Survey Finds Public Employees Report Satisfaction Alongside Burnout and Harassment
A national survey by Harvard University's Kennedy School found that city and state employees, including those in the Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York region, report high job satisfaction but also significant rates of burnout and workplace harassment. Many employees expressed intent to leave their…
Harrisburg Lancaster Lebanon York, PA, October 23, 2026 —
A national survey by Harvard University’s Kennedy School found that city and state employees report high job satisfaction alongside significant rates of burnout and workplace harassment. The findings also indicate that many employees are considering leaving their jobs.
The survey included employees in the Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York region, as well as workers elsewhere in the country. Its summary does not provide regional figures, so it is not clear how closely local responses matched the national findings.
State workers reported less favorable conditions than employees of local governments, according to the survey summary. It does not specify which workplace measures contributed to that comparison or how large the difference was.
The summary also describes burnout and harassment as significant concerns but does not provide percentages, definitions or details about how respondents reported those experiences. The survey’s sample size, field dates and methodology were not provided, limiting the available detail about how the results were gathered.
Together, the findings portray a workforce with mixed experiences: employees may report satisfaction with their jobs while also facing workplace strain and considering departure. The summary does not identify the reasons employees are thinking about leaving, or say whether those intentions have resulted in actual departures.
Without further figures or methodology, the findings offer a broad account of public-sector employees’ reported experiences rather than a detailed comparison among locations or job groups. The survey summary does not provide recommendations or describe any actions taken in response.
Story summarized from the original created by Kevin Hardy on penncapital-star.com, see more information here.
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