Why Are There So Many Idiots in Politics?

[SamSpade]

Was also told that the GOV gives time off as a bonus instead of cash. In the conversation, my neighbor told me that they got a bonus of about $1K. Great however, another worker in their office got 10 vacation days awarded to them. Figuring that those 2 weeks of vacation time add up to an entire paycheck.... who got the better deal?

I've seen a bit of the second and about a million of the first.

The "bonus" isn't a salary improvement - it's just money. For me, it conveniently arrives around Christmas, although 30 years ago, it came swiftly after reviews at the end of the fiscal year - just before Halloween. And it varies. Some years, it's close to 3. It's every year, and it exists solely as an inducement to get people to do better. But in recent years, the worst performers get about 1 and the best get about 1.5. NOT a big carrot - but - that's the union for you. They make sure no one gets "punished" for doing a lousy job. Notice they regard it as "punishment" even though it is a BONUS.

The former - I've never known anyone to get a LOT of time off - but we do often have people who will work late, work on weekends, work on their own time to meet a deadline. They work during sick time, during scheduled vacation and when the smoke settles, we get accolades from our clients and the boss says "take the week off". Or they get comp time, to take off when they want. Time off is easier to give away than bonuses.

We USED to - well some of us, who work on reimbursables - projects for outside clients who pay us - it used to be we got outright bonuses for doing a great job on a project - the whole project staff. MY project or rather the one I work on, is a whale. It brings in most of the money for the entire division, and it supplies most of the division with the money they use for EVERYTHING. Some time back - they just stopped giving us the bonuses. So a small fraction of the division brings in the lion's share of the cash - and we can't even get the money to replace staff who have left - or in some cases, died.

Again - big problem is, they don't reward good work, and they don't punish lousy work. Despite what you've heard, the pay isn't exceptional - lower pay grades get paid WELL - but higher pay grades get a little under average. So why would anyone stay? Truth is, in most professions, after middle age, you're usually not nearly as marketable as you think, and job security is more important than pay.

 

[SamSpade]

My neighbor said that there a 2 types of systems. One is STIR and the other is MAP(??) They told me that they are a MAP employee and that they have gotten the best job evaluation they can get for the last 2 years but, their performance bonus has really never gone up. I asked them "Why do you perform so well when it is obviously not rewarded?" They told me "They do it so that the military gets a good product." There are good workers in the Government but I was like DAMN! Hard to keep performing at such a high level when all you get is the same old scraps every year!

P.S. Sorry for the massive thread de-rail.

(shrug) I'm sure good with it. All in all, I'm mostly content - my work load is usually light, and if I need time off for something in the middle of the day, if I'm ahead on everything - which is usually the case - they're good with it. It's not the INCOME that rattles my cage - it's the OUT go of everything. I like to think it's under my control, but a lot of the time it just isn't.

 

[OccamsRazor]

Again - big problem is, they don't reward good work, and they don't punish lousy work. Despite what you've heard, the pay isn't exceptional - lower pay grades get paid WELL - but higher pay grades get a little under average. So why would anyone stay? Truth is, in most professions, after middle age, you're usually not nearly as marketable as you think, and job security is more important than pay.

From what I have heard, this is 100% accurate. Apparently, the bonus/rewards issue is supposed to be "hush-hush" but, it always gets out anyways. High performers see that low performers are rewarded and it just acts as a morale killer when they find out that Joe-useless is getting bonused out at a few hundred dollars less than Joe-over achiever.

 

[OccamsRazor]

(shrug) I'm sure good with it. All in all, I'm mostly content - my work load is usually light, and if I need time off for something in the middle of the day, if I'm ahead on everything - which is usually the case - they're good with it. It's not the INCOME that rattles my cage - it's the OUT go of everything. I like to think it's under my control, but a lot of the time it just isn't.

In the case of my single-parent neighbor, this is exactly opposite of their problem. When you think about it; as I stated earlier, there are people saving THOUSANDS right now due to staying at home. I can see how they would be bitter about the advantages.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

My neighbor said that there a 2 types of systems. One is STIR and the other is MAP(??) They told me that they are a MAP employee and that they have gotten the best job evaluation they can get for the last 2 years but, their performance bonus has really never gone up. I asked them "Why do you perform so well when it is obviously not rewarded?" They told me "They do it so that the military gets a good product." There are good workers in the Government but I was like DAMN! Hard to keep performing at such a high level when all you get is the same old scraps every year!

P.S. Sorry for the massive thread de-rail.

