FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
12/13/2012 (Thursday)
Jamie Rennart
No. 12-22


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov
FOR 4th YEAR IN A ROW, SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD RANKED BEST SMALL AGENCY TO WORK FOR IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT


For the fourth year in a row, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board was ranked No. 1 among small federal agencies by the Partnership for Public Service in its 2012 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings released today. The Board's achievement is particularly notable relative to the Partnership's overall finding of a continuing decline in federal employee satisfaction and commitment.


Relative to the Partnership's findings, STB Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III said,

"Once again, the rankings confirm that the Board's open and collegial workplace atmosphere, the hard work and dedication of its skilled managers and staff, its encouragement of innovation, its recognition of excellence, and its team approach to problem solving continue to produce a highly motivated and satisfied workforce. Every employee can be proud of his or her individual contribution to fulfilling the Board's important mission."


The STB, which currently has 143 employees, was ranked at the top of agencies with more than 100 and fewer than 1,000 full-time, permanent employees. The Board was ranked No. 1 according to an overall index score measuring the performance of agencies related to employee satisfaction and commitment. Among 29 small agencies, the STB achieved a top index score of 84.3 percent.


The Board is charged with the economic regulation of America's freight railroads and solving rate and service disputes. The agency's decisions are independent but the STB is administratively associated with the U.S. Department of Transportation.


STB workplace policies foster a work-life balance through telecommuting and flexible work schedules. It also has an open-door management environment that encourages innovation. The Board's work environment helps retain skilled workers and recruit top-tier job candidates.


The 2012 survey was conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte. Agencies were ranked using 10 workplace categories, including effective leadership, strategic management, employee skills/mission match, pay, and teamwork.


The Partnership's findings can be viewed at http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/ .


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