Value of telework - fed gov edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fully remote can be stopped in a moment. Would you take the job if you had to be in the office 5 days a week?

+1. I'm also at a finreg, also in a stressful position, and also tired of coming into the office, but there's no way I would trust a full remote position at another agency. If I wanted full remote, I'd look to the private sector; I have lots of friends in fintech, and of those that were promised full remote, none of them have had it changed on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't trust any promises about a fully remote federal job ever.

This.

[Anonymous]

What is the difference in retirement

[Anonymous]

Also at a finreg. I'd take about a 50k pay cut to be fully remote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also at a finreg. I'd take about a 50k pay cut to be fully remote.

What’s your current salary and commute?

[Anonymous]

Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here - I want to be a little vague (paranoid I know) because boss reads this. The
Agency I’d go to is less prestigious or whatever, but I am going to be a fed gov lifer so do not have too much to gain from prestige although I did care about that more a few years ago

Have you missed the last 12 months? No guarantee any of us can be lifers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

I never understood why it was such a big deal. Most Feds are older and worked for years even decades in office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

I never understood why it was such a big deal. Most Feds are older and worked for years even decades in office.

It’s a big deal now because most of us who worked for decades know how messed up things are right now, know how much work it takes put it right, and would be willing to work crazy hours to make it right again, but can’t do that when the hours are so inflexible, so much time is lost in commuting, etc. Things weren’t in such a dire state before.

That being said, it seems the general public doesn’t value anything the gov does anyway, so maybe the best solution is to get rid of the federal gov altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

I never understood why it was such a big deal. Most Feds are older and worked for years even decades in office.

I had worked at home for about 15 years. Now I commute 2 hours a day to an office where most of my coworkers do not work so we are all in meetings all the time and it's loud. Yes I did commute for most of my kids childhood so I know it's possible...but that was before laptops, teams, and VPNs. Now it's just a waste of reasources for both sides...the extra space rental, the transit subsidies. I don't believe it will last. It makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fully remote can be stopped in a moment. Would you take the job if you had to be in the office 5 days a week?

+1. I'm also at a finreg, also in a stressful position, and also tired of coming into the office, but there's no way I would trust a full remote position at another agency. If I wanted full remote, I'd look to the private sector; I have lots of friends in fintech, and of those that were promised full remote, none of them have had it changed on them.

Yep better to go private. I am at a finreg and just interviewed for an in house job with generous telework (hybrid office - 2 days/week telework). The salary would be the same or about 10-20% increase depending on bonus.

But I am hopeful that new agency leadership will create some rational telework flexibilities …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

lol tell that to my acting chair. IYKYK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fully remote can be stopped in a moment. Would you take the job if you had to be in the office 5 days a week?

+1. I'm also at a finreg, also in a stressful position, and also tired of coming into the office, but there's no way I would trust a full remote position at another agency. If I wanted full remote, I'd look to the private sector; I have lots of friends in fintech, and of those that were promised full remote, none of them have had it changed on them.

It’s not just full remote but having rational telework policies. My friend in BigLaw always shushes me when I complain about telework by claiming that telework is over at her firm. But all she really means is that they are now strongly encouraged to be in person. She can still just go in for an hour and have that count as her in office day. She can work remotely for a week while visiting sick parent. Telework after Dr appt. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

lol tell that to my acting chair. IYKYK.

Sadly, IK. Same agency I'm sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh, the shock and awe part of RTO is over.
RTO has served its purpose of traumatizing people and making them want to quit. It has mostly run its course. Nothing is ever permanent but if someone is hiring for a remote position in today’s environment, I think there is a good enough chance of it staying remote.

I never understood why it was such a big deal. Most Feds are older and worked for years even decades in office.

People keep saying this. It’s simply not true. I’ve had telework available since 2006. That’s nearly 20 years. My entire career. So yes, it was a big deal to have it taken away in one fell swoop. I’d been able to telework 2-3 days a week since long before COVID. Being able to bring my kid to dance two days a week without taking leave because I didn’t commute those days was a big consideration in committing to dance every year, and it is a school year long commitment since you pay for the studio year whether you go or not. So it’s not like I could just pivot last March and be like, whoops, sorry, you’ve got to quit dance mid year after a decade. Now, I take an hour and a half of leave twice a week to make it happen. This is stupid. But whatever. You don’t want a full week of work out of me, that’s cool.