How Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Ranked in the Best Places to Work Rankings
When you look at the whole picture, federal law enforcement agencies were not top performers in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings.
The annual survey is compiled by the Partnership for Public Service, Boston Consulting Group, and the Washington Post. Rankings are based largely on employee engagement and satisfaction scores from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).
In this year’s rankings, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), finished 14 out of 17 large agencies. However, the DHS score rose about six points from the prior year and the Department was recognized as the most improved large agency for 2023.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) finished 16 out of 17 agencies. Only the Social Security Administration (SSA) ranked lower. DOJ’s score was up two points from 2022.
Inside DHS
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas hailed his agency’s recognition as most improved and the dedication of the DHS workforce to their missions.
“For three years, our Department has executed one of our highest organizational priorities: we engage with, listen to, and learn from our workforce and we take meaningful, tangible action in response to what we learn. The impact of this line of effort is real. I am very proud that, for the second consecutive year, our Department has shown significant improvement in its employee well-being and satisfaction, and that this year the Partnership for Public Service has recognized us as the Most Improved Large Agency in the federal government,” said Mayorkas. “There is a lot more to do, and we are committed to doing it.
The U.S. Coast Guard was the highest scoring DHS subcomponent, with a score of 76.6, good for 150th out of 459 agency subcomponents. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center also scored well.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) dramatically raised its score. TSA went from a score of 45 to a score of 57 in just one year.
The U.S. Secret Service scored 57, a slight dip from the prior year.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) scored 55, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) scored 54. Both agencies raised their scores slightly from the prior year, but remain near the bottom (CBP- 432, ICE- 437).
The only broad category where DHS broke into the top ten, was with pay satisfaction. DHS finished near the bottom in a wide range of categories including effective leadership, recognition, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) issues.
BOP Drags Down DOJ
DOJ has the dubious distinction of being home to the lowest scoring subcomponent agency in the entire federal government.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons scored just 38, making it the lowest ranked out of 459 subagencies. BOP’s score is up three points from the prior year but remains dramatically lower from the 60’s or so it received in the mid-2010s. BOP is suffering from staffing shortages, sexual abuse scandals, and other issues.
Some of the top performing agencies were the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with a score of 72, and the U.S. Marshals service with a score of 67.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) scored 63 (365 out of 459). The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) scored just 58 (412 of 459).
Attorney units fared better, with the Environment and Natural Resources Division scoring 88, good for 11th place among all subcomponents.
Overall, DOJ received low marks across the board on leadership, DEIA efforts, and pay and work-life balance.