The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) is legislation that implemented changes to the structure, management, and employment practices of the federal civil service. The CSRA reaffirmed the merit system selection process of the competitive civil service, decentralized administrative personnel functions, and codified a number of changes to workforce practices and procedures, including the prohibition of certain discriminatory practices. The New York Times described the CSRA as the "most sweeping change in Federal personnel regulations since the Civil Service Act of 1883."[1][2] BackgroundThe Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 eliminated the spoils system of the 19th century, which rewarded individuals for partisan loyalty and service through appointments to government positions. The legislation ushered in the competitive civil service, a merit-based system for the appointment of federal executive branch employees. The new system, overseen by the U.S. Civil Service Commission, allowed individuals to apply for government employment and compete through examinations rather than seek an appointment to a position on the basis of their political ideology or government connections. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, members of the competitive civil service gained workers' compensation protections, retirement annuities, and procedural protections against removal, which ensured that federal employees could only be fired for just cause.[3][4] By the 1970s, federal employees had begun to express dissatisfaction with perceived shortcomings in their procedural protections and discriminatory practices in the workplace. The resulting Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) reaffirmed the merit system selection process, codified collective bargaining procedures, and identified prohibited practices in the federal workforce, including nepotism and discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, or other specified factors. The legislation also created guidelines for the removal of personnel for unsatisfactory performance and created the Senior Executive Service, a separate tier of administrators "designed to attract and retain highly competent senior executives," according to the legislation. [1][5][6][7] The CSRA also replaced the U.S. Civil Service Commission with the following agencies:[8]
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is tasked with implementing rules to oversee the management of the federal workforce.[1]
The Merit Systems Protection Board is responsible for processing employment-related hearings and appeals. According to the Merit Systems Protection Board website, the Board "was given new responsibilities to perform merit systems studies and to review the significant actions of OPM. The CSRA also created the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) which investigates allegations of prohibited personnel practices, prosecutes violators of civil service rules and regulations, and enforces the Hatch Act. Although originally established as an office of the Board, the OSC now functions independently as a prosecutor of cases before the Board.[1][9]
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is responsible for establishing guidelines and resolving issues related to collective bargaining practices.[1] ProvisionsThe Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) included the following provisions:[1] Title I—Merit System Principles
Title II—Civil Service Functions; Performance Appraisal; Adverse Actions
Title III—Staffing
Title IV—Senior Executive Service
Title V—Merit Pay
Title VI—Research, Demonstration, and Other Programs
Title VII—Federal Service Labor-Management Relations
Title VIII—Grade and Pay Retention
Title IX—Miscellaneous
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