Many of you have expressed a growing sense of frustration, sharing that you’ve lost hope in the VA Central Office returning to a healthy, functioning workplace. You are not alone in this feeling. Your experiences, shared through countless emails, texts, and phone calls, paint a clear picture: Culture Matters, and right now, that culture is in crisis.
Recently, I sent a formal letter to Secretary Doug Collins to address these critical concerns. Below is the content of that letter, which outlines why we must prioritize the environment in which we serve our nation’s Veterans, because ultimately, culture matters to our overarching mission.
Table of Contents
Why Workplace Culture Matters to Our Mission
Leadership often treats “culture” as an abstract concept, but for those of us on the front lines at 810 Vermont Avenue, we know that culture matters because it is the foundation of our success. When a respected technical expert tells me, “I hate this place… they’re going to get the bare minimum from me,” it isn’t just a complaint—it’s a warning that our culture matters more than ever.
A year ago, the atmosphere was different. Today, talented professionals are disengaging. When trust erodes, employees withdraw the creativity and judgment that the Department depends on. As Secretary, the most vital responsibility is not issuing directives, but creating an environment where people feel respected—proving that culture matters at every level of leadership.
Warning 1: The Attack on Telework and Accommodations
One of the most immediate hits to our morale was the curtailment of telework. Despite evidence that balanced telework improves productivity and retention, the current administration’s hostility toward it has created unnecessary barriers.
This is especially true for our colleagues who rely on telework as a reasonable accommodation for disabilities—many of whom are Veterans themselves. In these instances, culture matters because it reflects whether the Department honors its statutory obligations under the Rehabilitation Act or views necessary accommodations as mere “conveniences.”
Warning 2: Unrealistic Production Quotas
We see further evidence of a shifting culture in the increased production quotas for those adjudicating Veteran benefit claims. At the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, the pressure to meet metrics is beginning to outweigh the statutory duty to conduct thorough reviews.
When decisions affecting a Veteran’s stability are made under extreme pressure, the risk of error grows. These metrics send a troubling message: that leadership values numbers over professional judgment. We must remind leadership that culture matters just as much as quantitative metrics.
Warning 3: A Lack of Leadership Empathy
Perhaps the most painful example of why culture matters was the response to the tragic killing of Alex Pretti. In moments of loss, leadership is tested. Instead of honoring a fallen colleague and comforting the grieving, the public response pivoted to politics.
Employees notice who shows courage and who chooses silence. This has contributed to what many describe as a “collective grieving” for an institution they were once proud to serve. How we treat each other in our darkest hours proves that culture matters.
Moving Forward: Rebuilding Trust
As the VA embarks on its largest reorganization in thirty years, we must remember that organizational culture matters most during times of change. Leadership is stewardship, and that stewardship requires the wisdom to listen to the workforce.
To strengthen our service to Veterans, rebuilding trust must become a priority. An engaged workforce is not a luxury; it is the only way this institution can succeed. If we want to achieve our goals, we must act like culture matters today, tomorrow, and always.
Stand With Us
If you are not currently a member of AFGE, I invite you to join or rejoin and help us strengthen the voice of employees at VA Central Office. Your voice deserves to be heard, because your culture matters.
Full Text of the Letter to Secretary Collins
Dear Secretary Collins:
Not long ago, a VA employee widely respected for his technical expertise, strong work ethic, and dedication to the mission said something to me that should concern any leader responsible for an organization of this size and importance. He put it bluntly, reflecting a frustration I increasingly hear from employees across this Department:
“I hate this place. It sucks! They’re going to get the bare minimum from me. Half the people on my team have already left because the environment has become so toxic, and the rest of us are overwhelmed.”
I wish this were an isolated remark, but it is not. In my role representing employees at VA Central Office, I hear variations of it almost daily from talented professionals who are increasingly disengaging from their work. This represents a profound shift from the culture that existed just a year ago. I urge you to take a careful look at the workplace culture now taking hold across this Department. Culture is not an abstract concept; it is the foundation upon which organizations either succeed or fail, including the one charged with serving our nation’s Veterans. And culture is ultimately shaped by leadership.
