Federal Managers Association
Press Release
- FMA APPLAUDS COMMITTEE PASSAGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE ACT - February 10, 2016
Alexandria, VA - Following a 2014 Government Accountability Office Report, lawmakers discovered the federal government spent more than $3 billion on salaries of employees on administrative leave from fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2013, despite no uniform standards covering this leave. As a result, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced the Administrative Leave Act, S. 2450, which defines administrative leave and how it is to be used in order to promote an effective federal workforce. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the committee of jurisdiction, passed the bill on February 10, 2016. The Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Patricia Niehaus made the following remarks on the legislation.
"During my tenure as National President of FMA, I repeatedly commented to Members of Congress that managers need to know how to manage. By calling for the commonsense reforms found in the Administrative Leave Act, this legislation ensures that managers throughout the federal government are able to address poor performers and create a productive work environment across federal agencies and departments. Managers need to be able to make a decision on an employee in a timely manner. By providing clear time lines and definitions for administrative leave through this legislation, managers can make better decisions for the workforce.
"I am grateful for the bipartisan work of Senators Tester and Grassley, along with Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) for their support. FMA worked closely with these elected officials to ensure the legislation addresses the problems federal managers have seen with administrative leave in the past and how it can be properly used to create an efficient and effective federal workforce. I look forward to the full Senate passing S. 2450 and for the House to take up these needed reforms of administrative leave."