisltion, and we see what that gets us. Personally, I would be happy to go back to a GS style, where I got tha same as the next guy, and I would let the feedback I get from my customers be the reward for my extra efforts.

    Sep 13, 2010
  • anon
    Charles Patterson

    One of the things I did not mention on my original post is the "threat" factor that managers used on virtually every email communication describing that "failure could impact your NPA." Unfortunately, their threats ring hollow after they arbitrarily change goals during the year and at years end. The EAS is not even allowed to NOT participate as a result of the unfairness of the process without receiving discipline. This should be eliminated as a hammer over the EAS head. The other pertinent factor is the sham of NO PAY increase throughout a year. What system in the Federal Government punishes their management staff [team?] by having them forego a pay increase without it be denied as a result of discipline or documented poor performance? The last pertinent factor remains just as problematical are the times that an EAS falls behind the original goals [not to mention the flexes] they realize they will not be able to make it. Consequently, what is their motivation to continue to strive for a higher level during the year?

    Sep 12, 2010
  • anon
    Get Rid of the ...

    The Potter Business Plan did not work. All it did was create a bunch of $200K executives positions, but not employees to give customer service. No wonder customers complain the no body answers the phone. They are right. There is no one to answer the phone. There are a minimum of clerks to work mail in the morning, minimum carriers to deliver the mail plus take other routes to deliver, minimum clerks for the window counter and a minimum amount of supervisors to complete all the mandated "PROCESSES" the the $200K executives have created. The USPS is about DATA. There is no service or humanity. All the upper leadership promote sheep people, that will cut down every one in there path, except for the girlfriends/boyfriends that they are promoting. That's right, this is what is happening. Upper Management is running ramped with POWER. An nobody is doing anything about it. Not the OIG, not the Postal Inspection, not Congress. Numbers are manipulated to make goals and then those people get a promotion. It a joke. If you are honest and have integrity with your numbers you get demoted. But is anybody checking to make sure this is not happening. Of course not, because the cheaters and liars are also given better budgets and more people, resources to make sure they look good. Every one else is just given enough to fail. Everyone knows this is happening. Thats why we are not allowed to see other offices data. We would be able to collect the evidence against all the cheaters and liars, (which are the upper leaderships boyfriends and girlfriends.

    Sep 12, 2010
  • anon

    The overall tone of the comments indicate that the PFP program is a big failure. Here is a solution that each one can personally achieve and feel better about instead of bitter. To all the posters, visitors and EAS: If for all your hard work you have been underrated or worse received a zero, retaliate. Work at the commensurate level awarded instead of chasing your tail.

    Sep 12, 2010
  • anon

    How can there be pay for performance when there is no performance!! Absolutely no accountability to begin with , given instructions from the next level of no performance who received instructions from the next upper level of no performance , etc .

    Sep 11, 2010
  • anon

    As a military veteran and 32 year Postal employee, I have never seen a more dishonest and unfair pay raise system. Despite an unblemished record of outstanding performance and high ratings, I have received the lowest possible raise for several years and an actual zero raise last year, despite meeting all of my goals and being an excellent performer. To add insult to injury I was also discriminated against by an unscrupulous evaluator. I have been saying for years that PFP, even when administered correctly, potentially allows the worst supervisor in the USPS to get a 12% pay raise and the best supervisor zero. This is possible because much of your rating depends not on what you personally achieve but on what the larger performance cluster or assigned functional entity achieved. This is beyond the individuals control. PFP was designed to prevent the individual evaluator from having too much influence to unfairly rate an employees performance, since the rating is derived from a variety of factors and not just one opinion. This system however has proved to be even more prone to evaluator and upper management abuse since giving someone a 0% raise no longer requires documented justification as it did under the previous system, and arbitrary rating ceilings are imposed. The only fair pay system is a step within grade as we previously had, which allows for pay raises over time unless documented poor performance, or exceptional performance deems otherwise. This type of system works for the USPS craft, the Postal Inspectors and most other GS except for the many of us EAS employees who are the victims of PFP fraud.

