Good enough for government work ?

Question

what does it mean when someone says"good enough for government work"?

Answer 1

The cliché "good enough for government work" implies that lower standards are acceptable for a job sponsored by a public agency.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Governments are known for employing more people than they need and requiring very little of them.  This assumption may be right or wrong -- I'm not passing judgment, just saying how most people view government jobs.

So 'good enough for government work' means not very good at all.