Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Encyclopedia
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, (October 13, 1978, ) (CSRA), reformed the civil service
of the United States federal government.
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the U.S. Civil Service Commission and distributes its functions primarily among three agencies: the newly established Office of Personnel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board
, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority
.
Under the "rank-in-the-person" provision of the act, agency heads can move career senior executives into any position for which they are qualified. One provision of the act was the abolishment of the United States Civil Service Commission
and the creation of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
(OPM), the Federal Labor Relations Authority
(FLRA) and the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). OPM primarily provides management guidance to the various agencies of the executive branch and issues regulations that control federal human resources
. FLRA oversees the rights of federal employees to form collective bargaining
units (unions) and to engage in collective bargaining with agencies. MSPB conducts studies of the federal civil service and mainly hears the appeals of federal employees who are disciplined or otherwise separated from their positions. This act was an effort to replace incompetent officials.
The CSRA is codified in scattered sections of Title 5 of the United States Code
.
Patricia W. Ingraham and Donald P. Moynihan describe the CSRA in Evolving Dimensions of Performance from CSRA Onward as "mov[ing] from personnel administration to the specific linking of human resource management to broader management activities and performance."
United States civil service
In the United States, the civil service was established in 1872. The Federal Civil Service is defined as "all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Government of the United States, except positions in the uniformed services." . In the early 19th century,...
of the United States federal government.
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the U.S. Civil Service Commission and distributes its functions primarily among three agencies: the newly established Office of Personnel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board
United States Merit Systems Protection Board
The Merit Systems Protection Board is an independent quasi-judicial agency established to protect federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for federal employees against abuses by agency management...
, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Labor Relations Authority
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is an independent agency of the United States government that governs labor relations between the federal government and its employees....
.
Under the "rank-in-the-person" provision of the act, agency heads can move career senior executives into any position for which they are qualified. One provision of the act was the abolishment of the United States Civil Service Commission
United States Civil Service Commission
The United States Civil Service Commission a three man commission was created by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which was passed into law on January 16, 1883...
and the creation of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Office of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management is an independent agency of the United States government that manages the civil service of the federal government. The current Director is John Berry.-History:...
(OPM), the Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Labor Relations Authority
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is an independent agency of the United States government that governs labor relations between the federal government and its employees....
(FLRA) and the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). OPM primarily provides management guidance to the various agencies of the executive branch and issues regulations that control federal human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
. FLRA oversees the rights of federal employees to form collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
units (unions) and to engage in collective bargaining with agencies. MSPB conducts studies of the federal civil service and mainly hears the appeals of federal employees who are disciplined or otherwise separated from their positions. This act was an effort to replace incompetent officials.
The CSRA is codified in scattered sections of Title 5 of the United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
.
Patricia W. Ingraham and Donald P. Moynihan describe the CSRA in Evolving Dimensions of Performance from CSRA Onward as "mov[ing] from personnel administration to the specific linking of human resource management to broader management activities and performance."