Help me choose - SCIF/ commute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely hated working in SCIFs.

What was it like? What part was the most bothersome? For me the lack of windows is a huge issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely hated working in SCIFs.

What was it like? What part was the most bothersome? For me the lack of windows is a huge issue.

Yes. Lack of windows quickly drives me insane. Even windows-but-significant-shading drives me insane. I hate not having access to cell phone for long chunks of time - super annoying sometimes I just want to confirm an appointment or check something when it pops in my head and I can’t. I also just hate the co-worker vibes. I feel like they’re my cell mates or something. I don’t care how “sexy” classified work is — never dealing with that sh*t again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me think through this
Option 1: boring work, 3 days in office with a 45 min commute each way, no travel, terrible management, but the 2 days at home helps.

Option 2: the work is in a SCIF, so 40 hrs in office, no option to telework, 15 min commute each way, challenging and interesting work, 25% travel, no idea how the management is.

For those who work in a SCIF, how terrible is it?

neither of these options are great. Stick with what are doing now. Terrible management makes life miserable. SCIF life is like really really minimum security prison. Management is probably terrible in option 2 anyway. For some reason, intel has a lot of young, egotistical, but not very well rounded 14s (I think this is the case because the IC had a hiring surge in the 2000s, began promoting quickly, and the folks hired in this time have only worked in one agency and have been promoted very quickly)

Interesting observation, the lead is a young 14.

once you are in a SCIF, your company is not going to change you to a non SCIF position why waste an employee with a clearance? It is a myth that being a contractor provide an opportunity for mobility within a contracting company, it doesn't. Especially if you are TS//SCI, that SCI is generally speaking agency specific and it is not that you can get SCI access at another agency, but company doesn't have incentive to see that this move can be made for you.

Not true.

I’d choose one.

Working in a SCIF sucks. I did it for 10 years and didn't hate it till AFTER I received a job offer with full remote. It's a life changer. I don't care if my clearance goes inactive, I can never go back to SCIFing. Choose neither. Choose WFH if possible.

[Anonymous]

Single greatest benefit of SCIF work is that when you walk out you are done. No logging in later, weekend calls, midnight texts. So,I would jump at a SCIF with a short commute. If having no at home days are so terrible, you are not putting in a full day on telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Single greatest benefit of SCIF work is that when you walk out you are done. No logging in later, weekend calls, midnight texts. So,I would jump at a SCIF with a short commute. If having no at home days are so terrible, you are not putting in a full day on telework.

I tend to agree. Worked in a SCIF for many years and didn't find it that bad at all. It was great to walk out and just be done. I now have at home days and some flexibility but a lot of those days I am on calls well into the evening. Add in interesting work, some good travel (maybe?) and a short commute? #2 all the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Single greatest benefit of SCIF work is that when you walk out you are done. No logging in later, weekend calls, midnight texts. So,I would jump at a SCIF with a short commute. If having no at home days are so terrible, you are not putting in a full day on telework.

I tend to agree. Worked in a SCIF for many years and didn't find it that bad at all. It was great to walk out and just be done. I now have at home days and some flexibility but a lot of those days I am on calls well into the evening. Add in interesting work, some good travel (maybe?) and a short commute? #2 all the way.

OP here: it’s not sexy travel by any means. Just travel to other isolated facilities. When I telework and take calls, I can walk out of my office to open a door for my kid, or take a break for an appointment and come back to work. That’s the type of flexibility I’ll lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: thanks for helping me think about this. Going to pass on this.

Did we hear about how the compensation compares though? Being in a SCIF is a lockdown experience, but everything else about Option 2 is better than Option 1. If the compensation is better than what you’re getting now, Option 2 sounds pretty good since it’s better work and better work/life balance.

Option 2 is not better work/life balance. No telework + 25% travel. How is that better for personal life?

I love working in a SCIF. When I leave work, I LEAVE. No emails, no phone calls, no expectation that I know what’s happened at work while on vacation. Or on sick days.

That said said, I’d never do it as a contractor. Only staff.

[Anonymous]

I did not mind working in a SCIF at all, however now that I've had a taste of hybrid and no SCIF, I would never go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: thanks for helping me think about this. Going to pass on this.

Did we hear about how the compensation compares though? Being in a SCIF is a lockdown experience, but everything else about Option 2 is better than Option 1. If the compensation is better than what you’re getting now, Option 2 sounds pretty good since it’s better work and better work/life balance.

