BOP
Well-Known Member
Try harder.I never griped about not getting telework.
I like coming in.
It's near impossible to abuse your co-workers and subordinates remotely.
Govt Work at Home May Be Over
- Thread starter Sneakers
- Start date
BOP
Well-Known Member
That sounds great...if you don't belong to a union.
I've belonged to a few, over the course of my working life; AFL/CIO, Teamsters, United Aerospace Workers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, as well as whatever union represents Gov't workers.
The thing of it is, you don't want people who work for DoD, for example, having to worry about, and play politics in order to keep their jobs, and to advance in their careers. You know, like those of us who worked in private industry who DIDN'T belong to a union often had to do. You want a well-compensated workforce focused on the job of supporting the warfighter.
It doesn't eliminate office politics; not by a long shot. But being in a collective bargaining unit compared to many places I've worked in the blue collar and the white collar world outside the Gov't is almost a dream come true.
I once got fired from a job I was working in California. I was a well-experienced, qualified mechanic, and I'd worked for the guy on one other occasion.
Woman comes in with her car for some kind of repair. So, I take a look at it, tell her what it needs, then give her a verbal, ball-park estimate of what it should cost. In California, you MUST (shall) give a customer a written estimate, which protects the shop and the customer.
She says "I have a mechanic."
Looking at the engine compartment, "Well, you need a new mechanic; this one isn't doing a very good job."
"My husband takes care of the cars."
She went VFR direct to the boss and made like a Karen. He came out and fired me on the spot.
Fortunately, it ended up in arbitration when he tried to deny me unemployment benefits, and I got my job back. With pay for time off.
I worked at another shop, a large...well, hell, it was a General Tire in San Diego. It was unionized. Other than the union dues coming out every paycheck, we were never sure what benefit there was to being in the union, but the old guys said "Unless you do something really egregious, it's really hard to get fired from this place."
So, there was that.
Plus, blue collar guys really do use words like egregious.
Please make the case for why I should not have you on ignore.For your consideration ...
Alrighty then. Here's a guy, who by his own admission, sits in front of a computer all day long working from home doing computer stuff for the government. And on his day off in the middle of the week, spends all day on the computer posting on forums.
Yeah right.
If you have a problem with me, just come out and say it.
I don't know you, and I don't know what your beef with me is.
I don't get why someone feels the need to troll a total stranger - whenever I press the show ignored content, this is what I see.
What did I ever do to you? Or do you do stuff like this, to everyone?
FWIW, Wednesday IS my day off, and I spend a lot of it - in doctor's offices driving family around - and sitting idly in waiting rooms with my cell phone.
(sigh) Why am I even explaining this?
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
To defend Light roasted I don't think he has a problem with you, some people are just born as self important sanctimonious douches that think way too highly of themselves.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
Suppose I am in the minority then...
I have to email and call folks on PAX and other GOV facilities all the time. Consistently getting no replies, replies a week later, no answers to phone calls and leaving unreturned voicemails, etc.
Maybe the people I am calling/emailing are on this very forum and are unwilling to break away from posting
I find that's true just about everywhere. Often I can't get a call through to the doctor's office, and I am calling from the parking lot.Suppose I am in the minority then...
I have to email and call folks on PAX and other GOV facilities all the time. Consistently getting no replies, replies a week later, no answers to phone calls and leaving unreturned voicemails, etc.
Maybe the people I am calling/emailing are on this very forum and are unwilling to break away from posting
FWIW - I don't work on or for PAX or anyone there, and I never have. I have found there's a general assumption among friends and acquaintances who assume if you're government, you work on base - I wish I had a nickel for every time someone wanted to do something on base, and I had to remind them, I needed whatever you need to get authorized.
The thing I DO find useful about online calling is - their icon at least tells me if they are there, away, not scheduled to be in, logged out and so on.
If there's a green light - they're at the desk. If there's an x, they're not there at all - and the icon will tell me when they'll be back.
(Yeah it's possible to "spoof" things, but these are people I contact a lot and we depend on prompt response).
