AFSA Statement
on the 2026 EER Process
Employee Evaluation Report (EER) season has always been a stressful time in the Foreign Service. In our up-or-out system, promotions, and indeed careers, depend on accurate, well-written, and complete EERs that document the accomplishments employees have made over the preceding year.
Unfortunately, this year the integrity of that system has been called into question due to the department’s unprecedented mishandling of unilateral changes to the EER format.
Score Manipulation Concerns
All employees have the right to have their performance documented accurately. Department communications encouraging rating and reviewing officers to reduce numerical scores to meet arbitrary baselines contravene this right. Supervisors are being told to retroactively modify scores to stay within a prescribed average score. These actions, particularly taken after many EERs had been drafted, make a mockery of the performance evaluation process. Raters and reviewers who have been careful to study guidance and follow instructions tell us that their work is being second-guessed and scores being changed without their knowledge.
Moreover, AFSA has received reports that offices are trying to game the system to meet arbitrary bureau requirements—lowering the scores of those who are not competing for promotion or who will soon retire, so that others may have a better chance. This is contrary to good management practice, destructive of morale, and harmful to the integrity of the EER system.
Problems with Late Guidance
The late guidance that came out only a couple of weeks before EERs were due has resulted in numerous problems. Without the mandated counseling statements for poor performance, raters are unable to give 1s and 2s for poor performance, leading to a situation in which poor performance is not recorded, and above average performance is downgraded.
AFSA’s Position
AFSA understands the seriousness of this issue, and we call upon the department to eliminate the numerical rankings in this year’s EERs.
The errors, unfairness, and pitfalls of this change are just another example in a long series of instances demonstrating what happens when the department unilaterally implements changes that directly impact the workforce without negotiating with or involving AFSA. We encourage all employees whose scores have been unfairly changed or whose EERs do not accurately portray their performance during the rating period to consider filing a grievance.
Right to File Grievances
As a reminder, Foreign Service members have the right, under the Foreign Service Act (Section 1101) and 3 FAM 4412, to grieve any “inaccuracy, omission, error, or falsely prejudicial” information in their personnel record.
AFSA regularly assists members in drafting and filing EER grievances. Email ogc@afsa.org with any questions or to request assistance.
AFSA’s Continued Advocacy
Finally, we want to assure our members that AFSA is continuing to document, challenge, and formally raise each of these changes through all available channels. While some proceedings may be affected by ongoing litigation regarding AFSA’s union status, our advocacy on behalf of the workforce continues unchanged.
As always, thank you for your membership and your service.
