Federal Employees
- Thread starter SamSpade
- Start date
Are you dead weight?
Clem72
Well-Known Member
They have gone out of their way, repeatedly, to indicate that layoffs aren't targeted (because that opens the process up to litigation). Only firing "dead weight" is the definition of targeted and would allow the process to be tied up in court for more than 4 years. Instead they will try to remove entire agencies, or cause funding issues resulting in closure, or convince people to quit (take away remote work), or as Vivek has proposed fire people in a random way like firing employees whose SSN ends in an odd number.
So while the non-dead weight should hopefully be able to find a new job, it likely won't figure into whether or not it's necessary.
Grumpy
Well-Known Member
You'll have to axe them
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
I went to our orientation this past week - it seems that not just our agency but most of them in Washington are returning to the buildings.
For us, it's been for a couple reasons - once the buildings were evacuated, they decided on a plan to make it more in line with their future plans - that, and the fact that we keep getting MORE AND MORE other agencies cramming into the building. To accommodate over the years, we've had to set up workstations in hallways, meeting rooms, under stairwells and repurposed storage - basically, windowless closet space.
What they have DONE - I must admit already IS a model for efficiency but for one proviso - the expectation is that most people will telework at least half the time. There's just not room for everyone to always be there, in addition to the fact that our numbers SWELL around Census years and shortly thereafter.
Workstations must be reserved either by app or kiosk and everyone brings their issued laptop, badges into the workstation and plugs in. The whole layout is brilliantly done - but if EVERYONE were to be on site, there would NOT BE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
This is in anticipation of a reality almost all of us saw, once we were sent home for the pandemic - office buildings that house every employee all the time have become a millstone and a waste of space and money, For many kinds of businesses, a physical location has become much less practical, and I easily see a future where most people will work from home - or a remote place of their choosing.
Many years ago, I read an article by a leading member of my church called "Empty Cathedrals" - where he bemoaned and I think, rightly criticised the waste of church funds to maintain a building that - by and large - is used for a few hours each week - but otherwise must be maintained - electricity, heating, repairs, water and groundskeeping - a lot of money for mimimal use. His idea was not to take the path MY offshoot made - to eliminate the buildings utterly - but to repurpose them as flexible use. But too many people balked at the idea of the "sanctuary" of the church doubling as a daycare, a school or a soup kitchen - functions that you would EXPECT to be part of a church's actual MISSION. They were too locked into the mindset that church is for attending services. Period. I once served on a board of trustees for a church - you just simply would not believe HOW MUCH the meager funds it got were swallowed up by keeping a building.
It just made too much sense, but the hurdle - was people's minds.
Before I pass on from this mortal coil - I do believe I will see the eventual end of most office buildings, just as we've seen the departure of malls, and bookstores and record stores. We're already watching the slow death of brick and mortar stores for shopping, because delivery is just more practical.
For us, it's been for a couple reasons - once the buildings were evacuated, they decided on a plan to make it more in line with their future plans - that, and the fact that we keep getting MORE AND MORE other agencies cramming into the building. To accommodate over the years, we've had to set up workstations in hallways, meeting rooms, under stairwells and repurposed storage - basically, windowless closet space.
What they have DONE - I must admit already IS a model for efficiency but for one proviso - the expectation is that most people will telework at least half the time. There's just not room for everyone to always be there, in addition to the fact that our numbers SWELL around Census years and shortly thereafter.
Workstations must be reserved either by app or kiosk and everyone brings their issued laptop, badges into the workstation and plugs in. The whole layout is brilliantly done - but if EVERYONE were to be on site, there would NOT BE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
This is in anticipation of a reality almost all of us saw, once we were sent home for the pandemic - office buildings that house every employee all the time have become a millstone and a waste of space and money, For many kinds of businesses, a physical location has become much less practical, and I easily see a future where most people will work from home - or a remote place of their choosing.
Many years ago, I read an article by a leading member of my church called "Empty Cathedrals" - where he bemoaned and I think, rightly criticised the waste of church funds to maintain a building that - by and large - is used for a few hours each week - but otherwise must be maintained - electricity, heating, repairs, water and groundskeeping - a lot of money for mimimal use. His idea was not to take the path MY offshoot made - to eliminate the buildings utterly - but to repurpose them as flexible use. But too many people balked at the idea of the "sanctuary" of the church doubling as a daycare, a school or a soup kitchen - functions that you would EXPECT to be part of a church's actual MISSION. They were too locked into the mindset that church is for attending services. Period. I once served on a board of trustees for a church - you just simply would not believe HOW MUCH the meager funds it got were swallowed up by keeping a building.
It just made too much sense, but the hurdle - was people's minds.
