Government employee thread! (Being a government employee is sweet) (1 Viewer)

[Max Power]

As long as the mission of USAID is still carried out with ideals of mercy and humanity built in as designed then moving the agency under the umbrella of State might not be an awful thing.

Exactly. Shutting down USAID or DoEd (which I worked at) are good things. We waste so much money. Put the oversees funding into the DoS and keep them art history majors from deciding what's important overseas. Move Ed to state level and put the remaining in something like HHS, like meal vouchers, etc.

The DoEd was a joke. It was started in 1979 as a way to pacify the teachers unions as Carter was on the way out. You know we send $675M each year to Harvard, who has like a $53B endowment? It's hardly limited to just them. They don't need our money. They just want it. And funding some professor that teaches one class a semester while researching whatever ... it's coming out of your pocket. Private companies can fund the research and their endowment can pay for ther students. We don't need to be propping up a private college that would deny 99.999% of US students. And multiply that by xxx number of private schools. We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

I've lived in DC area my whole life. Your federal govt is a completely mismanaged organization. $6.75 Trillion in spending last year. Each of us contributes an average of $52K per year to keep it running. It's ridiculous.

I'm so glad someone is trying something ...Anything. I may not like all that is done nor the way some people do it. But staying with the status quo will turn us in to the dead Roman Empire.

I think the audit of USAID is a good thing. I've been surprised to hear some of the avenues our tax dollars are funding... Like TV shows and legacy media.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

As long as the mission of USAID is still carried out with ideals of mercy and humanity built in as designed then moving the agency under the umbrella of State might not be an awful thing.

Exactly. Shutting down USAID or DoEd (which I worked at) are good things. We waste so much money. Put the oversees funding into the DoS and keep them art history majors from deciding what's important overseas. Move Ed to state level and put the remaining in something like HHS, like meal vouchers, etc.

The DoEd was a joke. It was started in 1979 as a way to pacify the teachers unions as Carter was on the way out. You know we send $675M each year to Harvard, who has like a $53B endowment? It's hardly limited to just them. They don't need our money. They just want it. And funding some professor that teaches one class a semester while researching whatever ... it's coming out of your pocket. Private companies can fund the research and their endowment can pay for ther students. We don't need to be propping up a private college that would deny 99.999% of US students. And multiply that by xxx number of private schools. We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

I've lived in DC area my whole life. Your federal govt is a completely mismanaged organization. $6.75 Trillion in spending last year. Each of us contributes an average of $52K per year to keep it running. It's ridiculous.

I'm so glad someone is trying something ...Anything. I may not like all that is done nor the way some people do it. But staying with the status quo will turn us in to the dead Roman Empire.

My wife has an Art History degree, tread lightly
She also has a couple other advanced degrees and many of your other points are well taken but let's not look down on Art History

-Why does so much art in the 1500s and prior revolve around Christianity? If we open up our World History books and our Bible History books we start to see a lot of things that overlap on the timeline of mankind throughout the World. The United States doesn't even exist yet

Just offering some perspective
You make some excellent points

 

[Judge Smails]

As long as the mission of USAID is still carried out with ideals of mercy and humanity built in as designed then moving the agency under the umbrella of State might not be an awful thing.

Exactly. Shutting down USAID or DoEd (which I worked at) are good things. We waste so much money. Put the oversees funding into the DoS and keep them art history majors from deciding what's important overseas. Move Ed to state level and put the remaining in something like HHS, like meal vouchers, etc.

The DoEd was a joke. It was started in 1979 as a way to pacify the teachers unions as Carter was on the way out. You know we send $675M each year to Harvard, who has like a $53B endowment? It's hardly limited to just them. They don't need our money. They just want it. And funding some professor that teaches one class a semester while researching whatever ... it's coming out of your pocket. Private companies can fund the research and their endowment can pay for ther students. We don't need to be propping up a private college that would deny 99.999% of US students. And multiply that by xxx number of private schools. We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

I've lived in DC area my whole life. Your federal govt is a completely mismanaged organization. $6.75 Trillion in spending last year. Each of us contributes an average of $52K per year to keep it running. It's ridiculous.

I'm so glad someone is trying something ...Anything. I may not like all that is done nor the way some people do it. But staying with the status quo will turn us in to the dead Roman Empire.

