European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday october 28, 1990 the stars and stripes # i # a in Cirtno ainu Bihi hts Page Aid in weeding out workers urged Gao wants guidelines revamped fuck Vinch i by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the general accounting office is urging Congress to give Federal supervisors More authority to Deal with a minimally acceptable employees including dismissing those that done to improve. A the Federal auditors concluded there is Little justification for what they said is the common perception that the Federal work Force is a Haven for unproductive workers. A random Survey of 550 managers and interviews at 10 Federal agencies led the Gao to conclude that supervisors usually Are Able to Correct or otherwise handle performance problems. However about half the supervisors said they had had trouble implementing the time consuming process for dealing with poor performers and Many also perceived a Lack of management support for their actions. The estimated 5 percent of Federal employees who perform at a a minimally successful level present particular problems for supervisors because of a loophole in the Federal statutes covering government employ ment policies the report said. Minimally successful general schedule and wage Grade workers can to be downgraded to unacceptable because their performance is not poor enough to warrant such a rating compared with the relatively Low standards used to assess them the Gao said. The Only recourse is to reassign the employees or deny salary step increases which offer Little leverage for the supervisor and Little incentive for the employee to improve the report  result is employees with minimally successful ratings for lengthy periods. The report cited examples of workers who were continuously rated minimally successful for As Long As 44 months. A i have seen people that Are minimal that Are dead Quot i have seen people that Are minimal that Are dead ended in jobs they never leave. They Are poor arts years Federal supervisor ended in jobs they never leave a one supervisor said they Are poor performers for years and  because identifying and dealing with poor performers is a subjective process current Law puts heavy emphasis on protecting employees against unfair or arbitrary treatment the report said. A a although these safeguards have resulted in a process for dealing with poor performers that May never be perceived As a Quick and easy by supervisors there does appear to be some potential for making it less difficult a it said. A the Gao suggested congressional and administrative remedies. On one hand management must be actively involved in fostering an environment in which supervisors Are encouraged and supported throughout the process of dealing with poor performers. Specifically agencies should upgrade efforts to track and resolve performance problems and improve train my and technical assistance for supervisors. Less than one third of the supervisors said they have received any training in dealing with marginal performers the report said. 1 on a legislative level the report offers four options Tor Congress a tighten standards so that what is now considered minimally acceptable performance becomes Unac Cupta a eliminate the minimally successful rating completely so that employees performing at that level now would be rated As unacceptable. A link pay More closely with performance and give supervisors the authority to deny pay increases for Lon term minimally acceptable employees. A give supervisors the option of demoting or removing employees who remain at the minimally successful level after being Given a reasonable Chance to improve. The office of personnel management concurred with the recommendations especially the last one because it would let agencies continue to decide whether to use minimally successful ratings while also giving supervisors More authority to take action if employee performance does no to improve. The report was not received Well by the National federation of Federal employees which questioned whether minimally successful employees can be called marginal performers since they Are not rated As unacceptable. A we fail to see any problem a wrote Steven Kris Berg the Union executive director. A we do not believe it is proper to categorize a minimally successful employee As a poor  the Gao report disagrees. A looking at this Issue from the taxpayers Point of View a the report said a we believe that the fully successful level is the minimum level of performance Federal agencies should  a. A a a a j1iuvi1u Wutt Anderson has 6th birthday As hostage Beirut. Lebanon a  i Anfana Toi it no Beirut Lebanon apr american hostage Terry Anderson on saturday turned 43 a his sixth birthday in Captivity a and his sister pleaded with the captors to give him a the gift of  the journalists birthday coincided with a report by the conservative daily newspaper and Dinar that said missing anglican Church envoy Terry Waite would be released soon. The report attributed to an unidentified Security source said Waite would be freed either a by the end of this month or within the first half of the coming november at the  the front Page report did not give further details. It was the latest in a series predicting waiters release since sept. 27, when Iran and Britain agreed to restore diplomatic ties. Waite 51, was kidnapped in moslem West Beirut on Jan. 20, 1987, after leaving his hotel for a rendezvous with representatives of islamic jihad or islamic holy War the shadowy shiite moslem faction that claims to hold Anderson. Anderson of Lorain Ohio is the longest held among 13 westerners a including six americans a who Are missing and believed kidnapped in Lebanon. Anderson chief Middle East correspondent for the associated press was kidnapped in moslem West Beirut on March 16,1985. Seven of Lebanon a eight daily newspapers marked Andersons birthday by publishing letters to him from his sister Peggy say his younger daughter Salome whom he has never met and us lome a lebanese Mother Madeleine. Try pfc language newspapers published the original English text of the letters hoping that Andersons kidnappers would allow him to read them. Anderson did not know arabic when he was kidnapped. ,. The associated press Bureau in Beirut held a somber birthday party for Anderson at his office which his colleagues refer to As a a Teriya a  it has not been used by any of the staff since his abduction. His desk remains the same and is adorned with a color picture of his elder daughter Gabrielle playing with a dog. For the birthday the room was decorated with the 14 pictures of Anderson in Captivity that islamic jihad has released since his abduction. The staff Sang a Happy associated press employees in Beirut blow out a Candle on a cake for kidnapped correspondent Terry Anderson. Birthday and blew out a Candle on a White cake. The party was attended by local and foreign reporters. The newspapers also published an arabic translation of says letter to the captors pleading with them to release Anderson and the other captives. A i beg you to release Terry and the others for humanitarian reasons. Please in Honor of his birthday give Terry and the others the gift of Freedom this year a she wrote. A this daughter Salome whom he has never seen started school last month. His daughter Gabrielle has matured from a child of 8 to a Young woman of 14,�?� she said. Along with us lome a Handwritten letter the papers published a Pencil drawing by the child who was born 83 Days after her fathers abduction. The drawing showed Happy children playing. A to dad. I love you. Happy birthday. I go to proper school. I do work tracing Art math. I can write and read. I love you a the letter said