Govt Work at Home May Be Over

[OccamsRazor]

The people remote working would sure prefer it to remain. They've gotten used to the more relaxed work style.

Of course they want it to remain. Think about it...
- Savings on gas
- Savings on food
- Savings on child care (BIG one)
- ZERO supervision
- Little to no accountability for work product

Of course this does not apply to everyone however, I would argue it applies to the LOUDEST of those crying about returning. People should enjoy this last ~5 years of a break they received BUT, now its time to do EXACTLY what you were doing BEFORE the bat flu.
If you decided to move to another state and buy a home based on an agreement that always had a return clause then you DESERVE to deal with it OR look elsewhere for work.

 

[my-thyme]

I've been trying for three weeks to get in touch with social security, haven't talked to a person yet.

Finally decided to try the website, it just put me on a loop.

Gonna ride to Charlotte Hall next week, try to make an appt to see someone. Wanna take bets if they will even be in-person staffed?

 

[Kyle]

I've been trying for three weeks to get in touch with social security, haven't talked to a person yet.

Finally decided to try the website, it just put me on a loop.

Gonna ride to Charlotte Hall next week, try to make an appt to see someone. Wanna take bets if they will even be in-person staffed?

No bet.

 

[SamSpade]

I've been trying for three weeks to get in touch with social security, haven't talked to a person yet.

Finally decided to try the website, it just put me on a loop.

Gonna ride to Charlotte Hall next week, try to make an appt to see someone. Wanna take bets if they will even be in-person staffed?

They were last time I was there, last year.

 

[SamSpade]

FWIW - I first started telework under Bush - went to my last schedule under Obama. Full remote under Trump - back to the Obama schedule as of last month.

It was my more or less normal schedule for 11 years.

Despite some companies curtailing telework as a response to the end of the pandemic - overall remote and telework is rising. We just had a President attend a economics forum by satellite.

We’ve lived to see the demise of lots of things - video and bookstores, newspapers and magazines. There are already brick and mortar businesses closing up for good. In less than a generation we will see the end of lots of office jobs. It’s just the way things are going.

 

[Clem72]

Did anyone really think remote work would go on forever? I feel like everyone had to have realized that at some point they'd be expected to go back to the office.

Certainly not at the COVID lockdown levels, but we had a decent amount of telework pre-COVID and in general it was on the rise. Now that certain industries practically expect it the government will have a much harder time recruiting and retaining people working in those industries if they don't offer it.

I expect we will knee-jerk to basically zero telework outside of reasonable accommodation requests for disabled people and slowly expand back to current levels over the next decade.

But on the upside, no telework means snow days are back on the menu boys.

 

[Ramp Guy]

I've been trying for three weeks to get in touch with social security, haven't talked to a person yet.

Finally decided to try the website, it just put me on a loop.

Gonna ride to Charlotte Hall next week, try to make an appt to see someone. Wanna take bets if they will even be in-person staffed?

I watched a hearing last week, where Mark O'Malley was grilled by a republican senator/congressman (not sure switched) He started reading O'Malley's testimony from about a year ago. O'Malley was trying to explain that shutting down "walk in office" would be a great thing, because all one had to do was call for an appointment, and that it would eliminate waiting all day to talk to someone. The Congressman cut him off... he show O'Malley his phone that he had been on hold for almost 90 minutes, since the meeting started... He also stated the web site would not response. O'Malley said nothing, just sat there.
The conversation leads me to believe that you can not just walk in -- but not too sure.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Of course they want it to remain. Think about it...
- Savings on gas
- Savings on food
- Savings on child care (BIG one)
- ZERO supervision
- Little to no accountability for work product

Of course this does not apply to everyone however, I would argue it applies to the LOUDEST of those crying about returning. People should enjoy this last ~5 years of a break they received BUT, now its time to do EXACTLY what you were doing BEFORE the bat flu.
If you decided to move to another state and buy a home based on an agreement that always had a return clause then you DESERVE to deal with it OR look elsewhere for work.

Not sure you understand most of the work, I go weeks without seeing a supervisor while I'm in the office. My supervisor is on the entire other side of the base, there is no clock to punch etc.

 

[Kyle]

... O'Malley was trying to explain that shutting down "walk in office" would be a great thing, because all one had to do was call for an appointment, and that it would eliminate waiting all day to talk to someone. The Congressman cut him off... he show O'Malley his phone that he had been on hold for almost 90 minutes, since the meeting started... He also stated the web site would not response. O'Malley said nothing, just sat there.

priceless.

 

[OccamsRazor]

So you have to do something in person that you wanted to do remote? Welcome to the real world buttercup. We’re heading back to the 50s, going to be glorious.

Actually, the complaint sounds like they tried to do the 'remote' thing but, ran into the ever plentiful yet, never talked about "teleworkers NOT producing despite claims that they work SO MUCH HARDER when at home."

 

[Ramp Guy]

priceless.

It Appears that Mark has been shown the door... Hope he has to use the system he created to file for his SS ...eek

Commissioner​

Michelle A. King ==== Michelle King was named Acting Commissioner for Social Security in January 2025. In this role, Michelle leads a workforce of approximately 58,000 employees and provides oversight for the programs and services the agency administers.

 

[Bare-ya-cuda]

You people are hilarious

So you have to do something in person that you wanted to do remote? Welcome to the real world buttercup. We’re heading back to the 50s, going to be glorious.

Exactly how is it we are heading back to the 50’s? Pleas elaborate? Were there less illegal immigrants then? What is it that makes you say this?

 

[thurley42]

Exactly how is it we are heading back to the 50’s? Pleas elaborate? Were there less illegal immigrants then? What is it that makes you say this?

it's a moron...don't engage...it might get the dumb on you.

 

[LtownTaxpayer]

It Appears that Mark has been shown the door... Hope he has to use the system he created to file for his SS ...eek

Commissioner​

Michelle A. King ==== Michelle King was named Acting Commissioner for Social Security in January 2025. In this role, Michelle leads a workforce of approximately 58,000 employees and provides oversight for the programs and services the agency administers.

Any Biden appointments ended once Trump was inaugurated - unless Trump specifically exempted them.

 

[Ramp Guy]

Any Biden appointments ended once Trump was inaugurated - unless Trump specifically exempted them.

Understand...O'Malley left in Nov, saw the writing on the wall after the election.