NEWS FOH AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
Storm Alert
Stress Lab
VOLUME 4
OOON87007
NUMBER 12
DECEMBER 1987
Storm Alert
As we move into the winter season,
employees should remember that
leave decisions will be made pursuant
to OMB policy through the EPA
Headquarters Personnel Office. In the
event that hazardous weather
develops overnight, you should
monitor local radio and TV broadcasts
for information before leaving home
in the morning. The options:
Federal Offices Open on Time. All
employees report for work on
schedule.
Delayed Arrival. All offices and
activities will be open, and employees
are expected to try to report on time.
However, because of the severe
weather, all employees except those
who are designated as essential
personnel may be granted a
reasonable excused absence (usually
up to two hours) for delays in
commuting. Employees may also take
a reasonable amount of annual leave
(or leave without pay) without prior
authorization. Supervisors will
determine whether excused absence
or annual leave is appropriate.
Liberal Leave. Employees may take
annual leave or leave without pay
without first having to obtain the
permission of a supervisor.
Early Dismissal. Employees, except
those designated as essential
personnel, will be excused without
being charged leave time.
Federal Offices Closed for the Day.
Employees, except for essential
personnel, will be excused from work
without being charged leave time.
Early dismissals will be staggered
according to OPM instructions in all
locations in the DC area (Waterside
Mall, Crystal Mall, Fairchild and the
Beltsville lab). EPA will designate
those essential personnel who are
required to remain at work;
Headquarters offices have been asked
to notify these personnel in writing.
Any questions regarding your role
should be directed to Headquarters
Personnel Officer Earl Price
(382-3266) or to your servicing Team
Leader:
Anne Magor (382-2973): Team
Leader servicing the Office of General
Counsel, Office of the Inspector
General, Office of External Affairs,
Office of Policy, Planning and
Evaluation, Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Monitoring and Office of
Air and Radiation.
Sharon Ellis (382-2952): Team
Leader servicing the Office of
Administration and Resources
Management.
Roz Simms (382-2986): Team
Leader servicing the Office of
Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
John Allen (382-2958): Team Leader
servicing the Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response.
Sharon Ellis (382-2952): acting
Team Leader servicing the Office of
the Administrator, Office of Water and
Office of Research and
Development, a
No More Stress
in the Lab
The struggling history of the
Headquarters Stress Lab took a
positive turn November 19 with the
opening of upgraded and expanded
facilities in the Mall. As a result, there
will be much less crowding at peak
times, far fewer delays at the showers
and more generous access to
equipment. Morgan Kinghorn and
John Chamberlin pointed out in
remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony
that EPA's commitment to fitness is
not a mere passing fancy, but a basic
part of personnel policy at
headquarters and in the regions as
well.
Studies prove that physically fit
staff do a better job than the unfit.
Aerobic fitness deepens sleep, cuts
tension and boosts productivity in all
measures of job performance. Those
who work out also find that they
moderate their eating habits and
smoke and drink less.
Chamberlin reminded celebrants
that EPA was one of the first agencies
to have a gymnasium. He said we
have come a long way from dark days
of 1981 when the stress lab was
considered a frill, minimally
supported by funds buried far down
in the budget so that not even OMB
Sherlocks could find them. D
Stop, Thief!
GSA has published a theft prevention
pamphlet showing federal workers
what they can do to reduce thefts of
both personal items and government
equipment. Richard Hankinson,
director of GSA's law enforcement
division, says "criminal incidents in
GSA-controlled space have continued
to decline, but more needs to be
done."
In FY 86, for example, thefts from
federal offices cost the government
$1.2 million and federal workers
$700,000. There is also the cost of
time lost in replacing stolen items and
in disruption of work, plus the price
of personal stress.
The 16-page booklet, What You
Should Know About Preventing Thefts
in the Federal Workplace, begins with
a 10-question quiz on security. The
next section explains what people can
Continued on next page
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StOp, Thief! Continued
do to thwart office thieves. Finally, to
test their new awareness, federal
workers are asked to spot all the
"wrong" things in an office picture
puzzle.
