New employee survey sheds light on National Park Service morale issues/Rebecca Latson file

Insights into morale issues within the National Park Service are contained in the latest Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which points to concerns with leadership as well as unsustainable workloads.

"We know we still have room for improvement," Park Service Director Chuck Sams wrote in an email to the field. "Some of our greatest areas for improvement are in addressing our workload, meaningful recognition, and pay. With just 47.2 percent of employees providing a positive response to 'my workload is reasonable,' we know that change is needed."

Staff at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility put a harsher take on the survey results, with Executive Director Tim Whitehouse saying Tuesday that "these latest survey results are far from a vote of confidence in Park Service leadership."

Pointing to instances when senior managers were judged guilty of serious misconduct by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General yet were promoted, Whitehouse added that, “[I]t is no wonder that most employees answering one survey question perceive their agency as a place where ‘favoritism’ is tolerated.'”   

Among the survey results from Park Service employees who completed the questionaire that stood out:

• 93.4 percent said "It is important to me that my work contributes to the common good."
• 85.5 percent said their supervisors treat them with respect.
• 85.1 percent said their supervisors support their need to balance work and outside life issues.
• 83.1 percent said they identify with the Park Service's mission.
• 36.6 percent were satisifed with their salary.
• 36.2 percent thought their workload was reasonable.
• 33.1 percent agreed that "senior leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce."
• 28.5 percent felt Park Service managers make "effective changes to address challenges facing our organization."
• 27.8 percent agreed that "arbitrary action, personal favoritism and/or political coercion are not tolerated."

In his letter to staff, Sams said the Park Service this year was "piloting a new program to standardize cash performance awards, with the goal of implementing the program across the agency in FY25."

Through better pay, more communications, improved housing conditions, and "360-degree assessments" for supervisors, Sams said "we are striving to become an employer of choice, where our people are treated fairly, and their skills and talents are rewarded."

According to PEER's reading of the survey, much needs to be done across the agency to reach those goals.

"Overall, little more than half (56 percent) of NPS respondents expressed satisfaction with the agency, while more than a third (36 percent) did not recommend the Park Service 'as a good place to work.' The level of employee approval," said PEER, "declined sharply when asked about top agency leadership:

• Nearly half (45 percent) doubt that 'senior leaders maintain high standards of honesty and integrity' and only slightly more than half (53 percent) express 'a high of respect' for senior leaders. Both these ratings were below those given by other Interior or federal workers;
• Less than half (44 percent) think their 'management makes effective changes to address challenges facing the organization' and most (55 percent) do not believe that NPS’ 'approval process…allows timely delivery' of their work; and
• Even fewer (40 percent) agree that leadership 'involves employees in decisions that affect their work' while barely half (52 percent) agree that 'information is openly shared' inside NPS.

"Notably, nearly one-third (32 percent) declined to agree with the statement that they 'can disclose a suspected violation of any law, rule or regulation without fear of reprisal,'" PEER noted in a release. "While a larger percentage (40 percent) were not confident they felt 'prepared...for potential physical security threats.'

"Perhaps the most negative result was the low percentage (41 percent) of respondents who 'believe the results of this survey will be used to make my agency a better place to work'," the watchdog organization said.

“Unfortunately, the current Park Service leadership does not see itself as part of the problem and therefore will not be part of the solution,” said Whitehouse pointing to the extensive employee outreach NPS conducted following well-publicized sexual harassment scandals only to let the supposed lessons learned, embodied in a report called NPS Voices 2018, languish with no follow-through. “Park Service employees have every reason to feel cynical.”