WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued the following statement regarding the Partnership for Public Service’s recognition of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the most improved large agency in its 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government:
“The workforce of the Department of Homeland Security is the best in the world. Our people execute an extraordinarily expansive, diverse, and challenging set of missions. We have a solemn responsibility to recognize them, champion them, and take care of them. Ensuring these 268,000 public servants have the tools, resources, and support they need and deserve is not just the right thing to do, it is fundamental to our homeland security.
“For three years, our Department has executed one of our highest organizational priorities: we engage with, listen to, and learn from our workforce and we take meaningful, tangible action in response to what we learn. The impact of this line of effort is real. I am very proud that, for the second consecutive year, our Department has shown significant improvement in its employee well-being and satisfaction, and that this year the Partnership for Public Service has recognized us as the Most Improved Large Agency in the federal government.
“There is a lot more to do, and we are committed to doing it. Our devotion to the incredible public servants who work in the Department of Homeland Security is enduring. I look forward to continuing to work with Congress to prioritize, support, and champion the DHS workforce, as together we address the threats and challenges America faces.”
Efforts by Secretary Mayorkas to support and champion the workforce include:
- TSA Pay Equity and Collective Bargaining: Ensured the TSA’s workforce is paid comparably with their colleagues by implementing a new compensation plan in July 2023, which, for the first time ever puts all TSA employees on the same pay level as their federal counterparts on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale. The agency’s attrition numbers have noticeably dropped, and numbers of applicants continue to increase. TSA reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which will take effect on May 24. The new agreement will provide benefits for all TSA bargaining unit employees comprised of non-supervisory screening officers.
- Recognizing Employees Across the Nation: In an effort to connect directly with DHS employees and recognize the incredible work they do each day, the Secretary directed that the Annual Secretary’s Awards be conducted through multiple regional ceremonies across the country rather than one ceremony at DHS Headquarters. During these regional ceremonies, leadership recognizes exemplary employees closer to where their work is happening, enabling more employees to participate and be recognized. Traveling to these locations also provides leadership with an opportunity to see first-hand any issues or concerns that can be addressed, and receive feedback directly from DHS employees that serve the public outside the National Capital Region.
- More Staffing at the Border: Secretary Mayorkas helped to secure the first increase in Border Patrol staffing in over a decade with 300 additional Agents added in Fiscal Year 2023, and another 1,400 added in Fiscal Year 2024.
- Prioritizing Safe and Effective Facilities: DHS has stressed the importance of ensuring personnel have access to facilities that support our mission and provide a safe and effective working environment. This includes utilizing the Non-recurring Expenses Fund, which allows DHS to use expiring funds to improve DHS facilities across the country in need of repair.
- Jump Teams: Jump Teams provide a mechanism to build the connections between mission support and the front-line. Jump Team members are responsible for helping to solve immediate issues, guide how funding is allocated, and to assist in developing solutions to deliver support most effectively to our front-line. Secretary Mayorkas directed the creation of DHS Jump Teams to leverage DHS and Component leadership resources to solve problems for our front-line personnel.
Read the full DHS results of the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings.
Learn more about the ways in which DHS is championing the workforce.
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