Honey, I Shrank the Federal Workforce

There are at least 18 levels of GS employees.
The sole reason for most of the middle levels is to supervise those under them. The theory is that one person can only supervise 6 to 8 people at the most.

So if the ranks are thinned, then fewer mid-level supervisors are needed. The ranks should be further thinned.
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The limit of supervision to 6 or 8 people is pre-technology. Given computerized reporting systems and admin systems, it the number of people a supervisor can handle is now much larger. Flatten the org charts. Have each supervisor over twice or tree times as many as before.
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Cut the beltway jobs far more than the regional jobs. As beltway jobs are cut, shift the remaining work tot he regional offices. Cut the beltway below a critical mass level.

Every little bit helps.

What is the average total Compensation cost for each Federal Employee, $150,000 a Year?

For each 10 gone, $1.5 Million bucks a year saved. Well, if they Retired we’re still on the hook. LOL

“.... There are at least 18 levels of GS employees ....”

That hasn’t been true since about 1975. In the Carter era, they created the Senior Executive Service and removed GS 16 - 18 from the GS schedule. The theory to do so, was to create a corps of cracker jack management whiz kids armed with all the modern management techniques. This corps could be moved from agency-to-agency where they could apply their management acumen to solve problems. Has it worked? Do pigs finally fly?

All it has done is create a “mandarin class” with its own internal culture removed from their local agency workforce cuture. It’s evolved to where its primarily concerned with its own aggrandizement and well-being. Government protocol-wise they’re flag ranks.

“Reducing the federal bureaucracy is an excellent overall goal, but to do that intelligently, one has to reduce the mandates those bureaucrats serve.”

In my experience this is very true -— in the longer term. However, you can generally reduce something on the order of 5-10% and never miss a beat. Then you start examining what the organization is supposed to be doing and establishing staffing levels accordingly.

"Now, let’s get 100% of the Education Department employees(?) to quit..." LOL! That would be a great start!

Fed unions have screwed us over.

One of the few things I sorta agree with FDR.

The desire of Government employees for fair and adequate pay, reasonable hours of work, safe and suitable working conditions, development of opportunities for advancement, facilities for fair and impartial consideration and review of grievances, and other objectives of a proper employee relations policy, is basically no different from that of employees in private industry. Organization on their part to present their views on such matters is both natural and logical, but meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the Government.

All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations.

Reading over this, this just hit me between the eyes. If all president today talked like this most American's would go HUH! We have so gone backwards. Thanks DoE!

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