Transportation Security Administration employees have a hard time getting their workplace concerns addressed, despite several agency initiatives, contributing to low morale and one in six screeners quitting their jobs each year, and potentially threatening airline security.
TSA management at local airports hindered the operation of the Ombudsman, the Integrated Conflict Management System, and the National Advisory Council, three programs put in place to help employees address workplace issues, and TSA headquarters has not been effective in implementing the programs, according to a report (PDF) from the inspector general released last week.
“By not successfully addressing such longstanding workplace issues, these proactive programs may provide false hope and have the unanticipated effects of heightening employee dissatisfaction and further undermining morale,” the report states. “Given their frustration, employees may be distracted and less focused on their security and screening responsibilities. These factors could in turn adversely affect TSA’s overall transportation security mission by increasing turnover and decreasing workforce stability.”
What longstanding workplace issues? The report gives some examples:
Some employees at one airport said that ongoing workplace issues, such as a hostile work environment and the inconsistent application of TSA’s standard operating procedures, were a major contributing factor to low employee morale, despite reporting these concerns to the Ombudsman during a prior site visit. . . .
The Ombudsman visited another airport in 2005 and 2006, and reported low employee morale, insufficient time allowed for employees to meet TSA’s weekly training requirement, fear of managerial retaliation, and favoritism in promotion practices and disciplinary matters. During our visit to this airport in 2007, employees said these same issues remained a significant distraction. . . .
Some employees we interviewed said the individual designated to respond to concern forms did not sufficiently address the issues raised, was too closely connected to management, or sometimes failed to handle the forms confidentially. For example, employees at one airport said that concern forms, even when marked confidential, were discussed in meetings and shared with the workforce. . . .
At two airports visited, the collateral duty Integrated Conflict Management System Coordinators said they did not have sufficient time during regular work hours to perform the key Integrated Conflict Management System-related duties, such as tracking the status of employees’ workplace issues, conducting workforce outreach, or regularly participating in monthly Integrated Conflict Management System Coordinator conference calls.
At one airport, the FSD [Federal Security Director] and a member of the airport’s Human Resource staff reportedly reprimanded an employee for communicating with the Ombudsman about an issue. The employee reported the reprimand to the Ombudsman, who contacted the FSD to express displeasure with the FSD’s action. The employee was allegedly reprimanded again for the second communication with the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman finally resolved the matter with the help of the airport’s Area Director.
At another airport, several employees reported that a screening manager was taking the names of employees as they entered focus group meetings. A screening manager also reportedly advised one employee being considered for a promotion that attending the Ombudsman’s meeting “was a career move,” implying that it could threaten the screener’s advancement.
The Ombudsman mentioned that some airport employees reported that they did not trust some of their co-workers present at the Ombudsman’s meetings and were less likely to publicly voice their viewpoints, for fear the information and their identity would be relayed to management.
Needless to say, the top brass at the TSA were quick to dismiss the concerns, even as they told the inspector general that they had already begun to address them.
AJ Castilla, a screener at Boston’s Logan Airport and spokesman for a screeners’ union, said in an interview Tuesday that conflicts with TSA managers are taking a toll. “With low morale, you can definitely lose your focus,” Castilla said.
But deputy TSA administrator Gale Rossides said that morale is “very good” and that screeners “are very much turned on” and focused on security. The TSA recently began training all screeners in improving interaction with airline passengers and is giving them new uniforms with badges aimed at getting more respect.
“We have areas to improve upon, but we also have made great strides,” Rossides said.
[TSA Administrator Kip] Hawley’s written reply accuses Skinner of “bias” because his investigators interviewed screeners at only eight of the 450 commercial airports, and those airports were picked because screeners there had previously aired complaints.
Hawley also seized on what he called “unclear” conclusions, noting that the report says screeners “may” be distracted. — USA TODAY
Sure, those bright blue uniforms with real metal badges are nice looking, but your average self-respecting individual is going to feel kind of silly wearing them, since the color was picked expressly to have a calming effect on passengers. One wonders what effect the uniform has on the wearer.
As for “very good” morale, Homeland Security, and TSA in particular, have been plagued with low morale since the agency’s inception. As I’ve noted before, much of the problem is that the agency has trouble attracting good management and getting rid of bad management. The management problem has contributed to Homeland Security’s overall failure to accomplish its mission.
If that’s “very good,” I’d hate to see “very bad.”
