DHS employees probably won't be sad if they're furloughed

Results from the 2014 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Survey indicate that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees might not be too upset if their agency gets shut down from lack of funding this Friday — because it's a really terrible place to work.

The survey ranked DHS dead last for agencies of its size, and this is not a new phenomenon: The department has already conducted study upon study revealing that its employees are seriously unhappy with their jobs. As The Washington Post summarizes, DHS workers say "their senior leaders are ineffective; that the department discourages innovation, and that promotions and raises are not based on merit." They feel they work under a "stifling bureaucracy" and constant criticism.

On this most recent survey, DHS scores went down in every category of positive workplace experience except pay, which saw a minor increase. Perhaps civil libertarians calling for a permanent DHS shutdown will find unlikely allies within the agency itself?

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