The House passed legislation Tuesday night aimed at boosting the morale of workers at the Department of Homeland Security, which has scored last among large federal agencies when it comes to the happiness of its employees.
Among other things, it would let the DHS secretary set up an annual employee award program, help DHS workers find ways to advance within the department, and create an employee engagement steering committee. That committee would work to “identify factors that have a negative impact on employee engagement, moral, and communications” within DHS.
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“This legislation … has received tremendous support from the labor organization representing the DHS workforce,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who authored the bill that the House passed in a voice vote Tuesday evening.
“My legislation sends a positive message to the DHS workforce that their contributions to the DHS mission are valued, and they have not been forgotten as they endure new stresses and challenges under the Trump administration,” he said.
A survey released last year said morale at DHS had improved, but that the department was still last when it came to employee engagement and job satisfaction.
Some conservatives have suggested that DHS workers weren’t happy under President Obama, who instructed the agency to selectively enforce U.S. immigration laws.
Passage of Thompson’s DHS MORALE Act sends the bill to the Senate.