And the 17% attrition rate that TSA reported is appalling. The report also notes that employees at TSA file formal complaints “at rates higher than other federal agencies of comparable size.” These days, the growth within TSA bureaucracy is in offices and programs to handle employee complaints, both formally and informally. The report notes at least three new programs to handle workplace issues which weren’t part of its review. It seems the TSA has expended more effort in creating bureaucracies to handle workplace issues than it has in actually handling workplace issues.
As a result, TSA is one of the least likely places you’ll find employees who actually like their jobs. And because of this, your airport screener is more likely to be thinking about how management is screwing him over than about whether there’s a bomb in someone’s suitcase. At least now you know why so many of them seem to be in a bad mood.
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Russ
Jul 02, 2008
For what its worth, this attrition rate is not concerning to me. I’ve worked at automotive companies with 40% rates out in the factories. CAr parts still get made.
one in six quitting each year is not at all unusual.
We might like to thinnk that airport screeners are these highly qualified professionals, but they realistically aren’t. Better to compare them to the workers in a little cell phone store, or machine operators in a factory, retail clerks, or some other group that earns a comparable amount of money. Theswe groups experience 25% turnover easily. It simply isn’t a problem. Its common and not really indicative of worse-than-typical management.
And note: These comparably-paid groups of people do bitch. After all- life hasn’t turned out that well for them working for $12/hour (The salary for a screener, starts at $23,600). Ive been with $12/hour people in auto-parts companies adn listened to them bitch all the time. ITs not unusual for 12/hour workers to complain and have low morale.
With that salary at 23K/year they will be in a pissy mood. And they will from time-time find better pay elsewhere. Other industries can make it paying low wages- they have to train a constantly-revolving workforce. And it works.
That turnover isn’t a real problem. many companies experience that sort of turnover with similarly-copmensated people. They bitch in the hopes of getting more pay and perks.
Michael Hampton
Jul 02, 2008
Sure, in the private sector, 17% is normal, or even a bit low. For the federal government, where governmentwide turnover was 9.3% in fiscal year 2006, it’s atrocious. Remember, it’s the government, where employees have greater financial incentives to stay on.
As for the employee complaints, do you really think it’s all “bitching”? Did you even pay attention to what employees are “bitching” about? You’d probably “bitch” too if you had to work at TSA and deal with the incompetent management.
Bob
Jul 02, 2008
I think you and Russ are both right, Michael.
The bitter people who take a $12/hr job usually take that job because they aren’t qualified or able to get a better one. I’ve seen it first hand.(There are of course, exceptions.)
Very rarely does the thought ever occur to them to do a good job or try to better themselves in order to get a better job, or promotion, that deserves more pay. Instead, they usually gripe about everything, take advantage of every benefit that they can get their hands on and do as little as possible on the job because they feel they deserve more money.
If you combine that type of worker, with typical GOVERNMENT management and the despicable type of person that that position attracts, you just have a bad situation.
Once again, I’ll say that the problem here is today’s people. Workers and management. An individual can make a bad situation better or worse. The public education system, entertainment, media, government programs, and so on, all work together every new year to pump out a new crop of people with a built in herd mentality. They are completely self centered, driven only by material greed and physical and emotional satisfaction. They lack social skills, concience, pride, common sense, practical skills, empathy and/or any other quality that was once good in human beings. Qualities that put us at the top of the food chain in the first place and made any type of civilization possible.
The TSA is just a symptom of the big problem. Individuals are the cells of a society’s body. Put one under the micrscope and you’ll see what’s causing the disease.
teflonboi
Jul 02, 2008
I worked for tsa for 4 years. I am glad that I don’t work there anymore. Definitely a hostile workplace.
Russ
Jul 02, 2008
Michael, Bob, teflonboi
Lots of people in other industries have to work with moron management, for comparable pay. And yes they bitch about it too. I don’t see why TSA has to have such enviably low turnover rates or high employee satisfaction. They can get by & get their jbo done with less. I think the additional govt money, that would be required to better compensate all the rank&file, could be better spent elsewhere.
In case you hadn’t noticed: I don’t think most govt employees are sooooo f’ing special. F’ them. Let those whiners quit. They(TSA) can recruit more.
I read mor and it looks like he management really is that bad. Like so bad its beyond dilbert cartoons. How these management types ever graduated college is beyond me. I really liked the bit about reprimanding the worker for talking to an Ombudsman: that is EPIC stupid! Fixing their procedures to make it easier to get rid of bad management shouldn’t be that expensive.