The booklet, part of GSA's ongoing
crime prevention program, provides a
fill-in-the-blanks "emergency calling
card" so that federal employees may
jot down the telephone number, name
and location of the nearest Federal
Protective Officer. It also provides a
coupon good for one free Crime
Prevention Assessment Survey by the
Federal Protective Service. Copies of
the free pamphlet are available from
Mary Walsh, Federal Protective
Service: (202) 535-8169. D
Secretarial Advisory
Committee
EPA's national Secretarial Advisory
Committee (SAC) met for its
semi-annual meeting at EPA
Headquarters on December 1-3, 1987,
to discuss SAC 1988 initiatives.
Nathaniel Scurry, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, gave the welcoming
address and opening remarks. The
meeting was attended by over 25
representatives from EPA
Headquarters, regional offices and
laboratories.
SAC is comprised of a cross-section
of secretarial and clerical employees
from different parts of the Agency, at
different grade levels, to ensure that
the employment concerns of the entire
secretarial and clerical workforce are
voiced and addressed.
The EPA Headquarters SAC will be
hosting an Open House for
Membership Recruitment on January
28, 1988, in the EPA auditorium
beginning at 9 AM. Please join us in
making this a successful campaign. D
Correction
In our feature on Andrew Lowe
(October), we stated that management
cannot hire sign-interpreters for all
hearing impaired staffers. Not so. The
Rehabilitation Act specifically
provides for such assistance where
needed.
Sexual Harassment
In a statement of October 14, Lee
Thomas declared that EPA employees
bear a grave responsibility under the
federal code of conduct for
maintaining the highest standards of
integrity and impartiality in the
performance of government business.
Sexual harassment is unacceptable
conduct in the workplace and will not
be tolerated at EPA.
Sexual harassment is an insidious
form of misconduct that undermines
the integrity of working relationships.
It is defined to include verbal
comments, gestures or physical
contacts of a sexual nature that are
unwelcome.
All employees must be able to work
in an environment free from
unsolicited and unwelcome sexual
overtures. Sexual harassment weakens
morale and cuts the productivity of
victims and co-workers, and is
expressly prohibited when it results
in discrimination for or against an
employee on the basis of conduct not
related to work performance, such as
taking or refusing to take a personnel
action, including promotion of
employees who resist or protest
sexual overtures.
A supervisor who uses implicit or
explicit coercive sexual behavior to
control, influence or attect the career,
salary or job of an employee is
engaging in sexual harassment.
Likewise, an employee who so
behaves in the process of conducting
agency business is engaging in sexual
harassment. Finally, an employee who
participates in deliberate or repeated
unsolicited verbal comments, gestures
or physical contacts of a sexual nature
that are unwelcome and interfere with
work productivity is culpable of
sexual harassment.
"Personnel management," Thomas
said, "must be free from such
prohibited practices and operate
consistently with merit systems
principles, as outlined in the Civil
Service Reform Act of 1978. All EPA
employees should avoid conduct
which undermines these merit
principles. Needless to say, it is not
the intent of the Agency to regulate
social interactions or relationships
freely entered into." Any employee
who feels victimized by sexual
harassment should contact the Office
of Civil Rights to learn of the
confidential counseling and legal
recourse available within the Agency. D
John Martin/Jack Barden, Hong Kong Reps
John Martin, EPA's Inspector General,
and Jack Barden, Assistant Inspector
General for Investigations, represented
the United States recently at the third
international anti-corruption
conference sponsored by the
Independent Commission Against
Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong. The
November conference, attended by
over 200 representatives from 32
countries, included presentations and
panel discussions with simultaneous
interpretation into several languages
for a world overview of corruption.
Martin and Barden described the
Inspector General (IG) Act and the IG
concept, stressing IG independence,
the resources and training for an IG
operation and the need for an
auditor-investigator partnership. Their
presentation evoked a great deal of
interest: the audience kept the two at
the podium for an extra 30 minutes
answering a flurry of questions.
Martin and Barden observed that,
due to different cultural
environments, what is considered
corruption in one society may be
standard business practice in another.
One of the approaches explored to
deter corruption (and currently being
considered by EPA's Office of
Inspector General) is community
action. The ICAC pushes fraud
prevention in Hong Kong itself
through an aggressive program of
community awareness, re-education
and participation. Representatives
from several of the developing
countries were interested in the IG
Act as a model for their own use. n
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Affirmative Action Goals, FY 1988-1992
The Administrator has reiterated that it is the policy of
EPA to provide equal opportunity for employment and
advancement to all employees and applicants regardless of
race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or physical or
mental handicap. This policy covers all Agency
employment practices, including recruitment, hiring,
promotion, transfer, reassignment, training, benefits and
separation. Further, EPA will take affirmative action to
remedy the effects of past discrimination, developing its
affirmative action program to identify and address
inadequate representation of women, minorities and
handicapped individuals in the Agency workforce in
accordance with directives of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC), particularly in
professional and administrative positions.