I can't even get swift responses from friends and family, let alone coworkers, but when we're working on the same thing, they tend to respond as need arises.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
You know I've had that problem forever. One group has an unspoken policy to not answer the phones (or emails etc), I learned to go over there and dial them from my cell phone and watch them check the number.Suppose I am in the minority then...
I have to email and call folks on PAX and other GOV facilities all the time. Consistently getting no replies, replies a week later, no answers to phone calls and leaving unreturned voicemails, etc.
Maybe the people I am calling/emailing are on this very forum and are unwilling to break away from posting
I needed an approval from someone on the West Coast that was known to ignore things, I even had the CO on me, we talked it over and he called some CO there to get on the guys ass. He left me a message at 6pm on Christmas eve to tell me he is going to be on leave. Needless to say he ended up coming into work during the month he was supposed to be on leave.
Last edited:
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
I would concur that there are SOME like this. "I only answer the phone when it is someone who is important."
Its funny when I am in meetings and asked about movement on a project and I have to say "I emailed them 3 times and called twice.. no response." Because then my upper levels call their upper levels and then magically, I have the info I need in less than an hour! Sad!!
Even more sad that months later, I still have to deal with the same person(s) even though those person(s) have had this cycle happen repeatedly. This is with about a half-dozen people!!
It does kind of make you wish they could adapt the technology so you can change THEIR ringtone so it lets them know if it's urgent - you know, like an irritating klaxon or something. I've had any number of family members NOT answer until I text "Dad's in the hospital" and they pick up.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
I can understand screening phone calls after hours. My issue is that they put their cell phone at the end of an email (only their cell phone) as a business contact. PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE DURING BUSINESS HOURS!
Sad thing is that some of these are GOV issued phones and they still don't answer during work hours
THAT I have to say, I have not experienced, but the bulk of my time in government, if you call someone, it's at their deskphone - and few things are quite as irritating - to everyone - is a phone that no one will pick up. For a while we went to phones that - "followed you" - so they rang at your current workstation. We use Teams now, so the phone rings on your headset.I can understand screening phone calls after hours. My issue is that they put their cell phone at the end of an email (only their cell phone) as a business contact. PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE DURING BUSINESS HOURS!
Sad thing is that some of these are GOV issued phones and they still don't answer during work hours
I used to work with this guy years ago - we butted heads a lot, mainly because he was a know-it-all - and he did - know it all.
I was getting frustrated at my desk with people we both worked with, because they were changing specs and documents - and informing NO ONE.
"How often do they do this" he asked.
"I can count on it with 100% accuracy"
"So if it ALWAYS happens, why get upset? Why not anticipate it, and act accordingly?"
(He was NOT QUITE so cordial, but that was the gist of it).
I've found that does make it easier to deal with people - i.e. you have a friend who is always late - plan that way. That sort of thing.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
See where you are coming from BUT, in a world where there are actual deadlines for work product AND management that expect results within that deadline, telling management "Well, they never return emails and phone calls in a timely manner SO... just plan for that." doesn't really work out well
Mouse Jiggler ... but I was 2 ft from my computer ready to grab a call watching YouTube on my personal pc ..
Clem72
Well-Known Member
Why do my ears feel warm?
I developed this irritating habit of dropping into their building and office unannounced.See where you are coming from BUT, in a world where there are actual deadlines for work product AND management that expect results within that deadline, telling management "Well, they never return emails and phone calls in a timely manner SO... just plan for that." doesn't really work out well
You know, all warm and friendly-like. No anger or anything. Just persistence. They found it easier to just keep me in the loop.
But yeah, been there too. Deadline is say, Monday, and they've left for the day.
LightRoasted
If I may ...
For your information ...
I've no issues with you at all. Zero. None. Zilch. Or anyone here in the forums. Well, with the exception of maybe @stgislander for being a slack worker that @Gilligan, for some odd reason, still manages to keep subsidizing, even with the one time he forget to put that drain plug in the launching of that new ship. (The recovery team made some good coin though). The only trolling I do is when actually fishing for that ever elusive trophy Rockfish, which of late has been pretty much missing from the Chesapeake for the better part of more than four years now.
