Telework abuse - would you report?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mind your own business. She could be doing the work really early in the morning, at night when the kids go to bed, or over the weekend.

OP here: here's the thing you don't seem to be understanding. Coworker does not follow-up on email requests and is holding us up. So our work spills from week to week, so I am definitely going to follow up on the suggestion to let her know we need to hear from her and also suggest my other coworkers do the same thing.

Yes, let HER know and if the problem persists, then consider elevating this to management. But running straight to management first is not cool. Don't be *that* person.

Why should OP even have to waste time doing that? Believe me, this person KNOWS they are abusing the telework policy. It shouldn't be a surprise then if management comes down on them for it.

Absolutely. The responsibility to be available is the teleworker's. Hey should not need a reminder/warning about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mind your own business. She could be doing the work really early in the morning, at night when the kids go to bed, or over the weekend.

OP here: here's the thing you don't seem to be understanding. Coworker does not follow-up on email requests and is holding us up. So our work spills from week to week, so I am definitely going to follow up on the suggestion to let her know we need to hear from her and also suggest my other coworkers do the same thing.

Anyone who is teleworking on both Monday and Friday is just extending their weekend. You know it, I know it, her boss knows it. Let it go. If that arrangement was approved, then it is almost implicit that this is just a sanctioned weekend extension.

Happy to report that my unit of my federal agency has a far more restrictive telework policy and isn't wasting so much of uncle sam's dime on "flexible" work schedules.

Yeah, the Mon-Fri telework schedule is a bit odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Start scheduling meetings that she needs to call in for at those times. Weekly.

Aren't federal employees who telework required to document that they have childcare during telework hours?

They are supposed to show coverage for 40 hours. A woman I know teleworks twice a week, so her nanny does 10 hours on 3 days and 5 hours on her telework days.

So with a 1-hour commute, the teleworker will be short 6 hours of uninterrupted work per week.
With a 30-minute commute, she'll be 4 hours short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound jealous. ditto for your colleague's wife who sah.

i've been teleworking 100% for several years now. i always have my phone and my laptop with me. people can see me on a street but i will jump on immediately if something is needed.

Here is the thing. Your job description is not the same as this person. You seem to think that working in a reactive mode is good enough on telework days. That doesn't work for a lot of jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh everyone here is clearly abusing their telework policy as well. Don't offer excuses. Teleworking does mean you have to actually do work!

Yes, this. Telework is supposed to be only so folk can save on commuting time. They are still expected to work the same number of hours as a non-teleworking Fed. I don't get these excuses of 'well, I don't talk to a coworker or browse so I am going to take of or for 2-3 hours on telework days ad head to Costco.

If someone was regularly checking out for 3 hours to go to Costco, that would be a problem.

But most of the people who are encouraging the OP to think of alternative explanations are not doing that, they're saying they might run to the store, or do laundry, or what have you. Not taking off nearly half of a day's work to shop.

Most of my colleagues are MORE productive on telework days. And the full time teleworkers are pretty much universally always accessible by email.

[Anonymous]

I have not read all 8 pages of this thread, but I don't think OP should say anything.

I WFH 1-2 times per week and always put in extra hours those days. One coworker uses her Friday WFH day to extend her weekend and go on trips. I know it and it irks me, but I don't manage her. What bothers me is when I get 'sent from iphone' requests from her on Fridays to do what should be her job. Sorry lady, those requests are going straight to trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mind your own business. She could be doing the work really early in the morning, at night when the kids go to bed, or over the weekend.

OP here: here's the thing you don't seem to be understanding. Coworker does not follow-up on email requests and is holding us up. So our work spills from week to week, so I am definitely going to follow up on the suggestion to let her know we need to hear from her and also suggest my other coworkers do the same thing.

Then this is an issue regardless of her telework. It would need to be addressed even if she were on leave, or in the office but not responding to you. The fact your post is all about telework abuse makes me doubt there really is a serious work issue but, if there is, address the issue not the secondhand rumor she is abusing telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow this thread has evolved into a bunch of telework-abusers trying to justify their abuse of the system. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You don't get paid to pick up your kids/do laundry/clean your house/take time off/go to the park/etc. while others are actually working during telework hours.

Seriously, there have been so many explanations offered for this person's behavior except for the fact that she is shirking work.

I never do anything besides work on telework days, not even laundry. I said this on another thread and was told I "protest too much" and therefore must be hiding some terrible telework abuse behind my too-pure facade. There is no winning with the telework haters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read all 8 pages of this thread, but I don't think OP should say anything.

I WFH 1-2 times per week and always put in extra hours those days. One coworker uses her Friday WFH day to extend her weekend and go on trips. I know it and it irks me, but I don't manage her. What bothers me is when I get 'sent from iphone' requests from her on Fridays to do what should be her job. Sorry lady, those requests are going straight to trash.

OP here: In my case, she is not requesting us to do anything or doing anything herself. Basically it is radio silence on these days and they coupled with reports that she is out and about is problematic.

If she is working some weird schedule then she should let us know that on Friday she works 4-12 and on Mondays from 12-8 (again unlikely but possible) and won't be available between Friday 12 to Monday 12. She is aware that we need her input.

A recent example: : I am charge of putting together a report for a funding agency. We collect input from everybody by Thursday afternoon, put together a report and run it by our supervisor who gives me feedback by Friday morning. I work back and forth with with everybody to get the revised report by Fridayafternoon but I am still waiting for Jane's changes who drops off by 2 pm. So at this point, I have to interrupt my forward momentum and restart the whole process on Monday morning to get it sent out. Ideally I would like to get this done and go home happy on Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read all 8 pages of this thread, but I don't think OP should say anything.