Such a great post

 

[the moops]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

 

[[icon]]

there is some major strategic reasons for the services provided by USAID, things the military isn’t right to do but help the national defense - imo anyway.

Please help us understand the "major strategic reasons" behind services provided USAID such as $1.5 million for advancing DEI in Serbia's workplaces, $70K for production of a DEI musical in Ireland, $47K for a transgender opera in Colombia, and $32K for a transgender comic book in Peru. Source: WH Press Secretary

Q - are there questionable uses of funds in USAID?
A - yes
Q - are there questionable uses of funds in the vast majority of agencies?
A - sure, probably
Q - is the USAID overall a valuable resource?
A - yes

Q - is it appropriate to review the function of USAID to ensure it aligns with current foreign policy objectives?
A - yes
Q - is it appropriate to ensure that the taxpayer money used to fund USAID is spent wisely and wasteful programs eliminated?
A - yes

The callousness of the shuttering of USAID is apalling. So many people doing good humanitarian work are left scrambling. So many programs that bolster the image of the US worldwide are vaporized. So many millions that are in need and rely on humanitarian aid paid for by the USG will know that our country turned their backs on them without any notice.

These are programs that provide polio vaccines, HIV drugs, clean water and sanitation, prosthetic limbs, landmine clearing, and so many other good deeds around the world. If the American people think those aren't worthwhile and the USG agrees, OK fine, wind down the programs. But simply cutting off funding and firing all personnel without warning? There is so much cruelty in that.

I just can't get over how un Christ-like this is. Tell me, Christians, why you would support such actions?

An analogy I’ve heard:

If you heard a hospital had some wasteful spending, do you think the correct approach is to throw every breaker and fire the majority of the staff, then start turning things on rehiring if people start dying?

Or do you come in, audit, then trim the fat?

I don’t know a single person who is denying there was waste in the agency. The question is… which would have been the best approach?

Me, I’m not big on ”throwing the baby out with the bathwater” but….. I’ll stop there given the forum restrictions

 

[Max Power]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

 

[Ilov80s]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

 

[Stoneworker]

I'm interested in seeing how union lawsuits asking for a TRO shake out. The American Federation of Government Employees ("AFGE") represents 800K and is strongly advising against taking the buyout. Wondering if this will actually be ruled on prior to Feb 6th.

Lawsuit Seeks to Stay February 6 Deadline, Require Agency to Articulate a Lawful Policy

 

[Stoneworker]

there is some major strategic reasons for the services provided by USAID, things the military isn’t right to do but help the national defense - imo anyway.

Please help us understand the "major strategic reasons" behind services provided USAID such as $1.5 million for advancing DEI in Serbia's workplaces, $70K for production of a DEI musical in Ireland, $47K for a transgender opera in Colombia, and $32K for a transgender comic book in Peru. Source: WH Press Secretary

Q - are there questionable uses of funds in USAID?
A - yes
Q - are there questionable uses of funds in the vast majority of agencies?
A - sure, probably
Q - is the USAID overall a valuable resource?
A - yes

Q - is it appropriate to review the function of USAID to ensure it aligns with current foreign policy objectives?
A - yes
Q - is it appropriate to ensure that the taxpayer money used to fund USAID is spent wisely and wasteful programs eliminated?
A - yes

The callousness of the shuttering of USAID is apalling. So many people doing good humanitarian work are left scrambling. So many programs that bolster the image of the US worldwide are vaporized. So many millions that are in need and rely on humanitarian aid paid for by the USG will know that our country turned their backs on them without any notice.

These are programs that provide polio vaccines, HIV drugs, clean water and sanitation, prosthetic limbs, landmine clearing, and so many other good deeds around the world. If the American people think those aren't worthwhile and the USG agrees, OK fine, wind down the programs. But simply cutting off funding and firing all personnel without warning? There is so much cruelty in that.

I just can't get over how un Christ-like this is. Tell me, Christians, why you would support such actions?

An analogy I’ve heard:

If you heard a hospital had some wasteful spending, do you think the correct approach is to throw every breaker and fire the majority of the staff, then start turning things on rehiring if people start dying?

Or do you come in, audit, then trim the fat?

I don’t know a single person who is denying there was waste in the agency. The question is… which would have been the best approach?