Your post about having Wednesday's off appeared weirdly untruthful to the issue being discussed, since having Wednesdays off is not the norm, in my experience. So I called you on it. Something I would have a called out no matter who here had posted such.
Remember, you put me on ignore a long time ago for something YOU took offence. Offence to something I posted when there was no offence intended. On one thread, pretty recently, you had started, with a question seeking help and advise on something which I forget what it was, I posted a very detailed and polite reply that should have answered that inquiry. And yet you ignored my contribution in my attempt to help. If I had a problem with you, I never would have posted that thoughtful response. If I had a problem with you, I never would be "liking" any of your posts. It is you yourself that is butt hurt, angry, with a self imposed enmity towards me, not the other way around.
Perhaps there are overwhelming moments in your life that sit fresh in your mind, or the cumulative effects of same, while posting which trigger the thought that someone is intentionally being crass, or rude and insensitive, towards you? At times, in the past, it has happened to myself. Having a bad day, or feeling the world is against me. Pretty sure there are those here that remember, from days long ago, that I made some pretty colorful posts. It is amazing that @vraiblonde never cancelled my non-member status. Things said what could have rightly been cause for my dismissal. Though, I have changed my ways and restrict myself from posting such malevolent discourse.
Am I irreverent at times? Absolutely. As many here are at times. No need to take things personally. When you do so, you are only projecting your internal struggles.
Even with @PeoplesElbow. At times we spar and clash. But for me anyway, it's just tongue-n-cheek rebuttals. I hold nothing against him either. Nor do I take anything he says to me, or about me, personally. Sometimes being called a "self important sanctimonious douche" can be a badge of honor.
Cheers.
I've no issues with you at all. Zero. None. Zilch. Or anyone here in the forums. Well, with the exception of maybe @stgislander for being a slack worker that @Gilligan, for some odd reason, still manages to keep subsidizing, even with the one time he forget to put that drain plug in the launching of that new ship. (The recovery team made some good coin though). The only trolling I do is when actually fishing for that ever elusive trophy Rockfish, which of late has been pretty much missing from the Chesapeake for the better part of more than four years now.
Your post about having Wednesday's off appeared weirdly untruthful to the issue being discussed, since having Wednesdays off is not the norm, in my experience. So I called you on it. Something I would have a called out no matter who here had posted such.
Remember, you put me on ignore a long time ago for something YOU took offence. Offence to something I posted when there was no offence intended. On one thread, pretty recently, you had started, with a question seeking help and advise on something which I forget what it was, I posted a very detailed and polite reply that should have answered that inquiry. And yet you ignored my contribution in my attempt to help. If I had a problem with you, I never would have posted that thoughtful response. If I had a problem with you, I never would be "liking" any of your posts. It is you yourself that is butt hurt, angry, with a self imposed enmity towards me, not the other way around.
Perhaps there are overwhelming moments in your life that sit fresh in your mind, or the cumulative effects of same, while posting which trigger the thought that someone is intentionally being crass, or rude and insensitive, towards you? At times, in the past, it has happened to myself. Having a bad day, or feeling the world is against me. Pretty sure there are those here that remember, from days long ago, that I made some pretty colorful posts. It is amazing that @vraiblonde never cancelled my non-member status. Things said what could have rightly been cause for my dismissal. Though, I have changed my ways and restrict myself from posting such malevolent discourse.
Am I irreverent at times? Absolutely. As many here are at times. No need to take things personally. When you do so, you are only projecting your internal struggles.
Even with @PeoplesElbow. At times we spar and clash. But for me anyway, it's just tongue-n-cheek rebuttals. I hold nothing against him either. Nor do I take anything he says to me, or about me, personally. Sometimes being called a "self important sanctimonious douche" can be a badge of honor.
Cheers.