Option 2 is not better work/life balance. No telework + 25% travel. How is that better for personal life?

I love working in a SCIF. When I leave work, I LEAVE. No emails, no phone calls, no expectation that I know what’s happened at work while on vacation. Or on sick days.

That said said, I’d never do it as a contractor. Only staff.

OP here: What in your opinion is the difference? Curious because I am a contractor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Single greatest benefit of SCIF work is that when you walk out you are done. No logging in later, weekend calls, midnight texts. So,I would jump at a SCIF with a short commute. If having no at home days are so terrible, you are not putting in a full day on telework.

I tend to agree. Worked in a SCIF for many years and didn't find it that bad at all. It was great to walk out and just be done. I now have at home days and some flexibility but a lot of those days I am on calls well into the evening. Add in interesting work, some good travel (maybe?) and a short commute? #2 all the way.

OP here: it’s not sexy travel by any means. Just travel to other isolated facilities. When I telework and take calls, I can walk out of my office to open a door for my kid, or take a break for an appointment and come back to work. That’s the type of flexibility I’ll lose.

You put in a door code lock, and you go to the appointment and either work extra to make up or take a few hours leave. Or are you billing your appointment time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: thanks for helping me think about this. Going to pass on this.

Did we hear about how the compensation compares though? Being in a SCIF is a lockdown experience, but everything else about Option 2 is better than Option 1. If the compensation is better than what you’re getting now, Option 2 sounds pretty good since it’s better work and better work/life balance.

Option 2 is not better work/life balance. No telework + 25% travel. How is that better for personal life?

OP here: for me the lack of telework and flexibility is the deal killer. As a contractor I don’t get enough PTO to cover sick days, vacation and other school activities.

This implies you have kids. Hard no on SCIF. You have to leave your phone outside so it’s inconvenient for schools/etc to contact you, which will put all those duties on your partner. Not fair and not a good idea unless the job has major benefits not apparently obvious here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: thanks for helping me think about this. Going to pass on this.

Did we hear about how the compensation compares though? Being in a SCIF is a lockdown experience, but everything else about Option 2 is better than Option 1. If the compensation is better than what you’re getting now, Option 2 sounds pretty good since it’s better work and better work/life balance.

Option 2 is not better work/life balance. No telework + 25% travel. How is that better for personal life?

OP here: for me the lack of telework and flexibility is the deal killer. As a contractor I don’t get enough PTO to cover sick days, vacation and other school activities.

This implies you have kids. Hard no on SCIF. You have to leave your phone outside so it’s inconvenient for schools/etc to contact you, which will put all those duties on your partner. Not fair and not a good idea unless the job has major benefits not apparently obvious here.

My DH moved from WAH PT to SCIF FT. Its been awful. I dont have a way to get a hold of him since they messed up his unsecured line and it hasnt been working for 4 weeks. I have his unsecured email but its not suitable for emergencies and our child has been having issues at school so I get all of the calls. A SCIF is fine when everything is working perfectly or you dont have kids or whatever. Outside of that it is difficult and parenting with no family help with 2 FT is already difficult enough. People who work in SCIF should be getting some type of pay bump because it is not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me think through this
Option 1: boring work, 3 days in office with a 45 min commute each way, no travel, terrible management, but the 2 days at home helps.

Option 2: the work is in a SCIF, so 40 hrs in office, no option to telework, 15 min commute each way, challenging and interesting work, 25% travel, no idea how the management is.

For those who work in a SCIF, how terrible is it?

neither of these options are great. Stick with what are doing now. Terrible management makes life miserable. SCIF life is like really really minimum security prison. Management is probably terrible in option 2 anyway. For some reason, intel has a lot of young, egotistical, but not very well rounded 14s (I think this is the case because the IC had a hiring surge in the 2000s, began promoting quickly, and the folks hired in this time have only worked in one agency and have been promoted very quickly)

Drama queen much?

[Anonymous]

Only take the scif for double the pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Single greatest benefit of SCIF work is that when you walk out you are done. No logging in later, weekend calls, midnight texts. So,I would jump at a SCIF with a short commute. If having no at home days are so terrible, you are not putting in a full day on telework.

As someone whose colleagues constantly try to take advantage of me because I WFH, this is an underrated point.