Like bitter workers and management incompetence / stupidity interacting and feeding off of each other.
The TSA workers I saw&talked to when flying seemed OK. It just didn’t look like a hostile work environment.
But seriously, when you are paying full time people salaries too low to take care of their BASIC needs then they are not going to be focused and productive. They will have too many problems gnawing at their attention. They are going to be Bitchy. Stay in school kids….
llorgam
Jul 03, 2008
the full-time workers who move on are being replaced by part-timers; our part/full-time ratio is approaching 30% — that screener in the new blue uniform may have just come off a shift at McDonald’s and still worried about paying their bills, since their former good-paying job is in China now
Wilfly12
Jul 03, 2008
I work part time for the TSA at the 6th largest airport in the nation. In my full time employment I am management. I came to the TSA so that I could do my part after 9/11. I am former military, have two degrees. I have seen the TSA at its very best and at its worst.
When people bring this topic up I point out thet the TSA is a human machine, and as with all humans some times there are bad apples in the bunch.
If we add to that the fact that DHS is both an infant and an elephant There are going to be huge problems. DHS will be only 5 years old in November 2008. Toddlers make mis-steps periodically. However in this scenario the toddler is the largest department of the U. S. Govt. The growing pains in DHS/TSA are massive but can, must and will be worked out.
Potential Threat
Jul 04, 2008
When people bring this topic up I point out thet the TSA is a human machine…
As one of the people you’re supposed to serve, I don’t give a tinker’s damn if your organization is suffering growing pains. Screeners are the beginning of a chain of people who have every ability to prevent people from going about their business — in other words, exercising their rights as citizens. With that kind of responsibility, you don’t have room for missteps. You don’t have room to hire people who couldn’t be trusted with last Sunday’s funnies or who get off on the fact that they’ve been given a fake badge and a magnetometer and can lord it over others for no legitimate reason. I’m not saying you’re one of them, but as a regular flyer, I’ve seen enough of my fellow passengers run into enough of them. Every soul between me and the gate had better be very good at what they do, have a thorough understanding of the rules they’re charged with enforcing and have the ability to treat passengers with respect and courtesy even if they’re in a piss-poor mood.
Our government has almost completely forgotten that because of the freedoms we’re supposed to grant our citizens, we sometimes have to fight with one hand tied behind our backs. That means sometimes we get attacked, but it’s one of the things that made this country great. It’s my opinion that our elected leadership is doing everything it can to free up the other hand, and that includes letting you people frisk 80-year-old nuns in wheelchairs at airports.
–Po
P.S.: I’ve been through security at U.S. airports numerous times with my baggie full of dangerous toiletries tucked safely away in my briefcase and have yet to be snagged for it. What’s up with that?
Roland
Jul 07, 2008
Good.
Kelley
Jul 09, 2008
I fly all over the world from the USA. I have never had trouble with TSA employees. It’s really simple to follow the rules. I believe those that are upset, don’t fly often, or try to get past the rules. I would certainly be upset if I had to dump three hundred dollars worth of cosmetics in a barrel, because I chose not to follow the rules. TSA employees have a serious job to do. They deserve our respect and I feel safer flying when they are so careful about whats in my bags. Those that give them a hard time have apparent issues. Thats a high stress job. It’s not hard to wear shoes you can step out of. It’s not hard to check your cosmetics in your luggage. I don’t understand the problem.
I agree with the TSA part time employee, it’s a young agency.
Lets not forget why we have it.
John
Jul 15, 2008
Since screeners are hired under the Govt Affirmative Action Program (read quota system) is it any wonder they are not the sharpest tools in the shed. For instance, Blacks make up 12% of the US population but make up 47% of the screeners with hispanics also disportionate to their population. Its called reverse discrimination. Even white Iraq vets are turned away in favor of a “minority” with “waverabie convictions”.
Bob
Jul 17, 2008
SSSSSShhhhhhhhhh! Don’t speak these things! They are politically incorrect.
I was listening to a Waylon Jennings interview one time and he was talking about women’s equality, but his comments apply to everything.
His idea was that equality is something that either is or isn’t. If you have the power to grant someone equality that they can’t earn for themselves, they aren’t your equal. It’s as simple as that. Affirmative Action fits that description.
Truth is so brutal sometimes. It’s no wonder that those who speak it are frowned upon.
Bob
Jul 18, 2008
I think Waylon finished up by saying “I’m Waylon and she’s Jesse and that’s all there is to it.”
