Most Responding Officials Were Satisfied with OPM’s Assistance, Guidance, and Information Sharing on Work/Life Programs

		OPM’s Office of Work/Life/Wellness Provides Assistance, Guidance, and Information to Assist Federal Agencies in Addressing Work/Life Programs and Issues

OPM officials describe OPM’s Office of Work/Life/Wellness as a source of  assistance, guidance, and information that agencies may use to develop  their own work/life programs. As shown in  figure 1, of the 33 agency officials who responded to our survey, 24  indicated that OPM’s assistance, guidance, and information sharing greatly  helped or helped somewhat in implementing work/life programs. Another  six agency officials indicated that OPM’s assistance, guidance, and  information sharing helped in some cases and hindered in others. We also have previously  recommended that OPM disseminate federal agencies’ leading practices in  human capital programs to help agencies recruit and retain their  workforces. We also surveyed agency  officials about the effects of their work/life programs on employee  recruitment and retention. However, while OPM has developed a health and  wellness pilot program based on discussions with private sector  representatives, it has not yet shared information about private sector  work/life programs with federal agencies. ive “shared work/life campus”
Although OPM used information from the private sector to develop the  WellnessWorks program with the goal of implementing it across the  federal government, OPM has not shared with federal departments and  agencies information about other health and wellness programs, or other  work/life programs implemented in the private sector. Managers at four of the seven companies we spoke to indicated that the  work/life programs instituted by their companies had had a great or very  great effect on recruitment, retention, and productivity. While OPM has limited its collection and evaluation of  federal work/life programs to only a few, some federal agencies are  independently tracking and collecting work/life program usage data on a  wider range of programs such as alternative work schedules and employee  assistance programs. Sharing data among agencies on the effect of work/life programs  on agency-intended goals could be helpful for agency decision making in a  budget-constrained environment. OPM officials said that they did not track  or maintain an inventory of these evaluations nor review these  evaluations. OPM’s Office of Work/Life/Wellness has met with private sector company  representatives to examine private sector health and wellness programs  and the leading practices used to implement those programs, however the  office does not systematically collect information on other private sector  work/life programs. Recommendations for Executive Action

We recommend that the Director of OPM, working with the CHCO  Council, identify the resources, steps, and timetable necessary to complete  the following three actions:  (1) track on a more systematic basis information already being  collected by individual federal agencies on their work/life  programs, such as program usage data and evaluations;  (2) evaluate the results of work/life program surveys conducted by  leading private sector organizations, as stated in OPM’s 2010-2015  strategic plan, that could help federal agencies as they implement  their work/life programs; and  (3) provide the information from both the public and private sectors,  including other comprehensive evaluations produced by academic  institutions, state entities, and other organizations, to agency  officials—through available avenues such as the CHCO Council  and federal executive boards—that could help them address  work/life program issues and determine if the work/life programs  are meeting their agencies’ goals. Our requesters  asked us to determine the extent to which  (1) OPM provides assistance and guidance to federal agencies for  establishing and enhancing work/life programs;  (2) OPM or the federal agencies track, evaluate, or refine work/life  (3) OPM has identified leading practices in the private sectors for the  implementation of work/life programs and shared this information  with federal agencies. Office of Personnel Management: Key Lessons Learned to Date for  Strengthening Capacity to Lead and Implement Human Capital  Reforms.
Why GAO Did This Study

To improve its ability to recruit and retain federal employees, agencies have implemented a wide range of work/life programs, such as flexible work schedules, child care, and employee assistance programs. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plays a key role in guiding federal human capital initiatives, including the implementation of work/life programs. As requested, GAO determined the extent to which: (1) OPM provides assistance and guidance to federal agencies for establishing and enhancing work/life programs; (2) OPM or the federal agencies track, evaluate, or modify work/life programs; and (3) OPM has identified leading practices in the private sector for the implementation of work/life programs and shared this information with federal agencies. To do this, GAO reviewed OPM policy and guidance; surveyed 40 federal officials--20 Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) and 20 work/life managers; and interviewed officials from seven private sector companies recognized for the quality of their work/life programs.

What GAO Found

OPM's Office of Work/Life/Wellness is available to federal agencies to provide assistance, guidance, and information as agencies develop and implement work/life programs. For example, OPM has established formal working groups, sponsored training for agency officials, promulgated regulations to implement work/life programs, and provided informal guidance to agencies that address issues related to these programs. Of the 33 agency officials who responded to GAO's survey, 24 indicated that OPM's assistance, guidance, and information sharing greatly helped or helped somewhat in implementing work/life programs. Another six agency officials indicated that OPM's assistance, guidance, and information sharing helped in some cases and hindered in others. OPM tracks and collects information on a few work/life programs across the federal government, including health and wellness programs which it recently began tracking in response to a White House initiative. Some federal agencies independently provide OPM with evaluations on other work/life programs. However, when asked, OPM officials said that they did not track or maintain an inventory of these evaluations nor review these evaluations due to the lack of time and available resources. Tracking, analyzing, and sharing information among federal agencies on the effect of work/life programs on agency-intended goals could be helpful for individual agency decision making in a budget-constrained environment. To follow up on the White House health and wellness initiative, OPM held several meetings and conferences with representatives from private sector companies to discuss their health and wellness programs and the effect of these programs on recruitment and retention. Although OPM has developed a health and wellness pilot program based on some of the information obtained from these meetings and conferences, OPM has not systematically shared with federal agencies other information about the private sector's health and wellness programs or other work/life programs. GAO also interviewed officials from seven private sector companies recognized for the quality of their work/life programs to identify leading practices in implementing private sector work/life programs. Private sector officials from four of the seven companies that GAO interviewed indicated that their programs have been effective in increasing employee job satisfaction, resulting in improved recruitment, retention, and workforce productivity. Systematically collecting and disseminating information on the implementation and evaluation of private sector work/life programs could help federal agencies compare their work/life programs with leading practices in the private sector.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that OPM assist agencies in implementing their work/life programs by more systematically tracking and evaluating data on the implementation and evaluation of work/life programs and sharing this information with federal agencies. OPM agreed with GAO's recommendations and suggested technical changes which GAO has incorporated as appropriate.