Political division in the United States has led to a significant reduction of federal employees working within the government. Mass firings have led to mass unemployment, and these actions have led to legal challenges and widespread scrutiny. At SurveyLegend, we’re not here to politicize (though you can create your own political surveys). Rather, we’re here as an outlet to help you create, distribute, and analyze surveys. And we know that right now, surveying federal employees is very important to the country. So let’s look at why you might survey government workers and how to go about it with sensitivity.
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Federal Employee Surveys
The US Federal Government is the country’s largest employer. In November 2024, PEW Research Center shows it employed just over three million people, nearly 2 percent of the entire civilian workforce (this figure doesn’t even include the roughly 1.3 million active-duty military personnel, who are federal but aren’t typically considered “employees”). Since the new administration has taken office, the Federal News Network reveals that approximately 25,000 employees have been fired. Because of this upheaval, more and more federal employee surveys are being conducted. The “big three” would be as follows:
- Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). This survey, issued by the Office of Personnel Management, is used to assess job satisfaction, employee engagement, and other factors affecting the federal workforce. It has been delayed in 2025 due to the current state of play and to revise it to remove any mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
- Washington Post-Ipsos Poll. This survey was recently conducted and surveyed federal employees about workforce cuts, job security, and the administration’s policies. It found a high level of dissatisfaction with the current government leadership and 56% of federal employees think workforce reductions will harm government operations.
- Federal News Network Surveys. This network, which we cited above, regularly conducts government employee surveys about how federal employees are adjusting to policy changes and the impact of workforce reductions.
Of course, other groups are also surveying federal employees. This includes the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent agency that evaluates government programs and workforce issues; The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which assess workplace conditions and advocate for their rights; and non-partisan think tanks and academic institutions that conduct surveys without political influence, such as such as Gallup and Pew Research, also cited above.
7 Topics For Federal Employee Surveys
Much of what government employee surveys focus on has been mentioned already, but to recap, here are the top seven reasons an organization or researcher may survey this group of government workers.
1. Assessing Workforce Morale and Stability
Mass firings, legal challenges, and uncertainty surrounding reinstatements has left, according to other surveys, employee morale at an all-time low. Surveys can gauge how these changes are affecting productivity, job satisfaction, and overall sentiment among federal workers.
2. Identifying Operational Disruptions
With thousands of federal employees being fired or placed on administrative leave, government agencies may be struggling to maintain essential public services. Surveys can help identify gaps in operations and where additional support or resources are needed.
3. Informing Legal and Political Decisions
Ongoing lawsuits and congressional oversight efforts depend on firsthand accounts from employees that have been impacted. A survey can provide valuable data to policymakers, unions, and legal teams working to challenge or refine these policies.
4. Retaining Critical Talent
Employees that haven’t been fired may still feel insecure or undervalued. So, they may leave for private-sector jobs, leading to an even more shallow pool in the federal workforce. Surveys can help leaders understand what it will take to retain key personnel (and ensure institutional knowledge isn’t lost, which is key to training the next round of employees).
5. Testing Employee Knowledge
If orders are made to make cuts amongst federal employees, often seniority is taken into account. Leadership can also administer a knowledge survey to help determine which government employees are most knowledgeable to also make that a factor in their decision making.
6. Ensuring Court Order Compliance
With federal judges ruling some of the mass firings illegal, agencies need to ensure they are properly reinstating workers. Surveys can help track whether employees are being returned to meaningful work and reasonable pay, or simply left hanging.
7. Public Accountability
The public relies on federal employees for essential services, from tax processing to national security. Understanding employee perspectives can shed light on how these government shake-ups may impact ordinary citizens.
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Surveying With Sensitivity
It goes without saying that there is much division and strife in the United States regarding current events. This is potentially doubled when speaking with federal employees, who may have lost their job or are in fear of losing their job. So, it is crucial that any federal employee survey approach the matter in a sensitive manner. We’ve written about this before (check out our blog How To Ask A Sensitive Question On A Survey) but here are some specifics when addressing federal employees in today’s current climate.
Ensure Anonymity & Confidentiality
First, use a survey welcome/introduction page to inform respondents why you are surveying them and how the information will be used. You can also use this page to assure them that the data collection is confidential or anonymous so that they feel free to respond honestly without fear of retaliation or reprimand. This will provide psychological safety, which will improve participation and lead to more honest responses.
Use Neutral & Non-Leading Language
To get the most honest results, avoid questions that “lead” someone to a conclusion or assume a particular opinion (for example, “How bad is the new policy?”). Instead, ask “How do you feel about this new policy?”. It’s also important to be professional, even if you feel heated over a scenario, in order to ensure there is no survey bias and that responses are credible.
Acknowledge Federal Employee Concerns
Be sure to validate the stress and uncertainty employees may be experiencing with questions like, “What challenges, if any, have you faced due to recent workforce changes?” We recommend quantitative and qualitative research across the survey. While quantitative multiple choice and rating scale questions will give you easily analyzed data – which is important – also try to balance this with qualitative, or open-answer questions that allow for write-ins. This will allow you to capture employee thoughts in their own words – something you can’t always get from data-based questions. These types of responses can also inform future surveys, or on a larger scale, policy changes.
Keep Questions Relevant & Focused
To maintain sensitivity, don’t ask unnecessary personal details on your federal employee survey. That might make them feel uncomfortable, especially in the current climate. Instead, try to focus on job satisfaction, workplace concerns, and morale rather than political opinions. If you are looking for political opinions, state this upfront on your welcome page and be sure to reinforce confidentiality or anonymity.
Offer An Opt-Out
Is it better to get 19 out of 20 questions answered, or none? You may have one or two questions that a federal employee just isn’t willing to answer, so they’ll drop out entirely. Rather than allow this to happen, let them skip questions, or opt-out, if they don’t feel comfortable answering. This not only builds trust, reassuring them that participation is voluntary and won’t affect their job status, but it gets you answers to the majority of your questions.
Creating A Federal Employee Survey With SurveyLegend
At SurveyLegend, we like to take a fun approach to surveys. You’ve seen our mascot, The Legend. You’ve perhaps used our platform before, known for its eye-catching designs. But you can also get serious on SurveyLegend, and many of our valued clients have, creating political surveys, election surveys, mood of the nation surveys, and more. Our surveys are completely customizable, so they can look as formal as you like. They’re also highly secure, with some of the best encryption technology available, so you can be sure (and you can assure) respondents’ answers will be safe and confidential. We also provide robust analytics during and at the conclusion of your survey, to make reporting on the results fast and efficient. Get started today with SurveyLegend.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a federal employee?
A federal employee is someone who works within a department or agency within the United States federal government (or another country with a federal government such as Canada or Australia). They help carry out government policies, programs, and services at the national level.
What are some examples of United States federal employees?
While the military is part of the federal government, they are considered different from civilian employees. Examples of these civilian government workers would be:
- USPS (US Postal Service)
- CDC (Center for Disease Control)
- FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
- IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
- NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration)
- TSA (Traffic & Safety Administration)
- SSA (Social Security Administration)
- NPS (National Park Service)
- FWS (Fish & Wildlife Service)
- DOE (Department of Education)
- DOJ (Department of Justice)
Do all countries have federal employees?
Not all countries have federal employees because they don’t have a federal government, in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments (such as states or provinces, like in the United States and Canada). Instead, many countries have civil servants or public servants who operate under a unitary system, in which the central government holds most or all of the power, and regional or local governments work under its authority.