TSALead
Sep 12, 2008
I work for TSA. I started at 13.70 per hour and now earn 19.06 per hour. I earn 25% more on Sunday (23.82 per hour) and 10% more before 6am and after 6pm (20.96 per hour). On Sunday before 6am, I earn 35% more (25.73 per hour). When I work overtime on a day other then Sunday, I earn $28.59 per hour. I did receive veteran’s preference and I don’t think my fellow officers or management is incompetent. We do have our problems (like any organization) but this type of work is not for everyone and that is the reason I believe that people complain and leave. I plan on staying put. I enjoy my work and I believe the mission is important. I am satisfied with my pay and the benefits that I receive as a federal employee. I make more than I made in the service because there is plenty of overtime. I really don’t mind the fact that people leave because it provides many opportunities for overtime and advancement that benefit my family. I enjoy working with a diverse group of people. It has really taught me a lot about different groups. I had my misconceptions about certain ethnic groups and my opinions have changed. A lot of the people that I work with are professionals. They are good at what they do. Using our outdated equipment to find an improvised explosive device in a bag is not an easy job. Every person traveling has potential ied components in their bag. You have to make threat assessments in 30 seconds or less in many cases. If you screw up, lives could be loss. You have to do this day in and day out even though the one’s you are trying to protect, often verbally abuse you. We are tested constantly. If an elderly woman in a wheelchair comes through and says that she has a back brace. It is a good chance that the person is a tester and that back brace has a knife or ied concealed in it. A thick skin is required for this position. If you are someone who cares about popularity polls or what other people think, you won’t want to stay. But if you stay focused on the mission and realize the benefits of working for the government, there are many opportunities. People often joke about TSA workers, but some of my former coworkers are now Police Officers for local and federal law enforcement agencies. Some others work for the Veterans Administration, the FAA, the Census Bureau, ICE, Customs and Border Patrol. One of my former coworkers is now an investigator with the U.S. Secret Service. My coworkers include many military veterans and retirees (both officer and enlisted), retired police officers, former state and city government workers, and students. There is a lot of misinformation about the TSA and it’s workforce out there. There are people that I know personally that mock the job that I do. I let them mock away because they pay hundreds of dollars a month for health insurance (the ones who haven’t been laid off). I pay $70 for my family and with the overtime, I don’t do too bad. I am far from rich, but I don’t worry about losing my job. If I ever do, the military still needs people and we share the same retirement system. I will even be able to transfer my sick and annual time over. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the agency and the workers. Many employees think that the grass is greener on the other side and find out that in an economy like this, it is not.
Bob
Sep 30, 2008
TSALead. I’m not judging you, I don’t know you and have never met you.
I do find it interesting that every occupation you listed in your post is a government job. Your last line is true, but there is something you should think about.
In a free enterprise system, we can’t, and don’t all work for the government. The private sector pays the bills. When the grass isn’t greener in the private sector, we have a problem. Could you pay the kid who cuts your grass or your plumber or your mechanic more than you make in a year if you were their only customer? That’s what is happening with public employees and social programs. The math doesn’t work.
Good luck with your retirement plan.
Be 4 Real
Nov 07, 2008
TSA has a lot of old rotten apples in many leadership positions! Get rid of the rotten apples and the new apples will ripen and not rot with them.
TSA is the worst dysfunctional family I have ever seen and a bigger threat to our country than many others they have on their list!
Dec 18, 2008
Securing the homeland, one liberty at a time - Homeland Stupidity
Ryan Williams
Jan 12, 2009
I’m sorry but the excuse of using ” growing pains” is not acceptable. The TSA is an agency reposnible for the first line security and saftey of the AIRLINE PASSENGERS and its personel, with that in mind The TSA should have had its stuff together from the begining since it plays such a crucial roll. Perhaps its time to clean out the agency from top to bottom beacsue with low moral and bad labor practices something will give in the aspect of another attack happening.
Its time to clean house and revise the way the TSA does things.
Sylvio
Jan 12, 2009
The TSA morale isn’t too bad. It’s similar to any other job out there. The problem lies with the belly-aching posters on fringe forums that are disgruntled and unhappy about everything. Same old story….dump the leaders, hostile work environment, EEO, Lawsuit, blah blah blah. Someday they will realize that no one is listening.
Carl
Jan 12, 2009
I’m with you Sylvio. Bunch of crybabies.
