Working within the federal government, I have witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of the current wording in 5 U.S.C. § 7106, the section of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute concerning management rights and "additional duties as assigned." As the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2025, I am approached daily by employees frustrated and demoralized by being forced to perform tasks far beyond their hired roles. This ongoing issue leads to feelings of being undervalued, puts strain on their morale, and contributes to significant delays in core responsibilities – at times, feeling like an abuse of power by those in supervisory roles.

"Management rights" currently grants supervisors excessively broad authority to assign extra duties, which sadly leaves employees with few solutions other than voicing their concerns to uninterested supervisors. We have grown increasingly exasperated witnessing our colleagues stretched thin over duties unrelated to their job descriptions, preventing them from focusing on the projects and work they were specifically hired to do.

Such sweeping power to assign additional duties without accountability not only undermines employee morale but also affects overall productivity and efficiency. It’s vital that there be clearer constraints on these "additional duties" to ensure duties assigned are relevant, reasonable, and respect the defined roles of employees. This is particularly crucial in fields where the expertise of federal employees directly impacts public welfare and safety.

We propose an amendment to 5 U.S.C. § 7106 to redefine the boundaries of additional duties to protect employees from being assigned unrelated tasks arbitrarily. Such mechanisms should include clear guidelines on the scope of additional duties, ensuring they align closely with the employee’s primary responsibilities.

Through amending this statute to curtail overwhelming and unrelated task assignments, we can provide employees with the respect and clarity they deserve in their roles, thereby enhancing efficiency, job satisfaction, and reducing workplace tensions.

Join us in advocating for this important change to the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute to better protect our workforce and enhance our government’s operational efficacy. Sign this petition to urge lawmakers to take action and safeguard the rights of federal employees today.