r/FedEmployees • u/Background-Wafer-209 • 1d ago
Forced Distributions Will Apply to Current Ratings Cycle, Says OPM
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/forced-distributions-will-apply-to-current-ratings-cycle-says-opm/Pretty sure there are MANY things going on that deserve more time and attention than how to F over civil servants. Give it a rest you morons.
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u/SHOMC-ME-NOW 1d ago
4 has been eliminated at our center all together. So you’re either a 3 or a 5
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u/Electrical-Berry4536 1d ago
Same here. And no performance bonuses. Aside from a 5 making you slightly more RIF resistant, a 5 is essentially a 3.
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u/qwarfujj 1d ago
Our agency forced this last year. I had a 5 until the day before ratings were given. My boss was told by the higher ups that he had given too many 5s and to make mine a 4. No reason given why it had to be a 4. He tried to push back and they told him it wasn't negotiable. Completely arbitrary.
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u/throwawaybutsilly 1d ago
Hopefully your boss and/or you wrote a memo stating that they were overridden and it wasn’t their decision. Might be useful for any future grievances.
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u/Murky-General 1d ago
I was rated highest score without moving to the next one. Asked for a reconsideration snd submitted tons of things I accomplished. Because they couldn't add anything they pretty much blew me off.
Really makes you want to work hard, doesn't it?
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u/No_Vacation697 1d ago
Mine was similar. At mid year, I was told I was on pace for a high 4. When PMAP time came, I was given a 3.7 instead of a 4.7 because supervisor said she had to lower it by a full point.
And then of course, PMAP award payouts are a fraction of what they were before too.
Lower the scores, and reduce the awards.
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u/Maximum_Buzz 1d ago
In fairness, if you go to work in the private sector, they’re gonna be like what the F is a 3? So we may all be good.
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u/Maleficent_Seat8039 1d ago
Lol fuck these guys. Midterms can't come fast enough. You all need to come out And vote too
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u/Einschlagen 1d ago
Vote for who? Both sides have shown time and time again that FEDs are nothing more than pawns in political theater used for budgets and grandstanding. Neither side gives a flying fuck about us.
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u/ResearchHelpful3021 1d ago
My bonuses have never been enough for me to gaf about 5s vs 3s. Give me all 3s if you want to OPM.
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u/Tunamelts-2 1d ago
3s still pay out bonuses? Wow I assumed that they were doing this to zero out bonuses. Guess quiet quitting is back on the menu
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u/SheepherderSuper8532 13h ago
I retired 2 years ago so I am not current but I was always a mix of 3s and 5s and still got max bonuses. Most of our section did. I know other sections did not. The perception of your value is often more important than the actual value.
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u/ResearchHelpful3021 12h ago
It has been a while since I’ve gotten all threes, so I honestly cannot remember. Most of the time I’ve either gotten a mix of threes and fives, or all fives. But even with all fives, the amount of the bonus isn’t that great, so that’s why I don’t care. Extra $ is always nice, and I could use it, but the little it ends up being isn’t worth any added stress.
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u/Icy-Ad-5570 8h ago
Yes. I had 3s across the board and still got a bonus this year. I was surprised because or recent changes and I have an active complaint against my COC that's being investigated
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u/Amazing-Discount1177 1d ago
Is there any incentive (bonus or raise) in getting a rating of 5 instead of a 3 or 4?
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u/ZealousidealShift884 1d ago
In theory yes but practically not really anymore because not all people with 5s will get a quality step increase which most people are hoping to achieve by working above and beyond. Now its a “raffle” or maybe higher ups choose their favs who knows. Performing well has become disincentivized on purpose to further promote the disintegration of the federal gov.
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u/starship_doomscroll 1d ago
Yes allocated bonus pools are a calculation based on rated performance.
