Senior Feds Sharing Offices

[Anonymous]

Are you new to government?

[Anonymous]

Maybe you will be able to telework. My desk is located in an overflow room. I telework when the room is needed for some other more important work function.

[Anonymous]

Most of America shares office space. It is rare to have your own office.

[Anonymous]

You were living in a bubble before, OP.

I've seen some European governments' offices. They stuff some of their most valued personnel in glorified attics, basements and corridors, with desks the size of postage stamps. In buildings without A/C, because they're historic and can't be retrofitted.

But if you want to talk about the USA, have you seen the West Wing and some of its cramped workplaces???

[Anonymous]

I have been a Federal attorney for 23 years and have never had to share an office. However, I have worked for OIGs, so there are potential FRCP 6e issues that other places may not have.

[Anonymous]

The "offices' in my office are just cubes with higher walls.

[Anonymous]

I have always worked for various divisions and sections of DOJ, and I cannot imagine this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been a Federal attorney for 23 years and have never had to share an office. However, I have worked for OIGs, so there are potential FRCP 6e issues that other places may not have.

The only time I ever shared an office as an attorney was during my first year in biglaw. I have had several other attorney roles and never shared an office until I became a fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of America shares office space. It is rare to have your own office.

Then they wonder why America hates them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of America shares office space. It is rare to have your own office.

I would believe that most office workers are in open plans of some kind, but sharing a closed office with one other person is not common. Nobody would deliberately build for that (no point) so it only happens when space is tight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of America shares office space. It is rare to have your own office.

Then they wonder why America hates them

It’s not because of our offices, please. They only have private or dual offices because the buildings are super old and predated cubicles. Most of the places with offices are not desirable in any meaningful way.

[Anonymous]

At my agency they’re moving everyone that isn’t a GS-15 supervisor (read: GS-14 supervisors and GS-15 non supervisors (mostly attorneys and PhD economists)) into small cubicles. Colleagues with 25+ years of experience who have had offices, even window offices, for years will join the most junior staff in the cubicle farm. We’re expecting resignations and retirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my agency they’re moving everyone that isn’t a GS-15 supervisor (read: GS-14 supervisors and GS-15 non supervisors (mostly attorneys and PhD economists)) into small cubicles. Colleagues with 25+ years of experience who have had offices, even window offices, for years will join the most junior staff in the cubicle farm. We’re expecting resignations and retirements.

Should clarify that when I say “we’re expecting” I mean myself and the colleagues I chat with about it. No idea what the decision makers think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my agency they’re moving everyone that isn’t a GS-15 supervisor (read: GS-14 supervisors and GS-15 non supervisors (mostly attorneys and PhD economists)) into small cubicles. Colleagues with 25+ years of experience who have had offices, even window offices, for years will join the most junior staff in the cubicle farm. We’re expecting resignations and retirements.

Probably the intent. Private industry even highly paid tech have had open office for years. In Big Tech (Google, Meta, Amazon, etc.), the most common cutoff for a dedicated private office is Vice President (VP) or higher.

[Anonymous]

lol! Do you have to share a secretary, too!?!? The indignity! Seriously though...there are maxed out supervisory 15's at my agency who are sitting in the bullpen with everyone else. Zero telework.