    Sep 11, 2010
  • anon

    The PFP is a defective system that allows upper management to arbitrarily change goals mid-year, lower scores for Communication, thereby reducing the overall rating of the individual, etc. The service should go back to the step increases for management. Folks that I supervise in the craft are making more than I am with no headaches, micromanagement, or being berated by superiors. In addition, no goals are attainable, especially workhour goals. There is no way that I can make a workhour budget that only allows for 86% of my base workhours. If people just come to work (as they are required/expected to do) my budget is blown - just like my chances for getting a raise. Entirely unfair!

    Sep 10, 2010
  • anon

    The system is a sham. Friends pay friends and it is the truth. I can make my goals only for the final numbers to be changed so I did not make my goals. Others make the goals and receive raises. If I'm making my goals at mid year they change them so at the end of the year I fail. I'm at the end of my career and have lost income that I actully earned, the numbers on my PFP were changed to take it away.It has a long snowball effect. Social Security less, Thrift plan contribution less, retirement income less. Why has no one been prosecuted for this fraud?

    Sep 10, 2010
  • anon
    Robert E Baggesen

    The system is unfair when you could make your goals they got changed or your score was lowered had 2 different pooms say if you challange this in recourse remember it comes to me first!!!! I was put on a detail for 3 1/2 months in a level 20 office by myself minus the 2 supervisors, worked 72 hrs a week and got paided for 40 and of course we dont want you working off the clock but NO T TIME if you did'nt worked 6 days at 12 a day you would be in trouble for leaving 40 plus with no management. PS I recieved no raise that was my reward but all upper management got one.

    Sep 10, 2010
  • anon

    I am a Postmaster of level 15 Post Office in a small town. I care very much about my office. I have a busy office but I have not been able to reach the goals set for my office, and therefore I have not received a pay raise for the past two years. I was not consulted when the goals were set for my office. I have been given less and less hours to operate and it just can not be achieved, and of course I am expected to generate more revenue each year. I can not drag people in and force them to buy more than they can afford to spend. I think that the pay for performance is very unfair!

    Sep 10, 2010
  • anon

    Managers are complaining about not receiving their PFP bonuses? They are call the system unfair and that the rules are changed mid-stream. Wow! welcome to the world of the rural carrier. Every year for 2 weeks, our mail is counted to determine our pay for the following year. It amazes me that the managers who conduct our counts are crying foul.Part of the goals set for the PFP surely include reducing salaries of the rural carrier.Have a postmasters salary set by counting for two weeks out of the year, how many times they answer the phone, wait on a customer, read a service talk. etc.Make sure that it's the slowest time of the year and make sure to change the rules governing the count every year.My heart bleeds for the postmaster's PFP program. Stuff rolls down hill... and unfortunately the carrier is at the bottom.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    Management doesn't follow their own rules (no face to face meetings, assigning goal instead of collaborating on them, arbitrarilly lowering scores and of course the blatant favoritism).

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    The PFP process could have worked well if there had not been "ORDERS" from upper level management (HQ, VP's, DM's, etc) to keep the payouts low. How do I know? I was told so by a DM. This system is commonly called a bonus and it isn't. We gave up COLA's and step increases for it. One way or another, it needs to get fixed.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    This system is broken. We are given unattainable budgets. Your budget is flexed no less than quarterly. This program was not to be based on numbers. That is all that it is and if you happen to make your number your manager comes along and knocks you down during your so called reveiw. I have written the same goals for the last two years no one reads this stuff. It is all about pushing you to get it done so your manager can pass it off to the next manager. IT IS A JOKE!!!