As Secretary, your most important responsibility is to create an environment where people can do their best work, not simply issue directives or launch new initiatives. A culture in which employees feel respected and supported inspires them to give far more than the minimum required by their job descriptions. When trust erodes, however, employees withdraw discretionary effort—the initiative, creativity, and judgment organizations depend on but cannot command.
Unfortunately, many of the employees I speak with do not feel supported by the Department’s leadership. They do not believe their work is respected, and many no longer feel safe voicing their concerns. Increasingly, they question whether senior leadership truly values their efforts or even shares their commitment to serving Veterans. When employees begin to doubt leadership’s commitment to that mission, the damage to morale and trust spreads quickly throughout the organization.
The damage to morale and trust is consistent with what I hear at VA Central Office, particularly at 810 Vermont Avenue. Employees increasingly describe a growing sense of gloom about the Department’s direction. Some even speak of the workplace atmosphere as a form of collective grieving for an institution they were once proud to serve. Complaints of hostile work environments and declining morale have become increasingly frequent. As the twelfth Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the culture that takes hold during your tenure will inevitably define your legacy. Several recent leadership decisions have already begun to shape that legacy, eroding trust among employees and potentially undermining the Department’s mission to serve Veterans.
Shortly after your arrival, you curtailed telework despite well-documented evidence that balanced telework improves productivity, retention, and employee well-being. This administration’s hostility toward telework has also affected employees who rely on telework as a reasonable accommodation for disabilities, many of whom are themselves disabled Veterans. For these employees, telework is not a convenience but a necessary accommodation that allows them to remain productive members of the workforce. Policies that restrict such accommodations raise serious concerns about whether the Department is fully meeting its statutory obligations under the Rehabilitation Act – an especially troubling question for an agency that employs so many disabled Veterans.
Another decision raising concern among employees is the increased production quotas for those adjudicating Veterans’ benefit claims. At the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, attorneys and Veterans Law Judges increasingly believe these quotas make it difficult to fulfill their statutory duty to conduct de novo review of Veterans’ claims. Concerns about decision quality are not new. During a Congressional subcommittee hearing two years ago, members of Congress raised questions about the Board’s quality and the pressures created by production expectations. When cases affecting Veterans’ benefits are decided under increasing production pressure, the risk of error inevitably grows. These decisions determine whether Veterans receive the compensation and stability they depend on, often during periods of financial hardship. Decisions like these send a troubling message: leadership does not trust employees’ professional judgment and is willing to sacrifice statutory duties mandated by Congress in favor of production metrics.
Employees’ trust in your leadership was further damaged by your response to the killing of Alex Pretti. When one of your own is killed, leadership has one responsibility: honor the life, comfort the grieving, and stand with your people. Instead, your public response pivoted immediately to politics. Whatever the circumstances surrounding Alex’s death, nothing prevented you from acknowledging his service, mourning with his colleagues, or simply showing up at a vigil to say a prayer. Leadership is tested in moments like this. In such moments, employees notice who shows courage and who chooses silence.
I write this not out of hostility but out of concern for the future of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans who depend on it. I was raised in a family where work ethic was everything, and being a lazy employee was considered a sin. That mindset has guided my own career at VA for nearly three decades. I do not excuse poor performance or misconduct, because accountability matters. But leadership also carries a responsibility to create an environment where capable and dedicated people can do their best work.
The consequences of recent leadership decisions are now becoming visible across this Department. When capable and dedicated employees begin to disengage from their work, it is not merely a workforce issue; it is a warning about the health and direction of the institution itself. If this Department is to strengthen its service to Veterans, rebuilding trust with the workforce must become a priority. An engaged workforce is not a luxury; it is essential to the success of an institution charged with serving our nation’s Veterans.
That responsibility rests with you as Secretary, particularly as the Department embarks on the largest reorganization it has undertaken in more than thirty years. Organizational culture becomes even more critical during periods of major institutional change, when trust, clarity, and leadership determine whether reforms succeed or fail.
These concerns deserve serious reflection from you and those responsible for guiding this Department. As Scripture reminds us, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48). Leadership is not merely authority. It is stewardship, and stewardship requires wisdom and humility.
Respectfully,
Douglas E. Massey, Esq.
President
AFGE Local 17, AFL-CIO
