WHat are the chances Obama gives feds Christmas Eve off for free and when would it be announced?

[Anonymous]

2007 was the last time Christmas was on a Tuesday. DH worked for DC and they got 2 or 3 hours of leave. I don't remember what the feds did that year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most people have a hard time with this as typically Government workers get more holidays and more vacation days than the average American worker. So don't be suprised to get a little hostility when asking for more.

And lower pay for comparably qualified employees above the support staff level.

When was the last time you faced mass layoffs?

Yeah, thought so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2007 was the last time Christmas was on a Tuesday. DH worked for DC and they got 2 or 3 hours of leave. I don't remember what the feds did that year.

We got the day off.

[Anonymous]

If Obama announces Christmas Eve off, he certainly won't announce it before the holidays.

Now, if there's President Romney next year, don't expect any more coddling. No, Mitt the Resolute will demand that the legions of Bob Cratchits in the federal bureaucracy not slack off one minute, even on Christmas Eve He's tired of the burden that all those lazy "victims" and Takers in the government put on the Makers and Job Creators in our society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Obama announces Christmas Eve off, he certainly won't announce it before the holidays.

Now, if there's President Romney next year, don't expect any more coddling. No, Mitt the Resolute will demand that the legions of Bob Cratchits in the federal bureaucracy not slack off one minute, even on Christmas Eve He's tired of the burden that all those lazy "victims" and Takers in the government put on the Makers and Job Creators in our society.

If there's a President Romney, he won't be in office until January 2013.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most people have a hard time with this as typically Government workers get more holidays and more vacation days than the average American worker. So don't be suprised to get a little hostility when asking for more.

And lower pay for comparably qualified employees above the support staff level.

When was the last time you faced mass layoffs?

Yeah, thought so.

Actually.... now. If the morons on the Hill don't get their shit together there could be mass RIFs at various agency, I know firsthand that RIF zones &c. are being drawn up right now. That would make you happy I assume (asshole).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most people have a hard time with this as typically Government workers get more holidays and more vacation days than the average American worker. So don't be suprised to get a little hostility when asking for more.

And lower pay for comparably qualified employees above the support staff level.

When was the last time you faced mass layoffs?

Yeah, thought so.

Actually.... now. If the morons on the Hill don't get their shit together there could be mass RIFs at various agency, I know firsthand that RIF zones &c. are being drawn up right now. That would make you happy I assume (asshole).

Then I guess you can go ahead and plan on having Christmaa Eve off then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about go do your job, if you want to take time off use your leave.

Bizarre reply. I can and will take off when I want to and take leave, I was just trying to plan and jog my memory. Seems like you don't want feds to get a day off. No idea why- I'm all for everyone having the best morale, bonuses, ample vacation time etc. Public or private. Sounds like we have a hater in the house.

Federal employee here and I agree with the poster you quoted. I dont see how one day can really affect your ability to plan. Just plan on taking leave and make your travel plans. If you end up getting the 24th off then you can dont record leave when you submit your time records for that pay period.

Another fed, and this is not how leave works in my office. If you submit for leave, the leave is debited when your leave slip is processed and not credited back if a day off is announced later. What we enter in our time records has no effect on the official leave calculations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Bush did every time Dec. 24th was a Monday or Friday???

Bush didn't choose to do it - it's the way Federal holidays work. If a holiday is on the list of those you get off (xmas) but it falls on a weekend, you get the closest workday off instead. f xmas is Saturday, you get Friday off. Now at least in my agency, the managers under Bush were a lot more likely to release us a few hours early on a holiday we didn't have off - Halloween, day before Thanksgiving, etc. But it wasn't an official or pre-announced thing, and it differed by agency. Obama was the same, but the leaders (again, of just my agency - it differs) were a lot less likely to dismiss early.

I think the chances he would decide to add a full day off for the entire government are slim to none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about go do your job, if you want to take time off use your leave.

Bizarre reply. I can and will take off when I want to and take leave, I was just trying to plan and jog my memory. Seems like you don't want feds to get a day off. No idea why- I'm all for everyone having the best morale, bonuses, ample vacation time etc. Public or private. Sounds like we have a hater in the house.

At some point financial realities and business needs outweigh employee morale, in the public or private sector. Giving extra days off throughout the federal government is NOT "free." It costs millions in lost productivity. And based on your post, OP, it sounds like nothing would be enough -- if they give you Christmas Eve off you're going to start asking for the week between Christmas and New Year's too because hey, wouldn't that improve morale? You already get tons of minor useless holidays, but why not Arbor Day too? Why not Flag Day????

I work in the private sector and I get 15 PTO (sick OR vacation) days per year. I do not get off on Columbus Day, MLK Day, Veteran's Day, or President's Day. I do not get paid better than someone in a similar position with the government, and I get a very small bonus even when I do a great job. But overall I like my job and I'm lucky to have it -- I schedule my vacation time and within the leave I am given and leave a margin for sick days as well. It is frustrating to hear feds ask for even more leave when they already get so much more than many private sector employees, even those who are paid comparable amounts for comparable jobs.

[Anonymous]

I would not count on it. I have been a federal contractor for 20 years and my wife has been a civil servant for over 20 years. A day off for all federal workers (like a snow day) costs close to $450M in lost productivity. Which is why they have started to substitute alternative work place. Those people who can, are expected to telework where possible. Even when they only give the civil servants leave (which is the majority of time, we contractors almost never get paid leave, even those of us who work on-site/on-center), it still costs over $200M. With the way the budget and deficit are, it is highly unlikely that this will happen. Most often, they give the 59 minute leave, e.g. you get to leave 59 minutes early, because it costs less in lost productivity. I would be surprised if in today's political climate, that the day is given off. Plan for it not to happen.

[Anonymous]

ALways nice to the see the "miserly loves company" crowd in abundance and ready to pounce on any chance to bash federal employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most people have a hard time with this as typically Government workers get more holidays and more vacation days than the average American worker. So don't be suprised to get a little hostility when asking for more.

And in my profession they also get 20-30%+ less in pay than private firms, so there's no inequality at all in that.

I agree, this is so overblown. If I were to go into government service, I would take at a minimum a 50% pay cut. More likely, 75% or so. As I'm the sole breadwinner in my family, it's not an option. So the government loses out on my services - and I'm not the only one. Any lawyer senior enough to make GS-15 money in the government can make at least double that - pretty easily - in the private sector. Translation - maybe secretaries have a cushy gig with the feds, but lawyers aren't in it for the money.

[Anonymous]

In my office it is hard to take leave. You can't just take leave whenever you want, even of you've earned it. Do it does matter whether the office is closed. In 2009, Obama gave half the day off when it fell in a Thursday. Bush gave the whole day off on a Monday in '07. Both times it was announced in a memo a couple of weeks before. You should be able to cancel leave requests submitted electronically until the actual day. Also, why not wait to submit electronically? Can't you just discuss with your supervisor?

[Anonymous]

We will likely get it either way - if Obama wins, he has nothing to lose. If he loses, he has nothing to lose. We'll know about a week before.