S.359 - Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
The Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act of 2025 proposes a 5-year pilot program to implement a performance-based pay structure for certain federal employees. The goal is to enhance productivity, accountability, and employee satisfaction within the public service. The program would apply to GS-11 through GS-15 level employees and senior-level positions in Executive agencies, with participation rates between 1% and 10% of eligible employees per agency.
Expected Effects
The Act would likely lead to changes in how federal employees are compensated, with a greater emphasis on performance metrics. Employees exceeding expectations could receive significant pay increases and bonuses, while those not meeting expectations could face pay reductions and be required to participate in additional training. The program aims to improve government efficiency and service delivery.
Potential Benefits
- Increased Productivity: Performance-based pay could incentivize employees to be more productive and efficient.
- Enhanced Accountability: Clear performance metrics and evaluations could lead to greater accountability among federal employees.
- Improved Public Service: Better performance could result in improved services for the public.
- Potential Cost Savings: Increased efficiency could lead to cost savings for the government.
- Employee Satisfaction (High Performers): High-performing employees may experience increased satisfaction due to recognition and rewards.
Most Benefited Areas:
Potential Disadvantages
- Decreased Morale (Low Performers): Employees who do not meet performance metrics may experience decreased morale due to pay reductions.
- Potential for Bias: The evaluation process could be subject to bias, leading to unfair outcomes.
- Gaming the System: Employees may focus on easily measurable metrics at the expense of other important tasks.
- Increased Administrative Burden: Implementing and managing the program could create an additional administrative burden for agencies.
- Opt-Out Concerns: Agencies opting out due to national security or public safety concerns could raise questions about transparency.
Most Disadvantaged Areas:
Constitutional Alignment
The Act appears to align with the Constitution's broad goals of promoting the general welfare (Preamble). It does not appear to infringe on any specific constitutional rights. The establishment of performance metrics and pay structures falls under the authority of Congress to manage the federal workforce (Article I, Section 8, which grants Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers).
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).