Why do some private sector workers hate Fed workers so much?

[Anonymous]

Why do some private sector workers hate Fed workers so much?

I have never worked in the public sector. I don't spend my days worrying about Americans who work in other sectors. I wish everyone luck.

But the absolute hatred toward Fed workers is borderline psychotic if you want my honest opinion? Why is that? I just don't get it.

[Anonymous]

It’s usually jealousy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do some private sector workers hate Fed workers so much?

I have never worked in the public sector. I don't spend my days worrying about Americans who work in other sectors. I wish everyone luck.

But the absolute hatred toward Fed workers is borderline psychotic if you want my honest opinion? Why is that? I just don't get it.

I haven't see it to this extent, but as someone who was a contractor on site who did all the work while fed workers got paid more (I was young and new out of school) to essentially do very little it gets old over time. Then, I'd add just plain jealousy/ignorance for those hating.

[Anonymous]

Jealously. Politicians have found a clever way to make Americans hate each other for no good reasons. This divide and conquer mentality is sadly working.

You can also blame ultra wealthy capital owners. They "trick" you with salary but horrible benefits (sub-par health insurance, abysmal sick/vacation days, poor working conditions etc) and then "badmouth" the government for offering people decent wages and benefits. This is all it's about. If these ultra wealthy capital owners can get away with no paying you they will absolutely do it. So these private sector workers become so bitter and start screaming that "their tax dollars" are being used to pay others to sleep on the job.

[Anonymous]

I don’t hate feds, one of my parents was one.

The only thing I hated recently is that one the acquaintances I know whose spouse was a fed who was impacted by job losses was trying to waltz into my private, non-government related company at a pretty high level. I have been in my industry for 20+ years and am not at that level. It felt really arrogant to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jealously. Politicians have found a clever way to make Americans hate each other for no good reasons. This divide and conquer mentality is sadly working.

You can also blame ultra wealthy capital owners. They "trick" you with salary but horrible benefits (sub-par health insurance, abysmal sick/vacation days, poor working conditions etc) and then "badmouth" the government for offering people decent wages and benefits. This is all it's about. If these ultra wealthy capital owners can get away with no paying you they will absolutely do it. So these private sector workers become so bitter and start screaming that "their tax dollars" are being used to pay others to sleep on the job.

This. And they are the most outspoken against federal workers. And do you know why? Because the only sector today where workers have some level of protection from pure exploitation is the public sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jealously. Politicians have found a clever way to make Americans hate each other for no good reasons. This divide and conquer mentality is sadly working.

You can also blame ultra wealthy capital owners. They "trick" you with salary but horrible benefits (sub-par health insurance, abysmal sick/vacation days, poor working conditions etc) and then "badmouth" the government for offering people decent wages and benefits. This is all it's about. If these ultra wealthy capital owners can get away with no paying you they will absolutely do it. So these private sector workers become so bitter and start screaming that "their tax dollars" are being used to pay others to sleep on the job.

Yes, but as the contractor pp - there are some who essentially sleep on the job and after seeing it enough times it really gets to you.

[Anonymous]

No one hates fed workers. Do you need a second job so you are not obsessed about irrelevant feelings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t hate feds, one of my parents was one.

The only thing I hated recently is that one the acquaintances I know whose spouse was a fed who was impacted by job losses was trying to waltz into my private, non-government related company at a pretty high level. I have been in my industry for 20+ years and am not at that level. It felt really arrogant to me.

One of those waltzed into my bank and made his life mission about belittling my team’s actual work. Sleep on tax payers money all you want, the damage is minimal. But introduce a senior leader who spews hatred and disrupts productivity. And the fact no fed workers wants to speak against those managers.

[Anonymous]

No different then my jealousy of my neighbor buying a car with her bonus...mine is about 1k a year as a fed. She still works from home days a week too. Different jobs are different!

[Anonymous]

When private sector people get let go, downsized or fired, there is no sympathy, and it is just another day. When federal employees, who get paid back, or for a load there is a lot of woah is me and hand wringing. They will be OK. It’s more of a well now it’s your turn to feel what we’ve all felt before.

[Anonymous]

The old school pre FERS CSRS employees got to retire with a sizeable % of their salary after 20 years or age 55 or something like that.
Even as a FERS employee I resented that. One guy in my office used to come up,to me and say something like "10 years, 3 months" "10years 2 months" etc. His whole mission was retiring. What a mindset.

[Anonymous]

I can think of a few reasons:

- Jealousy of Govt job security, pension, work schedule

- Perception (or misperception) that Govt workers are lazy and unable to do hands-on work

- Endless bureaucratic system. They don't fully understand Govt work is inherently different than private

- Govt workers are easy target for any kind of criticisms, so people enjoy beating on them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When private sector people get let go, downsized or fired, there is no sympathy, and it is just another day. When federal employees, who get paid back, or for a load there is a lot of woah is me and hand wringing. They will be OK. It’s more of a well now it’s your turn to feel what we’ve all felt before.

Thai is completely false.

[Anonymous]

I’m a DC native and many of my family members, friend’s parents etc worked for the federal government. It never appealed to me and still doesn’t due to its bureaucratic, slow-moving nature. Many private industries are that way too, but the government is…to an extreme degree.

I think it’s very good for people who value stability and consistency. (Although not anymore, sadly.)