Be 4 Real
Jan 13, 2009
Sylvio and Carl,
Come on are you guys/girls Managers? I know you have to look after your self, but even the MSPB report indicates that leadership is lacking. Don’t you support individuals rights and programs such as EEO? Lets not turn a blind eye to the problems and lets fix them.
Does it matter if others listen if they feel better, let them have their freedom of speech, you have yours.
Richard
Jan 13, 2009
Let’s stop all the bashing and let’s get the morale problem fixed! I stuck out the Olive branch and was the dove sitting waiting for it to be accepted to only to be sh** on by a big bird. The Low Morale in the TSA Office of Law Enforcement has most likely contributed to another FAM suicide. That’s what, one a year (6 since 2003) for how big of a workforce; although the actual number is SSI many news articles indicate a force size of approximately 5,000 or so as an average.
For you that deny that a morale problem exist tell the friends, family and co-workers of those who felt the need to take their life this Bull Sh** go ahead I dare you to issue a warm and fuzzy email telling them everything is alright. If any other agency had this rate of suicide people would be asking questions. The average rate of suicide within Law Enforcement is 18.1 per 100,000. Here we are talking 6 per 5,000 even if the larger estimates of 6,500 are right tell me a problem is not present.
I left the agency and yes I am not happy and bash the agency as they have and do me, and have been discriminated against (not believed but proven). I do not care if anybody listens MAYBE THEY SHOULD SART, I tell the truth and it is hard for people to face the truth. A hand full of people turned a good agency to one that has trouble operating on a day to day basis. I know Brown had good intentions and Bray has good intentions but their intentions will never be enough until a reshuffle happens within management and that means some of the cancer cells needs removed and a restructure happens on the ground.
Of course some of you will blame it on the front line soldier fighting the war on terrorism. I know change affects everyone, and if your not part of the solution your part of the problem should be a good one. Instead of acknowledging the attrition rate of the FAMS is very high and that with the limited budget to only hire and that the capacity to train 300-500 people every few years and I think one announcement said 50 is to be hired, it is hard to replace the number that have left at that rate and provide a quality work atmosphere. Essentially requiring less people to do more, creating even more stress for employees, with the messed up scheduling that still is not fixed and all the other false promises made to them in 02 to the present.
Lets stop the lies and deceit and fix the problems, Obama wants to create government jobs, put your request in for better funding now to ensure we have the best Air Marshal Service in the world. GOD Bless those working in TSA who are sincere hard working men and women who continue to serve our country with great dignity and respect regardless of the hardships placed upon them from the public and the management.
Security Theater
Mar 12, 2009
TSA is fake. The training is fake. The machines are fake. Their screening process is fake. It’s just a big show to calm the public. A big fake. And oh yeah! they hire drug dealers and pimps and spy on their own employees. They’re just a branch of the same Mafia that controls our government.
That’s why they intimidate and sabotage their employees. It’s a very sick place.
Evan
Nov 29, 2011
I have to add my two cents in regarding the fair points made about low wage workers and “bitching” and turnover. Poor compensation+repetitive hard work without incentives=unhappy poeple. Unhappy poeple=turnover. Unhappy poeple also equals inefficiency and poor service sometimes.
I did the TSA job for 6 years from day one I intended it to be a stepping stone after seeing it for what it was intendeed to be.
They took on a model of training poeple enough to apply a dumbed down tactic that works very broadly -so what if poeple leave -you haven’t invested so much you can’t lose poeple so -WHY NOT, let the leave -right? Well in 2001 we had a recession I was educated and skillled but out of work and inexperienced and just married. I took a job after my unemployement ran out, because it was a job. Being educated I was in a mix of poeple who were laid off and those who were lucky not to be at burger king.
I found it dissapointing to know I was not valued and because of this I was expected to concider myself lucky to even be there -such was the attitude. It was boring on a good day, and stressfull because poeple in management were like “made men” and had no accountability at all for the manner in which they behaved or delegated work.
The longer I stayed the harder it was to get back into the technical feild I had studied -and being compared to someone ignorant, stupid for my choice of vocation added further insult. Blaming me or other like me is a cop out from poeple who have never had a run of bad luck because it’s easy to assume that when you put effort in you will allways succeed and those who do not are scum who get what they deserve including being mad eto be expendable.
I did resign get back to work in my field after almost six years only to face another layoff -but I did learn my lesson ANY job is not better than no job. I take contract work now and continue to pity the guys who still work this thankless job only to be compared to Nazis by the press and other low minded poeple.