THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY AUGUST 2024 17 Despite the cable’s release on Sept. 28, 2022, there is still no mechanism to reinforce this directive or promote a leadership culture of compensating and rewarding eligible employees for the additional work done to meet the needs of the department. In February 2023, the department released the results of a Stay Survey pinpointing the commitment to mission as a positive factor in motivating employees to remain within the department. Conversely, however, the survey results found that the number one factor causing employees to consider leaving the State Department was poor supervisors. Turning the Corner Throughout 2022 and 2023, workload and workplace conditions repeatedly dominated department leadership town halls. The unanswered question (then, as now) was: How will the State Department put into place adequate accountability measures to address these shortcomings in order to protect and retain our most valuable resource, our people? In 2024 department leadership agreed to provide resources to the Office of the Ombuds (S/O) to staff the Workplace Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center for the first time since it was created about a decade ago. This was a welcome step. But given that, according to the announcement, it is step one of a three-step process, it is too early to tell if the new effort will succeed. On March 28, the S/O announced a new anti-bullying policy that officially defines bullying behaviors so that everyone has a full understanding of what to look for and can state in writing or orally that such behavior is unwelcome [see the FSJ’s April 2024 Straight from the Source, “Office of the Ombuds Takes on Bullying at State,” by Brianna Bailey-Gevlin]. For this process to work effectively, the system has to build in support mechanisms to ensure that the employee’s concerns are heard and adequately addressed through their chain of command and the Executive Office. Hopefully, the Foreign Service Institute will incorporate the anti-bullying policy throughout its leadership and management curriculum. In addition, Director General Marcia Bernicat announced the Bureau of Global Talent Management’s “Focus on Accountability” programming to raise accountability awareness in the April 2024 edition of State Magazine. The initiative took into account results from the Stay Survey as a first step to try to address workplace condition issues and hold those responsible for disrupting the system accountable. Leveling the Playing Field In March 2020, State established a Manager Support Unit to assist managers and supervisors in dealing with employee performance and conduct issues. This was a logical step. However, today some employees contending with managers who exhibit bullying behavior lack the knowledge or resources to effectively navigate these difficult situations. The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) added a new Retaliation Prevention Provision (Section 6211) restricting supervisors from writing an evaluation on an employee who has a discrimination, bullying, or harassment case against that supervisor in process. This is a small but significant development. Along these lines, the State Department should establish an “Employee Support Unit” to serve as a clearinghouse on equal employment opportuSpeaking Out is the Journal’s opinion forum, a place for lively discussion of issues affecting the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy. The views expressed are those of the author; their publication here does not imply endorsement by the American Foreign Service Association. Responses are welcome; send them to journal@afsa.org. nity (EEO) issues, filing of grievances, officially reporting cases of bullying, managing curtailments, and understanding the role of unions, among other areas of support. Such a unit would also serve as a tool for tracking inquiries and the timeliness of responses. The employee experiencing unwelcome situations could write to the Employee Support Unit, where the department could review the case, assign it to the appropriate department office, and alert the employee of the actions to take. Currently, the burden is placed on the employee to identify the correct office and be aware of time limits and other requirements of the particular process. To appreciate the implications of this burden, one can look to notable employee experiences from the last few years. Implementing Accountability Measures Leadership. It is as important now as ever to select managers who are selfaware, empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and great communicators, among other attributes. Once we recruit and hire them, State must invest in them, ensuring they have the tools to keep pace with changing workloads and hybrid work. These types of managers routinely prioritize building up the workforce, meeting the team where they are, and doing the necessary to adequately resource and advocate for the team.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=