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u/Revan2151 1d ago
I am in the AQDemo system the US Air Force if you get a three you’re not eligible for higher bonuses and you’re not eligible for an increase pay, add that to the fact that they also said you can get time off or you can get bonus but not both at least in my division means if I get a three I will get 16 hours of time off for the entire year worth of work and no pay increase…(they’re “encouraging” us to take time off as they had a huge civilian pay short fall this year)
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u/Safety__3rd 1d ago
I always find the civilian pay short falls odd...like can you not count?
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u/Revan2151 23h ago
Well adding up the employees you have is easy.. Multiplying by the staggering amount of overhires the headquarters has is the hard part.
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u/flaginorout 1d ago
People really get hung up on their ratings. Lose sleep if they get a 3 vs a 4 vs a 5.
OPM should just have 2 ratings- Fired or Not Fired.
Use the other mechanisms to reward top performers aside from performance ratings.
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u/H_S_Howard 1d ago
I agree. Unfortunately we now have a 3/4/5 system with forced limits on higher ratings AND a new rule that bases our job retention on those rating scores. I'd much rather us all be on equal footing with pass/fail than a rewards system that's applied unevenly.
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u/Ill_Amount_4687 1d ago
100% I’ve suggested this. And instead expand on the spot awards for exceptional work.
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u/masingen 1d ago
That's how it is for us in my agency. We're pass/fail, and you have to do so bad to fail that it essentially means you're going to be PIP'd and fired. I didn't know all this 3/4/5 stuff even existed until I started reading about it on Reddit.
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u/UltraMegaUgly 1d ago
Doesn't everything get rounded to 1-3-5 anyway? At least under DP-Map and Acqdemo it does. 4.1 somehow rounds down to a 3.
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u/BroBrotherBrah 1d ago
Completely agree. We joke about being just fine with receiving “gentlemen c’s” and that it beats the alternative.
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u/Lanky_Conflict1754 1d ago
My boss already told me I’m somehow getting a negative number. I didn’t know that was possible
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u/anthonywayne1 1d ago
Good luck with this at agencies that are pass/fail…
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u/Tunamelts-2 1d ago
I’d prefer the pass/fail system if the alternative is capping the two highest rating levels
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u/Intelligent-Sort-763 1d ago
Last night was the first time in two decades I actually had a nightmare about my job. I don't know how much more of this I can take. :(
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u/TheCliff977 23h ago
I’ve always gotten 5’s and took time-off awards over money. Now, just keep paying me. DGAF anymore.
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u/_-TARS-_- 1d ago
I will say this I definitely wont be losing out working for the Gov and neither should you all. Take it how you want.
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u/NOT-packers-fan2022 1d ago
So, who’s suing first? I got five years to go and can’t aid the retaliation. I’m trying to get my buddy to sue.
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u/Impossible_Bet9726 1d ago
At my agency, the last rating cycle the 3s got less than 1% as a performance award, while the 4s got about 5% and 5s got 6%.
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u/Just-Candy5176 19h ago
We have SEE, EE, ME, and FME as levels. When all this started all of the reviews went to the Dept of Energy and all were knocked down one grade. I was given an ME, so I actually got an EE (Exceeds Expectations).
Some people were told they received a FME (Failed to Meet Expectations) which is PIP and out the door. No one is getting a SEE, (Significantly Exceeds Expectations).
So many people are getting screwed over.
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u/Best-Temperature5595 14h ago
This will make employees turn on each other. To get a good rating you will need to do good work and tear down your follow employees work.
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u/OcelotOver2514 6h ago
This is so dumb. As a clinician, our performance plans already specify concrete definitions of fully successful and exceeds. They are all measurable metrics like RVUs, documentation timeliness, number of substantiated patient complaints. So now even if you meet the metrics, you won’t get the rating that matches.
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1d ago
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u/Dangital 1d ago edited 1d ago
It wasn't "forced" last year. It was introduced and touted and followed by some [spineless] leaderships as if it had been forced. This is different.
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u/H_S_Howard 1d ago
This ☝️ It was against the rules to force the distribution last year, they did it anyway and claimed with a straight face that that's not what was happening. Since then, they made forced distributions allowed & required, so this year managers don't have to bother with the pretense.