STRL for people with degrees, and DP Map for those the union covers. There is also still some under the old GS system.

The thing that kills me is the local business rules for my department. You get one share 2/3 goes to salary and 1/3 to bonus, but you do better and get two shares they reverse that so 1/3 to salary and 2/3 to bonus, so big woop a few hundred more in my pocket but no more to my salary.

Then there are those of us maxed out so it's all just bonus and half of it goes to taxes.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Poor work, at least here, is punished by getting beat over the head a lot. Carrot vs stick, however because this is a job in demand people just leave, usually for more money elsewhere.

 

[OccamsRazor]

STRL for people with degrees, and DP Map for those the union covers. There is also still some under the old GS system.

The thing that kills me is the local business rules for my department. You get one share 2/3 goes to salary and 1/3 to bonus, but you do better and get two shares they reverse that so 1/3 to salary and 2/3 to bonus, so big woop a few hundred more in my pocket but no more to my salary.

Then there are those of us maxed out so it's all just bonus and half of it goes to taxes.

Are you on the MAP system too? If so, do your bonuses differ greatly based on performance? My neighbor told me that there is no real difference between levels of performance. Nothing worth while anyways which equates to no incentive to excel in their workload output or quality of work. Basically, they told me that "The difference between a great worker and someone who is just recycling oxygen is only a few hundred bucks when it's bonus time."

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Are you on the MAP system too? If so, do your bonuses differ greatly based on performance? My neighbor told me that there is no real difference between levels of performance. Nothing worth while anyways which equates to no incentive to excel in their workload output or quality of work. Basically, they told me that "The difference between a great worker and someone who is just recycling oxygen is only a few hundred bucks when it's bonus time."

I'm in STRL, and I've received three shares several times, back when my pay was maxed out I got pretty decent bonus. Now I been promoted it's very difficult to get more than one share. A share is around 1.2% if I remember correctly. The people under DP map could have been under the same system but the union whined and threw a fit to keep them out of NSPS back about 20 years ago.

 

[OccamsRazor]

I'm in STRL, and I've received three shares several times, back when my pay was maxed out I got pretty decent bonus. Now I been promoted it's very difficult to get more than one share. A share is around 1.2% if I remember correctly. The people under DP map could have been under the same system but the union whined and threw a fit to keep them out of NSPS back about 20 years ago.

Interesting. Even so, lets say your pay is $100K. At max "share" percentage, you get $3,600. Before and after taxes that is still a pittance (IMHO) when considered a bonus. I can understand why some GOV workers' performance tends to go in the crapper. Of course, this only applies to the always present people who say "You should just be happy you got something!" Funny how that doesn't work both ways huh?
Makes me infinitely more appreciative of the place I work.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Interesting. Even so, lets say your pay is $100K. At max "share" percentage, you get $3,600. Before and after taxes that is still a pittance (IMHO) when considered a bonus. I can understand why some GOV workers' performance tends to go in the crapper. Of course, this only applies to the always present people who say "You should just be happy you got something!" Funny how that doesn't work both ways huh?
Makes me infinitely more appreciative of the place I work.

I looked up last year's to refresh my memory. I got one share of that a bit more than $1500 to salary and about 650 bonus.

On top of that we also get the general pay increase, which is actually pretty good. But I think the general pay increase should be split up into the shares and not automatic.

 

[OccamsRazor]

I looked up last year's to refresh my memory. I got one share of that a bit more than $1500 to salary and about 650 bonus.

On top of that we also get the general pay increase, which is actually pretty good. But I think the general pay increase should be split up into the shares and not automatic.

Interesting. Neighbor told me they got highest mark for job evaluations and their "bonus" was only about 1.6% of their salary. If that is what they get for top marks, I'd hate to see what the lower ratings get...

 

[stgislander]

All this talk of bonuses and such... it must be nice. Our only perk is the Employee of the Month parking spot next to the dumpster.

 

[jrt_ms1995]

All this talk of bonuses and such... it must be nice. Our only perk is the Employee of the Month parking spot next to the dumpster.

And you have to go and move your vehicle when they come to empty the dumpster, too, don't you?

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration ...

All this talk of bonuses and such... it must be nice. Our only perk is the Employee of the Month parking spot next to the dumpster.

That's great for when you take your bagged trash from your house. Saves on paying the garbage pick-up dudes.

See, there's always a silver lining somewhere. : )

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration ...

Why Are There So Many Idiots in Politics?

Because misery loves company?