This (Washingtonpost.com) article caught my attention, probably because I'm a relatively new federal employee myself. More than a third of the federal employees polled in a recent survey indicated that they were considering leaving their jobs (only half of those through retirement within the next three years).
While 64 percent were satisfied with their pay (odd, that, considering that my government pay is significantly less than what I was making in the private and even the not-for-profit sectors), and 68 percent were satisfied with their jobs, "[o]ther results were less encouraging, officials said. For instance, fewer than half of all employees said they are satisfied with the recognition they get for doing a good job, with only 30 percent saying awards programs provide real incentives for workers to do their best. Moreover, only 27 percent of employees said steps have been taken to deal with poor performers. And only 36 percent said the leaders in their organization generate high levels of motivation among workers."
