‘We are ... being demonized’: Federal workers grapple with a demoralizing assault

As an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Michael Garrett says he has always known he could double his salary in the private sector. But when he became a federal employee over a decade ago, Mr. Garrett (not his real name) was thinking about more than money.

“[I] chose the federal government because of job stability and to have a healthy work-life balance,” says the engineer, who, like other federal employees, asked to remain anonymous so he could speak candidly. Beyond the personal benefits, he had a sincere desire to serve the greater good: “I felt like I could make a difference.”