Ideas for how federal leaders can mark Public Service Recognition Week | Tom Fox, The Washington Post

As a public servant for more than 30 years, working in local government communications, I appreciated reading this column. Fox notes that this week, May 6-12, is Public Service Recognition Week.

He writes to federal government leaders (though, of course, these comments apply to workers at all levels of government):

It’s especially important this year to recognize your employees given the current climate — morale is down because of the recent government scandals and congressional efforts to cut employee compensation.

Set aside by Congress to honor the men and women who serve our nation as government employees, PSRW is a time to honor public servants working each and every day to find solutions to our country’s problems, assist Americans in need, keep us safe and advance national interests.

Before listing ways that leaders can express appreciation to public employees, Fox quotes a letter from 15 Cabinet secretaries who head federal departments in the United States.

[Public servants] make our country stronger and they make a difference in the world. Yet, it is rare that they are publicly thanked for the work they do, every day, to serve their fellow Americans. This week, we would like to call attention to those public servants who help make life better in our communities, the nation and around the world. It is our pleasure and honor to serve with them.

I'd also like to express my thanks to our public-sector employees. I worked with many of them in King County, Washington, who are committed to serving the needs and interests of people and our communities:

• Metro Transit
• Department of Transportation
• Wastewater Treatment Division
• Department of Natural Resources and Parks/