Me, I’m not big on ”throwing the baby out with the bathwater” but….. I’ll stop there given the forum restrictions

But what do you do when the entity being audited doesn't allow access to the books and records required to conduct the audit?

 

[-OZ-]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

 

[Sand]

An analogy I’ve heard:

If you heard a hospital had some wasteful spending, do you think the correct approach is to throw every breaker and fire the majority of the staff, then start turning things on rehiring if people start dying?

Or do you come in, audit, then trim the fat?

I don’t know a single person who is denying there was waste in the agency. The question is… which would have been the best approach?

Me, I’m not big on ”throwing the baby out with the bathwater” but….. I’ll stop there given the forum restrictions

At least in the one case where a whole org was refusing orders from their boss and their boss's boss burning it to the ground was the chosen approach. Their function was absorbed into a more competent org. We see aid resuming in areas that advance the chosen philosophy. This really doesn't appear to be anything different than what would happen inside a corporation with a new CEO - pretty normal. Apple carts will be tipped over inside this massive machine. Some desperately need to be tipped over.

I wish some of the things being done were more granular, but it appears that the chosen approach is "rip the band aid off" instead of a drawn out approach.

 

[dgreen]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

Yeah, @Ilov80s claim is literally true. Similarly, I can drive as fast as I want unless someone stops me. Speed limit laws are only meaningful if they are enforced. Anyone can do anything they want unless someone stops them.

 

[Stoneworker]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

Who was overseeing USAID to begin with?

 

[Max Power]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

Yeah, @Ilov80s claim is literally true. Similarly, I can drive as fast as I want unless someone stops me. Speed limit laws are only meaningful if they are enforced. Anyone can do anything they want unless someone stops them.

Good thing we have checks and balances within the government.

 

[dgreen]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

Yeah, @Ilov80s claim is literally true. Similarly, I can drive as fast as I want unless someone stops me. Speed limit laws are only meaningful if they are enforced. Anyone can do anything they want unless someone stops them.

Good thing we have checks and balances within the government.

Agree, and I hope they are used. But, like laws, checks and balances are only as good as a willingness to act upon it. Congress has called OPM out on possible data security issues related to recent events, so we'll see how those hearings go and if anything is checked and balanced.

 

[fatness]

We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

Are you sure this is true? It seems unlikely.

 

[Sand]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

Who was overseeing USAID to begin with?

Department of State

 

[quick-hands]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

Who was overseeing USAID to begin with?

Department of State

apparently they ignored the State Dept

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

And likely illegal.

 

[Ilov80s]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

And likely illegal.

Yes that does matter. Absolutely it does.

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Democracy is only as good as the those overseeing it. There are some harsh realities that have been exposed and people are doing everything they can to ignore them.

 

[Ilov80s]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

He’s basically a copy and pasted Bond character. You can decide for yourself which role he would be cast as.

 

[Stoneworker]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

Who was overseeing USAID to begin with?

Department of State

apparently they ignored the State Dept

Exactly. That's the crux of the issue. Guys like Ilov80s supposedly want "oversight" but when the agency (that by law in the founding statute) seeks to provide that oversight then they get stonewalled. Big reason why the house is being cleaned

 

[-OZ-]

Audit good. How audit being done, bad. That’s my caveman take. Just seems wreckless and being done with the intention of breaking it. Who is in charge of it? Why? What’s the oversight?

And likely illegal.

Yes that does matter. Absolutely it does.

It’s an odd nuance but I care more about whether the people doing it care whether it’s illegal.

 

[tommyGunZ]

I read somewhere on social media that 20k govt employees have accepted the severance/buyout (whatever is the appropriate term)

Haven't been able to locate an article from the legacy media. If somebody finds it, please post.

I was just sitting with my supervisor this morning who told me our command had more people respond "resign" to the fork email than our leadership would have guessed. Since we're DoD, the current thinking is that those employees won't be eligible, but they are sorting through that now. It's a bit surprising because we don't have many WFH type jobs, and everyone is already in the building 5 days a week.

We are going through our own internal reorganization that will have pros and cons for everyone, but I didn't think anything was changing enough to quit over. The worst thing to happen to anyone is a more structured deployment schedule that will force those not already pulling their weight to step up.

