PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
This department is/was still might be in a massive growth phase. They managed to make themselves important over the years.
Govt Work at Home May Be Over
- Thread starter Sneakers
- Start date
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
Probably a lot more than they will get done in the Target aisles, Walmart electronics section, or in their backyard while raking leaves or repairing loose boards on their deck
To cast a wide net and say "everyone gets a lot more done while working from home" is BS. In fact, I would say that people kicking a$$ while WFH are the minority.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
So you can't actually give a reason other than you don't like it?Probably a lot more than they will get done in the Target aisles, Walmart electronics section, or in their backyard while raking leaves or repairing loose boards on their deck
To cast a wide net and say "everyone gets a lot more done while working from home" is BS. In fact, I would say that people kicking a$$ while WFH are the minority.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
Please go back and read my other posts on this topic.
Specifically, the personal WORK experiences and observances I have made regarding this.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
I have, but you know what, I've seen people do that while "in the office" the same people are going to do that no matter what.Please go back and read my other posts on this topic.
Know someone who even worked a 2nd job while in the office, got caught, got in trouble but still has a job.
Funniest thing is they are a holy roller and an official in a local church.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
I would agree to this. I suppose circumstances are different depending on the type work and who you interact with. For me, the major issues are having to rely on others to get a portion of my project(s) completed. If they are unavailable or will not return emails, calls, provide work product etc. in a timely manner as to get projects completed on time then it is an issue.
Difference being that, if in office, one can at the very least walk to that person's office/seat and say "WTF?? I'm late on this work because of YOU!"
A time-proven motivational approach. I use it all the time: "WTF, SGI?..I mean...really...WTF?"
His reply is usually something like "GFY". We've developed a very efficient intra-office communication method.
Somehow, if you have three personal anecdotal pieces of information, they're a perfect statistical sample of the entire population.
But you're right - it's not as though telework suddenly exposed lazy loafing government workers not doing their job - heck, I can go to any fast food or retail store and find people doing nothing - while others bust their ass.
There's clearly a lot of work that CANNOT be done remotely - such as stocking shelves at Target - or working for TSA at airports, border patrol on our borders, Veteran healthcare workers - fact is, MOST jobs cannot be done remotely and the majority of government workers don't. Of those that do, on average it's not more than twice a week.
My job is ALREADY remote - as in, I sit in a workstation and click away on a keyboard. What I do has nothing to do with where I do it. I do actually get a LITTLE more done, simply because I can check in on my day off - check a batch job late at night - answer emails when I am off work - and I DO all of these things, because - like a lot of government - staff is down two people. And the collaborative aspect is something I rely on every single day - something that isn't done more easily in person. When I DO that sort of thing on site - I STILL do it remotely using collaborative software. It's just faster and easier.
That sort of thing was very common in the early days of trehe pandemic, when people were just getting used to that kind of software.
When you do stuff like this 4-5 times a week for an hour or two - it tends to get worked out.
Our new teleconference meeting areas have REALLY good sound systems. You can almost hear a pin drop and no feedback.
I do confess - I am very often holding side chats with people out of the meeting - other projects I am working on - or with people IN the meeting when I don't want to say it to everybody (as in, who's supposed to be doing that?).
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
And yet a personal account of one's own work performance is enough?
So, the next logical question would be... if, by your accounts, people are killing it in the WFH environment, why are a great deal of businesses and institutions pushing for a return to the office?
Work is getting done right? Performance is higher than expected.. right? So... why??
Yields a mean and a standard deviation....what more couldya want?
You think the only way work is tracked - is someone's say-so? What kind of stupid ass accounting system is that?And yet a personal account of one's own work performance is enough?
And - what businesses might those be? Are they just businesses recovering from the pandemic, trying to restore operations that were NEVER SUITED for remote work?
Bear in mind - this move to eliminate telework from government has NOTHING TO DO WITH SAVING MONEY or EFFICIENCY - and it's been stated repeatedly - it's intended to piss people off so they will quit. It may result in fewer employees, but it doesn't do anything to get rid of low performing people. Having worked in government for 35 years - those are the very LAST people who will leave.
The people MOST LIKELY to leave - are young ambitious skilled workers who will work for SOMEONE ELSE offering telework.
And - as you've said - people close to retiring. You've said you believe these are just deadwood hangers-on who ought to go anyway. My observation is, that isn't typically the case. While there are always people who ought to leave - being near retirement isn't a factor. We recently lost some extremely valuable people whose knowledge and skill have cost us a lot when they left.
Using a means that randomly pushes people out the door is unlikely to make things better.
I can only speak to the stuff that I do. And if they DO order people back, it will be because DOGE said so - not because it is improving performance. I've repeatedly often - this is not "performance" related. It's been shown by reports in the past year that performance is improved in some sectors. But - government. Never let an increase of performance get in the way of a random ill informed decision. We already have Sen. Ernst out there promoting stuff that is not only easily disproved - but just damned lies.
A methodology that is representative of the universe. Kind of why neither completely random selection - or sampling highly biased selection - is going to be accurate.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
My significant other never met anyone she works with face to face, not even her interview, they mailed her a computer, a nice desk chair, set her up their own Internet service, she has been in that job since 2014 for United Health Care, everyone that does that job is telework, they have no physical offices to go into. The only bad part is she often has to interface with "offshore aka India" they tried to cheap out and have atleast half their workforce in India for US insurance contract work.
My sister has a similar job.
Gosh, what would happen if she decided to take a bubble bath or go rake leaves?
I have a camera on me pretty much at all times. I don't know what kind of accountablity others have, but it must seriously suck.
Doncha love having a discussion with a person with an open mind?
Nice negative "wide net" you are casting yourself.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
Probably at least as stupid as this PRESUMPTION...
Is it seriously your contention that businesses are going to re-invest millions of dollars to bring people back to the office in order to get them to quit?? What kind of hair-brained idea is that??
- Amazon
- X (Twitter)
- Apple
- IBM
- Goldman Sachs
- JP Morgan
- Walmart
- Dell
- Microsoft
- The US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!!
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PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
She just gets a queue of work that has to be done and that's it. Bonuses for exceeding the quota so many weeks in a row.
OccamsRazor
Well-Known Member
Funny how you don't have the same to say about those with the opposing viewpoint. Pick sides much?