Before I pass on from this mortal coil - I do believe I will see the eventual end of most office buildings, just as we've seen the departure of malls, and bookstores and record stores. We're already watching the slow death of brick and mortar stores for shopping, because delivery is just more practical.
NextJen
Raisin cane
Glad I got out when I did! Good luck with all the changes and with the potential ‘downsizing’.
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
The people above me have seen threats of downsizing and RIFs and generally, they've been able to get by with a freeze on hires and being unable to fill vacancies. I might have no superbisor for the remainder of my tenure in the government.
I'm not too keen on what they typically do to save money. One is, lock out new (young) hires. It takes long enough to hire ANYONE because of the tortuous hiring process so what it usually means is - an aging workforce. Another is to wipe out equipment and technology improvements, which leads to overuse of increasingly antiquated machines and software. It saves money but only in the short run. Another is to stop all automatic pay increases, which most years is commensurate with private industry (around 2-3%) but during several Obama years, it was zero and then only bumped up to 1%.
In the Clinton years, they had buyouts, which sound nice but they often meant a loss of experience in exchange for a small payout.
Chopticon64
Well-Known Member
I’m really excited about the DOGE panel and I’m glad to see folks sweat.
I’ve read lots of reports about a full suspension of SSDI, I think that’s a perfect position. If you’re taking SSDI you should explain it weekly.
We need a full audit of all federal spending, including contracts. I’ve already submitted the posting history of accounts here who said they were contractors during working hours.
The DOGE X account gives options for wasteful spending. Looking forward to a full sweep of the waste, please add what you’ve seen. I’m sure lots of folks here have people to report!
I’ve read lots of reports about a full suspension of SSDI, I think that’s a perfect position. If you’re taking SSDI you should explain it weekly.
We need a full audit of all federal spending, including contracts. I’ve already submitted the posting history of accounts here who said they were contractors during working hours.
The DOGE X account gives options for wasteful spending. Looking forward to a full sweep of the waste, please add what you’ve seen. I’m sure lots of folks here have people to report!
WingsOfGold
Well-Known Member
Walmart delivers here within 15 minutes usually. She puts in a order at least 4 times a week.
What happened to that Kamala landslide?
Did you get all the crying out of your system or is your post the result of a colossal dose of antidepressants?
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glhs837
Power with Control
Weekly? Hmm, my wifes nonverbal 30 year old autistic nieces Mom shouldn't have to explain that conditions not gonna change weekly, should she? Dont get me wrong, I know there are a gargantuan amount of shitbags getting it for nothing or getting while working under the table. My point is knee jerk blanket policies maybe not always the best.
He’s testing out his newly acquired conservative street-cred and talking points.
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
Agrred. Now, I do live in a world heavily populated by parents of adult children with special needs, but I can't imagine a situation where I would have to justify the meager funds they do issue for my son - (since he is incapable of advocationg for himself ) - every week. The vetting process has so far taken two years - and his condition will never ever change.
How did my thread turn into THIS?
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
There's another thing - penny wise and poind foolish. The smartest thing to do is to prioritize where the big bucks are going, and where big government bucks are going where it is not needed.
I just read an article not long ago where government is issuing blocks of money to EXPIRED programs - in the hundreds of billions. A lot not surprisingly in the Pentagon. I am all for having the world's most fearsome military - but the Pentagon has been failing accountability checks for years.
Bear in mind, if you look at the budgets of MANY agencies - a substantial portion of their expense is simply grants of money to different groups, and a lot of them AREN'T government.
I know if I want to trim my OWN budget, sure I can cancel that small streaming service I barely use at 5.99 a month - but a better use would be to slash the balance on credit cards and its interest charges, trim the waste out of grocery budget and find ways to cut electrical use. I've done my due diligence before and I've found that while small things add up - they're not the culprits of my budget woes.
Finally, out of your coma I see, congratulations on your prophecy being fulfilled to the T.
How phucking NAZI of you!
OMG you are so petty and childish.
You should totally tell Elon Musk that people are posting on the internet when you think they should be at work. No doubt he'll jump right on that as a top priority.
A good friend of mine supervises the extensive restorations underway on a number of major gummint dept and agency buildings in DC. GSA is one..I don't recall the others but its quite a list. Many of them were constructed in the 1930s and not significantly upgraded or renovated since then...he finds all sorts of "cool stuff" buried away in basements, storage rooms and "attics".
Chopticon64
Well-Known Member
I’ve come to the conclusion that this was God’s will and I’m an American first and fully support the president. Most are under the same feeling and that’s why MSDNC and CNN ratings are crashing.
I’m looking forward to see the budget balanced, the war in the Ukraine ended, and our cities finally fixed!
Also liking some of these cabinet picks, the treasury secretary being openly gay, married to a man, and they have two kids, it’s like a billionaire version of Buttigieg!