If you are surprised now at the percentage of folks you work with taking the package, consider how much harder it will be for government to attract and retain talent in the future. People choosing to serve in govt roles were already conceding compensation for stabiliity. Imagine what it will be like when the standard offering from govt to work in public services is: “Come work for us - we’ll pay you significantly less than you could make in the private sector and your job can vanish at any time, on a whim.”

The chaos being sewn now will reverberate for decades.

No one is getting fired though. This was a voluntary out. The pay gap has been widening for years now, so that is an issue that needs to be looked at.

Perhaps no one in your department/team may be getting fired today, but your co-workers can read the news and see the machete being used elsewhere. Civil servants who have spent decades in other countries working for USAID are being uprooted immediately; many have kids in school, home leases, etc. and told they will be “evacuated” within 30 days.

If we're uprooting folks in that manner, you think our new overlords care about laying off a few IT workers? Even if it’s not currently happening to your team, the possibility that it could happen to them is now a factor in their decision making.

 

[-OZ-]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

He’s basically a copy and pasted Bond character. You can decide for yourself which role he would be cast as.

I believe in some universes Lex Luther was a hero.

 

[tommyGunZ]

We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

Are you sure this is true? It seems unlikely.

This stood out to me as well. @Brunell4MVP , do you have a link to your source that the government is funding barber shop schools to the tune of $1B?

 

[Ilov80s]

Thanks. That doesn't sound very official to me. Two unnamed officials telling CNN something. It sort of reads like a scare tactic from the government side. They did the same thing with the vaccine mandate, and it had no teeth in the end.

It may not sound very official, but it sure does sound like something this president fella wants to do, right?

Wants to sure, but can he? I don't think so. I think that's why the scare tactic.

He can do anything he wants unless someone stops him.

I feel that's too much of an extreme position to hold. It's becoming the slippery slope argument.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Musk is either going to be remembered as a super villain or a hero.

Yeah, @Ilov80s claim is literally true. Similarly, I can drive as fast as I want unless someone stops me. Speed limit laws are only meaningful if they are enforced. Anyone can do anything they want unless someone stops them.

Good thing we have checks and balances within the government.

Only works if the branches choose to exercise that power. We have a school wide no phones in class policy in the building but many teachers don’t want to make the effort to enforce it and the admin don’t want to make the effort to push the teachers on it so the no phone rule is just words on a piece of paper.

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

 

[Gally]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

We were told in a weather closure you would get an admin charge number so you wouldn't be teleworking or going in. It would just be a snow day

ETA: Not that it works for me in CA but for my work brethren in places it snows.

 

[ChiefD]

We send like $1B to barber shop schools.

Are you sure this is true? It seems unlikely.

This stood out to me as well. @Brunell4MVP , do you have a link to your source that the government is funding barber shop schools to the tune of $1B?

Might be possible if he is talking about Pell Grant money. I'm guessing barber and cosmetology school students could apply and receive money for that.

Seeing as how we fund $27B a year for Pell Grants.....

A quick google search is where I got that info.

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

We were told in a weather closure you would get an admin charge number so you wouldn't be teleworking or going in. It would just be a snow day

ETA: Not that it works for me in CA but for my work brethren in places it snows.

That's what makes sense to me since we no longer have TW agreements.

 

[Don Quixote]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

We were told in a weather closure you would get an admin charge number so you wouldn't be teleworking or going in. It would just be a snow day

ETA: Not that it works for me in CA but for my work brethren in places it snows.

That's what makes sense to me since we no longer have TW agreements.

My wife’s TW agreement not cancelled yet, but she said that if/when they do that, she’s just leaving her laptop at the office.

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

We were told in a weather closure you would get an admin charge number so you wouldn't be teleworking or going in. It would just be a snow day

ETA: Not that it works for me in CA but for my work brethren in places it snows.

That's what makes sense to me since we no longer have TW agreements.

My wife’s TW agreement not cancelled yet, but she said that if/when they do that, she’s just leaving her laptop at the office.

We are being told to have laptops at home “just in case”. So, some people have to somehow make a “just in case” decision of whether to leave home or not at like 6 am. I really just want a decision. I don’t really care what the decision is.

 

[-OZ-]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

Interesting. Ours haven’t been cancelled yet (to my knowledge, I’ve been out this week but have checked my email).
Before COVID we were given admin leave. I guess we’re going back to uncharged leave basically, unless we know a day or two ahead of time.