The Administrator has also noted that FY 1988 marks
the beginning of EPA's second multi-year affirmative
action plan. Looking back on FY 1987, he acknowledged
continued progress in the representation of women and
minorities at EPA, including personnel in the managerial
and supervisory ranks. The Agency has also increased the
number of handicapped individuals among its employees.
In general, Lee Thomas said he was "very proud of the
progress EPA has made over the past few years in
increasing representation of women and minorities."
Looking forward to FY 1988 and beyond, Thomas urged
managers to seek additional, innovative ways to boost the
Agency's record in locating, attracting, and retaining
representatives of those groups who are still severely
underrepresented in our workforce. "We have an excellent
opportunity to expand our success during the next
five-year cycle by taking advantage of our hiring
opportunities and building upon the human resources
development initiatives we have undertaken," he said. "I
am convinced that our basic approach has been sound.
Thus we will continue to set annual goals for affirmative
action during the new planning cycle."
Specifically, EPA will carry out an aggressive affirmative
action program to:
Assure that women and minorities comprise at least 52
percent of professional and administrative hires and "net
gains," and that the most severely underrepresented are
included among those hired.
Boost representation of women and minorities in upper
level positions (Grades 13-15] and in managerial and
supervisory roles.
Assure that severely handicapped individuals comprise
at least 1 percent of all permanent positions.
Maintain a level of participation in the Upward
Mobility Program at 1 percent of all permanent positions.
Identify and involve women, minorities and
handicapped employees in Agency task forces and
committees, human resources initiatives and review and
certification panels for employment, grants and contracts.
Assure accountability and recognition for affirmative
action accomplishments.
Thomas has made it clear that he expects each manager
to assess progress being made in affirmative action in his
or her office, region or laboratory. The hiring goals
established by our Office of Civil Rights can be met only if
managers place a high priority on success. "Minorities,
especially Blacks and Hispanics, require your special
consideration, and it is up to you to address the barriers
preventing their employment and advancement."
Agency officials are urged to work closely with the
Office of Civil Rights, the Office of Human Resources
Management and the Personnel Management Division to
develop effective affirmative action strategies. "These
offices have the responsibility to assist you," the
Administrator noted, "but ultimate accountability for
assuring equal employment opportunity and carrying out
affirmative action in hiring, training, promoting and
rewarding employees rests with you."n
Operating Guidance for FY 1989
Deputy Administrator Jim Barnes has notified Assistant
Administrators and Office Directors that it's time to begin
development of the FY 1989 Operating Guidance. The
Agency will publish the guidance document by March 1,
and all supplemental guidance by April 1, 1988. Last year
substantial improvements were made in the process,
including timely promulgation of the operating guidance
and program supplemental guidances, and an improved
guidance review process embracing responsiveness
summaries prepared by national program managers.
For FY 1989, Barnes and the Administrator want to:
Improve the focus on regional and state variability and
flexibility.
Involve the regions and states more substantively in
both developmental and review stages.
Reintroduce the Administrator's overview section of the
guidance and also augment Barnes's participation.
Delineate clearer, more coordinated guidance on
cross-media issues and programs.
These improvements will require leadership and
involvement by senior managers in the states, as well as in
EPA regional and Headquarters offices, and will be
coordinated both by the senior management of the Office
of Policy, Planning and Evaluation (OPPE) and by Barnes
through executive staff meetings.
The FY 1989 Agency guidance should build upon the
results of the planning session at Shepherdstown and
reflect decisions made during the priority list and budget
development processes. Priorities should already reflect
consideration of the comparative risk project; however, the
comparative risk results should also be kept in mind as
managers develop priorities in the guidance process. The
operating guidance should describe the general design or
strategy EPA is pursuing in each environmental program
area and identify the priority activities that need to be
accomplished by Headquarters, regions and states. As in
past years, each office should also address guidelines from
the Offices of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring,
Continued on next page
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Research and Development and External Affairs.