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    PFP has not worked since the inception. Nobody really understands it. Reviews are not true reviews, they are just we have to get this done. Goals are arbitrary and never discussed properly. They also change month to month with flexes in our budgets. Some goals are unattainable. The measurement system for things like delivery confirmation are not accurate. I cannot stand it! horrible system.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    Simply put, PFP is easily manipulated by Senior Management. How can you go from getting a pay increase, then nothing at the stroke of the District Manager. Someone who does not know me from a hole in the wall. Lets just go back under the Federal Government and all be placed on the GS pay scale with timed step increases.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    So OIG inspectors... What are you guys going to do when 95% of people think this program is a fraud? We are sick and tired of being treated like... you fill in the dots. Craft employees calling PFP a bonus make you look like bunch of ... so stop calling it bonus.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    The first year of this, everyone of us were broght into the office and told we were ALL being given the same goals so as to foster a team environment. Funny how that with the same goals, every person in that plant that year got 8%, except me and one other, whom only got 3%. No explanation other than it was ordered from above, and no recourse either. Since then, I have had my scores arbitrarily lowered and seen the goals change midstream when it looked like they might be met. Last year, one goal that was landing in the exceptional category for 11 months suddenly became a "4" at the end of the year. Right now, I have had NO increase for 2 years. I don't expect to receive one this year either. I came back from a detail and was forced to accept (no discussion) goals that are IMPOSSIBLE to attain. Meanwhile, the pets (good-ole boys) somehow manage to get good scores, even though I see their offices show up on reports all the time as underperforming. There needs to be a more fair, objective way to do this.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    This is the first time I've ever publicly said anything about this occurance. June 2004. Everyone was trying to protect the country's National assets. My specialty is telecommunications ET 2. 30 years wireless Civil Defense (doing wireless long-long before wireless was a household word. I was assigned to producing a Continuity of Government (COG) plan for my Agency. I around spent six weeks creating this (COG) plan. (all very "hush-hush) I found enough of holes the security of the campus system, if it were a combat platoon protecting turf, an enemy could have driven an entire division thru it, and nobody would have noticed. My boss badgered me about my assignment. So I submitted the progress of my work to him. Within several days later he had the IT Manager of Information Systems delete the work from the server's. When I questioned him in his office, as to the status of the work, he replied "I had it destroyed, it would make "us" look bad." I resigned several weeks later. He and the Bureau Director got their bonus's though... Take that, and stick it up you're PfP!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    Too often, management will purposely neglect work and fudge numbers in order to make their numbers look better just to receive a nice PFP bonus. This system is flawed... it needs some sort of checks and balances.

    Sep 09, 2010
  • anon

    This program is no longer valid. It lost the faith of managers when scores were changed. When goals were no longer selected. When core goals were changed mid-year. When employees who participate no longer have faith in a program it loses its ability to be effective. This program needs to be replaced with steps again. Why should a manager never reach the top level? Please ignore craft employees who have no idea what PFP is and still call it a bonus. Also remember at one time it was offered to craft employees and refused.

    Sep 08, 2010
  • anon

    It is a known fact that the past couple of years people who reached their goals had their final rating dropped by upper management in the districts. Appealing a lower rated score did nothing for the majority that challenged their lower ratings. The worse part is that everyone knows that the decision to reduce ratings came from above the field level (Area offices) but nobody will come forward and say they were instructed by those at Area offices to keep the ratings lower.

