Washington, DC- Linda M. Springer, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, released the following statement today regarding the ruling by the Circuit Court of Appeals on the personnel system for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"I am disappointed in the ruling by the Court of Appeals affecting the labor provisions of the personnel system authorized by Congress in the Homeland Security Act. The ruling, however, left intact key provisions of the DHS personnel system which establish a performance-based compensation system.

"The Administration and the Congress made it clear that performance-based compensation is a critical component of creating a culture of excellence within DHS. I'm glad the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense are moving forward with their compensation provisions with non-bargaining unit employees. OPM strongly believes that, for the federal government to meet its hiring objectives for the 21^st century workforce, it is essential to have a compensation system which recognizes and rewards performance."

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.