The Guidance should specify only the major activities in
order to allow regions and states the flexibility needed to
adapt basic program strategies and major initiatives to
their own specific needs. This year the Agency must
improve efforts to develop and identify environmental
indicators, so it can begin to assess risk reductions and
environmental improvements by program area. OPPE will
work closely with program managers to identify
appropriate indicators and determine where the Agency
needs to invest in developing indicators.
Each national program should schedule regional
meetings and/or conference calls early in the development
process, both to identify regional and state guidance needs
and projects and program initiatives of specific regional
interest that can be highlighted in the guidance. Barnes
said he was "pleased with the direction the Air Program is
taking to include regional priorities in its internal
management system. My goal for the FY 1989 Guidance is
for each national program to highlight regional initiatives
that directly support national priorities and those that
address problems of specific regional or state concern."
Regions need to support this effort by communicating
candidate initiatives to the national program offices for
consideration. Efforts such as the regional action plans and
regional management projects in Regions 1 and 3 are good
examples, he said. Barnes intends to review progress in
addressing these regional priorities during his regional
reviews and encourage other Headquarters managers also
to incorporate regional priorities into program
assessments.
An important focus for FY 1989 will be for national
program managers to involve states more substantively in
the guidance development and review process. Each
Assistant Administrator should not only work closely with
his lead region(s) but should also enlist direct state
involvement in guidance development. In addition, each
region should build on last year's effort to establish a
dialogue with its states early in the guidance process to
identify and represent state needs and concerns. The
guidance schedule will give the regions a single six-week
period to review and comment on the draftin contrast to
last year's two shorter cycles. This extended comment
period is designed to allow both regions and states time
for considered participation.
Barnes asked OPPE to work with the Office of the
Administrator on the overview of the guidance, this year
emphasizing implementation of several of the
Administrator's major management themes. He wants to
provide additional emphasis on crosscutting issues. OPPE
will identify six to ten such issues, convene appropriate
elements of the Agency, and assure that guidance for
managing these issues recognizes needs and
responsibilities across programs and necessary activities
by Headquarters, regions and states.
As in past years, managers will be developing Strategic
Planning and Management System (SPMS) measures as
part of the guidance process; each program must place
emphasis on developing a good set of measures to track
program activities. Regions need to invest in the guidance
development process as the means for determining
measures for FY 1989. Barnes wants to see both
headquarters and regions utilize this process and schedule
so that the final list of measures is promulgated with the
guidance.
Before issuing the guidance on March 1, Barnes will
request briefings on each guidance section by the program
office and lead region and, if appropriate, state
representatives. This briefing will include a description of
the major activities for each program and an explanation
of the FY 1989 SPMS measures. Barnes strenuously
encourages Headquarters, regions and states to resolve
outstanding issues prior to that briefing. If necessary,
however, he will consider outstanding issues at that time, n
Special Appointing Authorities
As part of the larger Personnel Management Division
campaign to make staffing more comprehensible and "user
friendly" to hiring officials, the Policies and Programs
Branch has developed a "Manager's Guide to Hiring Under
Special Appointing Authorities." It is designed to make
the recruiting and hiring decisions of managers and
supervisors easier, faster and more trouble-free than the
four to six weeks the merit promotion process normally
takes. Call your servicing personnel officer and/or team
leader for more information about special appointing
authorities, n
"Stafflex"
The new fiscal year began with new staffing flexibilities
for managers, supervisors and employees, representing a
major shift away from lock-step processes.
Details. We may now detail both permanent and
temporary employees up to one year to higher graded
positions and unclassified duties, as well as to positions at
the same or lower grade. In the past, details to higher
grade positions and unclassified duties were restricted to
less than a year.
Qualification Standards. We may now modify
qualifications to provide employees who do not meet
Office of Personnel Management requirements, but who
have closely related experience, the opportunity to be
assigned to another occupation. Such arrangements are
possible only for reassignments, voluntary moves to lower
grades, transfers and reinstatements.
Direct Hire Authority for Accountant/Auditor. We may
hire, without going through OPM, accountants/auditors at
GS-5 and 7 with a 3.5 or higher grade point average or
who are CPAs.
Personnel is working on several other staffing
innovations and will keep you up-to-date. Meanwhile,
contact your servicing personnel officer or team leader for
more information about our new hiring flexibilities, n
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