I WFH 1-2 times per week and always put in extra hours those days. One coworker uses her Friday WFH day to extend her weekend and go on trips. I know it and it irks me, but I don't manage her. What bothers me is when I get 'sent from iphone' requests from her on Fridays to do what should be her job. Sorry lady, those requests are going straight to trash.

OP here: In my case, she is not requesting us to do anything or doing anything herself. Basically it is radio silence on these days and they coupled with reports that she is out and about is problematic.

If she is working some weird schedule then she should let us know that on Friday she works 4-12 and on Mondays from 12-8 (again unlikely but possible) and won't be available between Friday 12 to Monday 12. She is aware that we need her input.

A recent example: : I am charge of putting together a report for a funding agency. We collect input from everybody by Thursday afternoon, put together a report and run it by our supervisor who gives me feedback by Friday morning. I work back and forth with with everybody to get the revised report by Fridayafternoon but I am still waiting for Jane's changes who drops off by 2 pm. So at this point, I have to interrupt my forward momentum and restart the whole process on Monday morning to get it sent out. Ideally I would like to get this done and go home happy on Friday.

Send it out to everyone "subject to Jane's input" and then you've told on her but not really told, if you know what I mean.

To the PP annoyed by the "sent from my iphone" emails, that's why i've always cut and pasted my full work signature into my iphone sig. I try to avoid drawing attention to the fact that I'm emailing from my phone. (This still doesn't resolve the issue of my phone responding in Times New Roman and my actual email in Courier New, but whatever).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I would not say anything. Truth is, karma is a peach with a bit. If you mention it, this could shut down telework opportunities for others, including yourself.

Karma would suggest balance, but there is no win here. We had telework shut down for six months while they audited this guy that we all knew had been using telework as time off. The audit took forever because they went through YEARS of timecards (who knows that they were even looking for). Before we could telework again, we had all kinds of forms, online training, lectures. Damned if you do...

And did they fire the guy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A recent example: : I am charge of putting together a report for a funding agency. We collect input from everybody by Thursday afternoon, put together a report and run it by our supervisor who gives me feedback by Friday morning. I work back and forth with with everybody to get the revised report by Fridayafternoon but I am still waiting for Jane's changes who drops off by 2 pm. So at this point, I have to interrupt my forward momentum and restart the whole process on Monday morning to get it sent out. Ideally I would like to get this done and go home happy on Friday.

This is so easy to resolve with her -- Friday morning: "Jane, I'd like to get this closed out today: will you please send me x and y before you sign off?" Or, "Jane, how late will you be online today: I want to make sure I get your input before COB."

Alternatively, also easy to ignore because it doesn't sound like this actually has to be done by a certain time Monday: if boss doesn't like what time it's being turned in, then you can bring up lack of timely response. You seem to have the same problem you'd have if Jane were working closed-door on an important project and couldn't get back to you about the routine weekly report: the only difference is that you think you know she's not working.

I agree with PPs that you are bent on reporting telework fraud, even though (a) you are putting a lot of weight in someone else's spouse having correctly identified her outside the office and (b) you don't know her actual schedule or arrangements. Just do it if you want to do it. Let us know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read all 8 pages of this thread, but I don't think OP should say anything.

I WFH 1-2 times per week and always put in extra hours those days. One coworker uses her Friday WFH day to extend her weekend and go on trips. I know it and it irks me, but I don't manage her. What bothers me is when I get 'sent from iphone' requests from her on Fridays to do what should be her job. Sorry lady, those requests are going straight to trash.

OP here: In my case, she is not requesting us to do anything or doing anything herself. Basically it is radio silence on these days and they coupled with reports that she is out and about is problematic.

If she is working some weird schedule then she should let us know that on Friday she works 4-12 and on Mondays from 12-8 (again unlikely but possible) and won't be available between Friday 12 to Monday 12. She is aware that we need her input.

A recent example: : I am charge of putting together a report for a funding agency. We collect input from everybody by Thursday afternoon, put together a report and run it by our supervisor who gives me feedback by Friday morning. I work back and forth with with everybody to get the revised report by Fridayafternoon but I am still waiting for Jane's changes who drops off by 2 pm. So at this point, I have to interrupt my forward momentum and restart the whole process on Monday morning to get it sent out. Ideally I would like to get this done and go home happy on Friday.

You said earlier it was OK to work 7-3. It is you own problem if you want to get something out the door and you wait until the last minute for changes. You are a poor planner. Nobody has time for for your day-of back and forth at the last second. Set earlier deadlines for changes that you know fits everyone's schedules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: It is a Fed job with strict 8 hour schedule with some flexibility (arrive at 7,leave early type of thing).

We don't hear from this person on their telework days before 10 am and after 2 pm on her telework days even though there are things we need her input on. No overtime allowed, so we don't expect to hear anything after 5 from anybody ever.

I mean isn't this what 95% of govt teleworkers are doing? You sound so shocked?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound jealous. ditto for your colleague's wife who sah.

i've been teleworking 100% for several years now. i always have my phone and my laptop with me. people can see me on a street but i will jump on immediately if something is needed.

Here is the thing. Your job description is not the same as this person. You seem to think that working in a reactive mode is good enough on telework days. That doesn't work for a lot of jobs.

but it seems to be the biggest - in fact the only stated problem - that OP has with th coworker. if she were providing her input it's unclear what he would
be complaining about at all.