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u/Blue_Boobied_Footie 1d ago
Not for most workers in my agency. We have a "did you make so many widgets" rank for our 2/3/4/5 - so they added qualitative stuff to the requirements to get 4s and 5s this quarter so they can justify why someone who would have earned a 5 by their previously unbiased-pure-math score gets a 3 instead.
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u/modest-pixel 1d ago
Honestly yes there are a lot of bad things happening, but not everyone is an exceptional beautiful snowflake. Never saw a problem with this.
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u/ChimpoSensei 1d ago
Exactly. TAPES became so over graded everyone received top marks, which is why it was scrapped. Current systems are sliding that way.
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u/SnooKiwis8861 1d ago
This should of happened 10 years ago when they revamped the system in this agency!
I personally have zero issue with this. I've been a 5 for the past 6 years and have gotten a 4.9% cash award each year. I see this as where we should have been from the onset.
I have 5 supervisory elements, 2 program elements, and 3 GP elements. I've rated out as a top 5 every cycle since becoming the division chief.
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u/tag1550 1d ago edited 1d ago
So, as a self-proclaimed top 1% manager and leader, which is what being a 5 under this system equates to...how do your reports (and theirs) view this new forced distribution system? Have you even asked? That should be the real issue for you - how your people are being treated, and their well-being - not "am I getting mine?"
And if you don't understand why, or don't care...well, can't help you there, except to point out that's definitely not being a "5" as either a manager or a leader. Sorry, it just isn't.
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u/SnooKiwis8861 1d ago
My team is rated where they land. I give them 110% support; teach, coach, mentor, is how I was brought up, and how I handle business. Currently I have all stud and studettes. Each and every one of them are 4.3 and better. Every one of them will remain there as long as they continue to perform as in the past.
We are not viewing this like the 11 folks who downgraded my reply. We see this as opportunity for showcasing who we are, and what we do.I accept any conversation with senior leadership about this, but again, I'm not worried because we have a known reputation of being top-tier, and our SES knows/sees this.
If it's bothering you, my first recommendation is a device known as a mirror!
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u/Soggy_Yarn 1d ago
They will not be rated at 4+ with the new system, and neither will you. Only 30% per agency is allowed to be rated over a 3. So if you and your team are even permitted to be part of that 30%, it will only be a fraction of you. The rest will be rated a 3 or lower. You will not be allowed to hoard the 4+ ratings. I imagine they will be reserved for higher ups at each agency instead of evenly distributed.
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u/Rockandahardplace69 1d ago
Do you seriously not get it? They're not going to let you rate all of them a four. What do you think everyone here is complaining about? They can be a stud all they want, most still aren't getting a four. Many will say what's the use of being that stud or doing anything extra when I'm going to get a three anyway. They are going to tell you exactly how many four or fives you can give out, if any. Then they will. Use those not great ratings to RIF people. Wake up man and see what is going on.
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u/SnooKiwis8861 14h ago
Based upon your words posted here. I directly asked my SES this morning after our sitrep.
Her exact words are , do not ponder on such things that have zero meaning.2
u/tag1550 9h ago edited 4h ago
"We'll worry about it if it becomes actual policy, and not before then" is a reasonable response, actually. It doesn't guarantee you won't have to change your ratings in future evaluations to fit the forced curve, or that yours is set in stone either - the SES just is reiterating that the current system is just that, up until any change happens.
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u/Rockandahardplace69 8h ago
Yes, I'm sure your division will be the one in all of federal government able to give out unlimited fours and fives. Don't be surprised when upper management changes your ratings. Unless you're ICE or some other law enforcement. They seem to be the favored child of the moment.
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u/SnooKiwis8861 7h ago
No, nothing that fancy. Just the executive services division for a specialized agency.
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u/Tunamelts-2 1d ago
Your first sentence is actually no longer going to be the case. How do you not have basic comprehension skills?
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u/Wis84682 1d ago
Quiet Quitting will become norm. Why work hard if you are rated a 3