 

[-OZ-]

My wife’s TW agreement not cancelled yet, but she said that if/when they do that, she’s just leaving her laptop at the office.

Yep. “I need to get security updates”

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

Interesting. Ours haven’t been cancelled yet (to my knowledge, I’ve been out this week but have checked my email).
Before COVID we were given admin leave. I guess we’re going back to uncharged leave basically, unless we know a day or two ahead of time.

Our department emailed all agencies a couple weeks ago saying all telework agreements (other than bargaining unit) were canceled immediately. No 30 day transition window like so many other agencies have. I'm sure our leadership worked with certain individuals who might have needed more time to get into the office every day, but for the vast majority of us the message was to report the next day. By the end of the following week, our agency had systematically canceled those agreements in the system. We've asked what that means for something like snow and have never received an answer.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I'm old enough to remember when people went into offices despite snow.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I mean, I now live in a desert and wfh, so screw that noise. But there WAS a time

 

[belljr]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

We were told in a weather closure you would get an admin charge number so you wouldn't be teleworking or going in. It would just be a snow day

ETA: Not that it works for me in CA but for my work brethren in places it snows.

That's how it used to work until we got telework approval. Now snow we have to telework if facility is closed.

But same thing here no guidance.

I'm a BUE and we have no guidance. I'm considering just coming in from now on

 

[belljr]

So we got an email today about who else has been added to the exempt buyout list. I'm technically not listed in one of those. What I work on is super close to one of those and is being used by one of those and there's another blurb that says other exempt employees could be potential for safety issues and or support systems and I am technically in one of those. So I think that's good news, but it's not 100% clear if that means me or not. Who knows at this point

 

[quick-hands]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

sounds like you need to head in.

 

[quick-hands]

I'm old enough to remember when people went into offices despite snow.

that'd be me

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

sounds like you need to head in.

If there’s snow when I get up in the morning, I’m staying home. It’s just a matter of whether or not I’m working from home or taking leave.

Good news is it should change over to rain really early so hopefully the ground is just wet when I get up.

 

[the moops]

I'm old enough to remember when people went into offices despite snow.

We all are. But if remote working was an option back then, it would have been wise for all to have people not spend an extra 45 minutes getting into the office or risking a car accident. I would hope that even the most ardent supporter of everyone get back to the office could see the benefits of still getting stuff done on snow days without needing people at their desks

 

[Don Quixote]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

sounds like you need to head in.

If there’s snow when I get up in the morning, I’m staying home. It’s just a matter of whether or not I’m working from home or taking leave.

Good news is it should change over to rain really early so hopefully the ground is just wet when I get up.

Looks like they are projecting 5” of snow early next week. I think it will be interesting to see approach then with folks without telework agreements.

 

[quick-hands]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

sounds like you need to head in.

If there’s snow when I get up in the morning, I’m staying home. It’s just a matter of whether or not I’m working from home or taking leave.

Good news is it should change over to rain really early so hopefully the ground is just wet when I get up.

ice road truckers

 

[Ilov80s]

Not sure the break things model that so much of the fast moving tech bros often live by is a good approach for our aviation system.

 

[belljr]

Not sure the break things model that so much of the fast moving tech bros often live by is a good approach for our aviation system.

They might try but there is zero chance they will understand to complexities of the entire system and why you can't just plug n play something new

And it frightening to see if they actually try. Plugging into an secure operational system is probably the most dangerous possible thing you can do

 

[dgreen]

Possibility of snow tonight and it appears nobody in my agency's leadership knows what that means for our TW status. Typically with snow, OPM will announce a couple options. They might say that offices are open and employees have the option for unscheduled TW. Or, they may say offices are closed and we are in a maximum telework situation. The problem is, all of our telework agreements were canceled. So, nobody knows whether OPM still has those status options and if so how we are to act in each situation.

sounds like you need to head in.

If there’s snow when I get up in the morning, I’m staying home. It’s just a matter of whether or not I’m working from home or taking leave.

Good news is it should change over to rain really early so hopefully the ground is just wet when I get up.

Looks like they are projecting 5” of snow early next week. I think it will be interesting to see approach then with folks without telework agreements.

Yeah, hopefully we have good guidance by then.