    Sep 08, 2010
  • anon
    Charles Patterson

    Congress should remove this unmitigated failure from off of the backs of EAS. There are five reasons this process does not work: 1) The "flexes" of the goals throughout the year causing the EAS to constantly chase a moving target. How unfair. 2) The obligation to meet at the goal setting, mid-year and year-end with the manager is non-existent. Therefore, realistically reaching your goals is virtually impossible. How unfair. 3) The range of the goals is ridiculous as there is not a determinate gauge of the difference between the scores. How is a 5 any difference between a 7? How unfair is that? 4) The process was arbitrarily lowered last year even when as flexes wrecked havoc on goals. The NPA/PFP is extremely complex and does not lend itself to basic understanding of how to achieve year setting goals and how to find the scores, much less as they are flexed. How unfair it that? 5) The eRecourse process is too difficult and convoluted and most supervisors did not use it. This appears that the USPS counted on the process being so difficult that they knew that not many EAS would apply. That is criminal and how unfair is that? 6) The process is too subjective and unfairly applied. I work in the Bay-Valley District of the Pacific Area and there is much gnashing of teeth by both front line supervisors and postmasters. 7) The goals should be jointly applied by local NAPS, League and NAPUS in conjunction with local management. That would prevent the Voice of the Employee scores being tied to PFP. Particularly, when the union leaders are recommending that their employees either do not participate or score their supervisor in the poorest light. Another by-product of the VOE is that EAS are untruthful with their working conditions and their senior management because it would have an adverse impact on their PFP score. How unfair is that? 8) The PFP was never set up as a "bonus" system. It is not fair that a supervisor "hiding" within a group, does nothing extraordinary, yet receive the same category score. How is that fair? This process causes manipulation of the numbers and the unethical chasing of scores at the expense of service to customers and a disservice to rewarding the hard working members of the craft that also deserves to be recognized [I am not confident that the unions will ever allow anything by mediocrity]. Unless the management association are permitted by the USPS to have policy setting input instead of the consultation being a "take-it-or leave it proposition Congress should scrap it and replace it with the same process that other government agency employ. The credibility of the public most trusted government agency has been soiled with the debacle of 2009. Simply, it does not work.

    Sep 08, 2010
  • anon

    We have not been rated on what we actually did and in many cases the PO would not accept in certain areas or goals at the beginging of the year even though they were something we could select. When we did make goals and showed the numerical scores they still used other things like "You made your goal but you didn't make your budjet" when the goal was not predicated on the budget. Honestly the real problem with the NPA is that it make the higher ups only focus on THEIR goals and I see them forgetting about servicing the customer. I'm old school PO and believe that comes first. Lastly, every POOM, Plant Manger, etc were affraid to buck their District Managers instructions to lower the scores and POOM's and Plant Managers told me that in one on one honest conversations. Thanks for listening!

    Sep 08, 2010
  • anon

    I apologize for the grammer in a previous blog but after a long career as a clerk/carrier/204-B/OIC/Postmaster my eyesight is not getting any better. My memory is still top notch and I know who did who and who stuck it to who and now who will be feeling the wrath of their abuses and missuses. What goes around almost surely comes around and upper levels of management are going to be paying dearly for failing to be truthfull with all of the lower levels because from what I have been reading they have kept the lower levels in the dark long enough. These blogs open up meaningful avenues of communication between those levels of management that have been trying to do the right thing for the good of the Postal Service(not THE COMPANY) and the American public and have been bullied and put down and made non-contributors long enough. They work hard, are involved in their communities(and alot are even known by their local communities), are involved with their management organizations and are hard working take what the upper levels say as being honest and truthful and have produced record levels of service year after year. These same hardworking Americans are slowly coming to understand that most POOMs and managers at the district level have used bullying as a replacement for their lack of knowledge and this has hurt the Postal Service worse than the recession. While these cowardly bullys take pride in their performance it has been at the cost of many a single mother or older woman or some other weak natured but hard working postmaster or manager that they know needs a steady paycheck and they have the power to make it go away or impede it. The management associations are no different than the unions and I know this from first hand experience. Your problem managers have no use for unions or the management organizations and most never belonged unless it was to keep their jobs. The pay for performance has futher enhanced this problem by creating an atmosphere that creates distrust and deceipt among all levels of the Postal Service and until it is abolished and we go back to building individual budgets and action plans that involve honest and accurate accounting of workload and involvement of those tasked with proving exceptional service to the American public corruption and abuse will abound. When good men stand by and do/say nothing treachery prevails. Let's hear from 40,000 managers who honestly care and who are a part of the backbone of the Postal Service because the backbone has more parts than NALC, APWU, etc if you get my drift.

    Sep 08, 2010

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