Avoid USDA like the plague. There is a reason it's called the last plantation. And don't ever do contract work there...

Anonymous wrote:Some of the agencies that come up on the best list are there because they have lax environments. Like Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, for example. Sounds like a ridiculous agency with persistent spending that's in violation of the FAR but it makes the top five small agencies quite frequently.

FMCS is fucking ridiculous. i had a mediation there in the fall, in their baltimore office (in hanover, actually). there is one guy there (gary eder - nice dude) and you can just tell he doesn't stress out about jack shit. i bet he does 8 hours of actual work a week. the other offices were just empty.

i had another mediation at the DC headquarters early this year. they have a couple of entire floors, and nobody seemed to be doing shit. both we and the union asked to have the mediation at the union hall, and the mediator basically refused. he didn't want to be bothered to leave his office. seems like the cushiest job in the world.

I've worked for 3 Department of Interior Bureaus. They've all been bad. Low morale, bad management, very bad politicals (who aren't even qualified!), no telework. They all had an inability to hire the right scientists/engineers as well. Pay isn't competitive enough to hire the best talent.

Anonymous wrote:CIA is a great place to work.

It's never mentioned on here, but it is the best! I know people from across all Departments/Agencies and the CIA folks are the happiest.

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Anonymous wrote:Based on annual surveys, I think NASA is rated best and Homeland Security is down at the bottom.

Yup. And my friends who work for NASA love it. Awesome agency mission, and everyone's proud of it.

And it hasn't done anything of significance in over 35 years. But anyway...

Was going to the moon "Significant" but finding the origins of the universe and a raft of other planets that might harbor life not?

It's a science agency. Lots of great science comes out of NASA's work even if there arent guys in space suits on TV for you regularly.

Do you have cites for that?

NASA.gov. see also Google.com

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Anonymous wrote:Though not an official agency, the federal reserve is a great place to work.

True, except for the open office floor plan.

Huh? Almost everyone has an office, even most of the research assistant just out of college.

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Anonymous wrote:Based on annual surveys, I think NASA is rated best and Homeland Security is down at the bottom.

Yup. And my friends who work for NASA love it. Awesome agency mission, and everyone's proud of it.

And it hasn't done anything of significance in over 35 years. But anyway...

Was going to the moon "Significant" but finding the origins of the universe and a raft of other planets that might harbor life not?

It's a science agency. Lots of great science comes out of NASA's work even if there arent guys in space suits on TV for you regularly.

Do you have cites for that?

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Anonymous wrote:Worked with 20+ agencies in ten years of government consulting, and I can honestly say I haven't seen one that I'd want to work for. Worst by far was FEMA, although the entire Leg Branch gives them a run for their money. Least dysfunctional is probably GSA.

Really??? I work at GSA (only been at one other agency) and I am shocked to hear someone say that. Wow, it must be really bad out there!

I'm sure NASA is a great place to work because it's generally all super smart people doing something they are probably pretty passionate about. Few Federal agencies can make that same claim

NIST and DARPA are like this too.

Anonymous wrote:VA is pretty terrible.

NP here. I've been with VA since graduation, so I have nothing to compare it too. I've seen it pop up as terrible in a few other posts. Good to know it *may* be different elsewhere, and maybe this is not the norm.

The FTC is pretty awesome. Take a look at the midsize agencies - the top 3 beat NASA for the #1 spot, and the next four rate better than the #2 large agency. But the best rated place to work is, apparently, the Surface Transportation Board. Who knew? What do they even do?

Anonymous wrote:EPA OEM. That leadership brings back memories!?

Scary that the leadership at EPA OEM is preparing for and responding to environmental emergencies. ?????

VA is pretty terrible.

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Anonymous wrote:Based on annual surveys, I think NASA is rated best and Homeland Security is down at the bottom.

Yup. And my friends who work for NASA love it. Awesome agency mission, and everyone's proud of it.

And it hasn't done anything of significance in over 35 years. But anyway...

Was going to the moon "Significant" but finding the origins of the universe and a raft of other planets that might harbor life not?

It's a science agency. Lots of great science comes out of NASA's work even if there arent guys in space suits on TV for you regularly.

Some of the agencies that come up on the best list are there because they have lax environments. Like Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, for example. Sounds like a ridiculous agency with persistent spending that's in violation of the FAR but it makes the top five small agencies quite frequently.

Anonymous wrote:No one mentioned the CFPB - I heard they were the worst.

All those supervisory 15s making above the GS payscale max, teleworking two days per week, and pulling a pension twice as good as FERS really do have it rough.