Labor management challenges in the public service industry
The Government Accountability Office has reported a skills gaps in key areas like cybersecurity, acquisitions, and STEM; the “retirement wave” is only compounding the problem. Recruiting new talent is faced with a myriad of obstacles, including budget restraints, competition from the private sector, and a resistance to change outdated processes that alienates the younger workforce. Employee retention is also suffering, with attrition rates growing each year.
Agencies are dealing with the consequences of being unable to properly staff each department. An excessive reliance on overtime has led to cost overruns and overworked employees, while assigning unqualified employees to fill posts has led to fines and poorly completed jobs.
Areas of opportunity
- Automate previously manual administrative processes so that employees can focus more on their department’s mission work
- Control overtime distribution with automated processes that distribute OT hours equitably and track individual employee hours
- Attract and retain employees by offering a mobile app that lets them be more engaged with their schedules, while still ensuring staff is allocated accurate amounts of leave to facilitate more efficient scheduling
Compliance concerns
- Federal and state regulations on job certifications that need to be accounted for at the point of scheduling
- Minimum staffing requirements for each department to reduce idleness and operate as leanly as possible
- Complex union contracts detailing overtime distribution, break rules, and other scheduling stipulations
