Mission & History
Mission: What We Do
OPM leads federal agencies in building merit-based, accountable, and modern workforce systems that attract and retain top talent to meet America’s toughest challenges.
Vision: Where We Want to Go
As the leader in human capital management, we cultivate a world-class, modern, and efficient workforce.
Values: How We Work
We start with why We work as a team We place customers first We are responsible stewards of Other People’s Money We embrace measured risk
OPM's History
OPM was established as a standalone agency in 1978 to oversee federal workforce management, but our roots date back to 1883, when the Civil Service Reform Act created the competitive civil service. This law requires the federal government to hire public servants based on their skills, and not their political affiliations.
A strong, merit-based civil service is critical to a functioning democracy. It ensures that our government “of the people, by the people, for the people” continues to serve the American public without interruption, even though our leaders change over time. It also safeguards the public interest in a federal workforce that looks like America and that benefits from the talents, ideas, and skills of people from all of our nation’s communities.
The history of OPM and its predecessor, the Civil Service Commission, reflects our country’s social, economic, and population growth, the changing needs of the American workforce, and key moments in the development of modern workforce management:
1883: The Pendleton Act establishes OPM’s predecessor agency, the Civil Service Commission, and the competitive civil service, making federal service available to any citizen with the necessary skills
1907: President Theodore Roosevelt directs federal agencies to create personnel management offices, to better manage the growing federal workforce
1920: The Retirement Act of 1920 creates the federal pension system, a retirement benefit that continues to this day
1923: The Classification Act sets federal salaries according to job duties and sets the standard of equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex, for federal workers in Washington, DC
1933: The first federal child care program provides child care to Works Progress Administration workers
1939: The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees’ participation in political activities
1940: Federally subsidized child care centers are created to care for the children of women working in defense agencies and defense-related sectors
1948: Public Law 617 bans discrimination against people with physical disabilities in federal hiring, provided the individuals can perform the job duties efficiently and safely
1949: The Classification Act of 1949 extends “equal pay for equal work” to all federal workers and establishes the General Schedule pay system we still use today
1962: The Federal Salary Reform Act sets the standard that federal salaries should be comparable to prviate sector salaries for similar work
1962: Executive Order 10988 affirms the right of federal workers to unionize and establishes the Federal Labor Relations Council, led by the Civil Service Commission chairperson
1970: The Hughes Act enables federal agencies to provide confidential alcohol abuse treatment programs for federal employees, paving the way for other employer-based mental health care initiatives
1978: The Public Service Reform Act divides the U.S. Civil Service Commission into three separate agencies, establishing the Office of Personnel Management
1979: Federal agencies pilot the idea of flexible work schedules, a workforce benefit adopted permanently in 1985
1989: The Whistleblower Protection Act expands protections for federal employees who report fraud, waste, or abuse in government
1993: The Family Medical Leave Act is passed, providing employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for illness or caregiving
2000: OPM establishes parity between traditional and mental health care benefits, ahead of most private-sector employers
2001: Congress mandates that every federal agency establish a telework policy covering 100% of eligible employees, advancing family-friendly workplace policies
2013: Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision, OPM extends employees’ family benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees
2015: Executive Order 13706 mandates paid sick leave for federal contractors
2021: Executive Order 14035 requires federal agencies to evaluate hiring data and develop plans to address any barriers to equal employment opportunities
Leaders of this agency have influenced and guided the development of human resources management in the federal government since the passage of the Pendleton Act. This site is provided as a historical nod to those individuals who created and continue to maintain the rich history of this agency.
Former Office of Personnel Management Directors
- Dale Cabaniss (September 2019-March 17, 2020)
- Jeff T. H. Pon (March 9, 2018 - October 5, 2018)
- Katherine Archuleta (May 23, 2013 – July 10, 2015)
- John Berry (April 13, 2009 – April 13, 2013)
- Linda M. Springer (June 28, 2005 - August 13, 2008)
- Kay Coles James (July 11, 2001 - January 31, 2005)
- Janice R. Lachance (November 12, 1997 - January 20, 2001)
- James B. King (April 7, 1993 - September 1, 1997)
- Constance Berry Newman (June 8, 1989 - June 30, 1992)
- Constance Horner (August 22, 1985 - May 10, 1989)
- Donald J. Devine (March 23, 1981 - March 25, 1985)
- Alan K. Campbell (January 2, 1979 - January 20, 1981)
Civil Service Commission Chairman
- Alan K. Campbell (May 5, 1977 - January 2, 1979)
- Robert E. Hampton (January 21, 1969 - March 1, 1979)
- John W. Macy, Jr. (March 6, 1961 - January 20, 1969)
Visitors entering OPM headquarters, the Theodore Roosevelt Building in Washington, D.C., will see in our lobby a memorial to U.S. civil servants who have died in the line of duty.
