Does Your Fed Job Do This - Manager Waits Until Last Minute to Extend Early Release to Employees

[Anonymous]

You know how maybe a couple of times per year, the agency director will release employees early the Friday or the day before a holiday? At my old job (local government), it was a given that we could take the early leave unless our direct supervisor specifically stated no and I never recalled my supervisor preventing us from taking advantage of the early leave. Furthermore, people still worked through the early leave if they had a deadline and those who didn't have pressing deadlines would take off early.

At my current job, our supervisor insists we cannot leave until he specifically releases us. So if the Director says we can leave at 3:00, our supervisor will wait until 2:30 or 2:45 to say, okay you guys can leave early/log off too. This is a toxic work place for a variety of other reasons and has extremely high turnover but this just seems like the supervisor is on a power trip and wants to seem important.

Does this happen at your job?

[Anonymous]

It used to be someone would literally walk around at 2 pm and tell us we could leave at 3. Now they send an email the day before or so— think they don’t want people planning on it?

[Anonymous]

At one agency the director was notoriously stingy and made no announcement until the last minute - I guess because he didn’t want people “taking advantage” and cancelling leave? At current agency they announce it a day or two before. Current agency is MUCH more professional.

[Anonymous]

My agency posts is a couple of days ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

Definitely appreciate the announcement at least a day or so before. Just for planning purposes - ie., if I'm leaving two hours early, I might have driven vs. caught the metro; may made it to a kid's game; would not have scheduled a afternoon meeting.

It's weird to not let employees notice of these things. Not sure why some employers are like that.

[Anonymous]

Mine used to, but now it's announced a day to a few days in advance. I think the whole holding it over our heads like it was some big gift really got to people. We have lots of jobs where the subject/area you cover may mean you don't get to take advantage of early release, so when you can it feels crappy to have it held over your head like that.

[Anonymous]

No we get notice a week ahead of time. We also can use the hours any time that week. That being said, my manager doesn’t tell me to take it. Maybe because I’m also a manager? I make sure to tell my team asap that they have my permission. I’m not a fan of needing managers permission for stuff like this.

[Anonymous]

I used to get no notice. Now my agency gives notice a day in adnacbe which I really appreciate .. plus it means out time cards don’t need to be corrected.

Today I planned ahead to do something I really wouldn’t have had time for without it and I appreciated it a lot.

[Anonymous]

Very annoying to delay telling employees.

[Anonymous]

This means the supervisor is on a power trip and is a person you do not want to work for. Find another fed role.

Managers who do this to employees are such awful humans and have a king complex.

[Anonymous]

My first Fed job was like this. They'd wait until like 4 to go around in person and say you could leave early, even though some of us got in at 7. If you were in the restroom when they cane by, you just missed out. Terrible place to work for unrelated reasons but this was a symptom.

My current agency and the one before that both give several day's notice and the dismissal is 2 hours early based on whatever your schedule is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first Fed job was like this. They'd wait until like 4 to go around in person and say you could leave early, even though some of us got in at 7. If you were in the restroom when they cane by, you just missed out. Terrible place to work for unrelated reasons but this was a symptom.

My current agency and the one before that both give several day's notice and the dismissal is 2 hours early based on whatever your schedule is.

Would no one tell you when you came back from the bathroom? Or was it that you were not allowed to go unless the manager specifially said it to you directly? How awful. Big egos on a power trip.

[Anonymous]

My office never gives us extra leave aside from 2 hours to attend a holiday party in December (which you have to pay to attend). IRS. My husband gets extra leave every 3 days weekend Commerce;

[Anonymous]

Ours does require supervisory approval, so we have to say "I'd like to leave at 3:00" or whatever. Last year almost all the admin leave was on days I already had annual leave planned, so I didn't take it.

[Anonymous]

We are but not ahead of time. Rather , the morning of usually.

I gave never heard of a supervisor micromanaging it.

The whole organization is offered early departure.