Return to work- fed edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expanded telework starting in spring, but if you TW more than 3 days a week, no office, no cube, no desk, just hoteling. I understand it but will be bringing my own keyboard and mouse and hope we get lockers…

That's sounds crazy and near sighted and, for that, something my agency may try too. Which dept?

This type of arrangement was in place at a lot of agencies even pre-pandemic. It makes complete sense: employees get the benefit of more remote work and agencies get the benefit of reduced real estate expenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expanded telework starting in spring, but if you TW more than 3 days a week, no office, no cube, no desk, just hoteling. I understand it but will be bringing my own keyboard and mouse and hope we get lockers…

That's sounds crazy and near sighted and, for that, something my agency may try too. Which dept?

This type of arrangement was in place at a lot of agencies even pre-pandemic. It makes complete sense: employees get the benefit of more remote work and agencies get the benefit of reduced real estate expenses.

My agency never had it. I guess this means you have to share the equipment right - desk, computers, phone..etc.? Will you have to sanitize the office/desk every time you go in? Just wondering about the logistics when virus is still wide spread

[Anonymous]

My spouse’s office has been asked to submit their preferences for in-person days so they can plan how to redistribute the office spaces, though they emphasized no actual return date is set yet-HHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse’s office has been asked to submit their preferences for in-person days so they can plan how to redistribute the office spaces, though they emphasized no actual return date is set yet-HHS.

Was your spouse given guidance on how many in-person days to expect in a pay period?

Signed, another HHSer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expanded telework starting in spring, but if you TW more than 3 days a week, no office, no cube, no desk, just hoteling. I understand it but will be bringing my own keyboard and mouse and hope we get lockers…

That's sounds crazy and near sighted and, for that, something my agency may try too. Which dept?

This type of arrangement was in place at a lot of agencies even pre-pandemic. It makes complete sense: employees get the benefit of more remote work and agencies get the benefit of reduced real estate expenses.

My agency never had it. I guess this means you have to share the equipment right - desk, computers, phone..etc.? Will you have to sanitize the office/desk every time you go in? Just wondering about the logistics when virus is still wide spread

Yes you share and yes you sanitize, though some agencies will augment their facilities contracts so that the cleaning is done overnight. Plus, this is a long term plan extending into a situation where there is no virus. Plus we have know for a long time that surface transmission is not a major concern in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expanded telework starting in spring, but if you TW more than 3 days a week, no office, no cube, no desk, just hoteling. I understand it but will be bringing my own keyboard and mouse and hope we get lockers…

That's sounds crazy and near sighted and, for that, something my agency may try too. Which dept?

This type of arrangement was in place at a lot of agencies even pre-pandemic. It makes complete sense: employees get the benefit of more remote work and agencies get the benefit of reduced real estate expenses.

My agency never had it. I guess this means you have to share the equipment right - desk, computers, phone..etc.? Will you have to sanitize the office/desk every time you go in? Just wondering about the logistics when virus is still wide spread

We have shared desktops which control custom hardware, so many users thoughout the day. We have sanitation wipes at the desk, it’s two minutes to wipe all surfaces. Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse’s office has been asked to submit their preferences for in-person days so they can plan how to redistribute the office spaces, though they emphasized no actual return date is set yet-HHS.

Was your spouse given guidance on how many in-person days to expect in a pay period?

Signed, another HHSer

No and no one seems to know or is willing to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is all over the news now. Everything is beginning to get canceled or push back again. Do you guys still think agencies will move forward as planned?

Yes. Because we are all getting omicron no matter what they do unless we lockdown EVERYTHING.

Same at our agency. Already back and no changes due to omicron.

Which one? A lot of trolls here.

NRC

How does it feel to be back in the office? We are supposed to go back mid Feb. I can't even imagine what that's like after 23 months of WFH.

Another NRC person here...it's bad. A lot of positive cases. We receive constant emails about positive cases including 12 last Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IRS Counsel prior posters — did you see new telework stuff? Four days is good huh?

I saw it, but am not eligible since I haven’t been with Counsel 3 years yet, most of my career was spent in another agency. I started with Counsel about 6 months pre COVID. So to me it feels a little like a punishment, in that I’ve been successfully working from home for almost 2 years when it suited them, but now am not eligible for the expanded telework plan. And the way I read it was that you can sign up in January and then the next option to sign up would be 6 months later, so June, and then it’s unclear when/if the next option to sign up would be. I’ll still be a month short of 3 years in June.

IRS Counsel who already hit my 3 years and planning to request the special Level 3 telework. Absolutely bring this up to union leadership. Tax lawyers are in demand right now and you have options if you want to leave.

Yea, that’s the thing though, I’m almost 20 years into federal service. I don’t really want to leave! It just feels like a slap in the face, like the new rules should apply to new employees, but if you are on rolls as of the start date you should be able to request any of the options. Especially since they are doing away with the one year new hire no telework policy entirely. So they are giving more trust to newly hired folks than those of us who have been slogging it out this whole time. And granted it was only 6 months, but my rear end was there every day because they wouldn’t except me from the no telework policy when I started even though I’d been in federal service teleworking 3x a week for 15 years prior to joining counsel.

Put in a reasonable accommodation request to gum things up and draw it out, quit once you hit your 20, or suck it up for another year. I think all are reasonable choices. I absolutely hate our management in F&M. I was seriously injured during my first year at CC and requested telework for <2 months under reasonable accommodation until I could walk again, OR handicap accessible parking. They gave me one day of parking in one of the only spots that wasn’t near elevators, only stairs, and delayed approving my telework until I was basically recovered. I actually didn’t have a telework agreement in effect when we went remote, I was eligible but chose to not telework before COVID, but they were SEVERAL TIMES faster to yank admin leave and force us to telework than they were to approve my RA request. Seriously hate F&M.

Seemed like on the town hall today they made it clear management was against the Level 3 telework. I was unhappy they spent so much time talking about office space (why are people so obsessed and territorial about a space they’ll be in one day a week?) They spent zero time addressing the questions I submitted regarding whether there were any metrics for evaluating whether Level 3 will continue after the first 6 months. I also want to know how much notice we will receive that they don’t plan to continue to offer Level 3 because I will be using that time to see what other opportunities are out there.

If I get COVID coming in I will be filing/documenting under FECA and using all the banked sick leave I need to relax and not eager to log on to telework. I also will not be working extra hours on in office days. Late meetings will need to be rescheduled for telework days. They can’t have it all the ways unless we let them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is all over the news now. Everything is beginning to get canceled or push back again. Do you guys still think agencies will move forward as planned?

Yes. Because we are all getting omicron no matter what they do unless we lockdown EVERYTHING.

Same at our agency. Already back and no changes due to omicron.

Which one? A lot of trolls here.

NRC

How does it feel to be back in the office? We are supposed to go back mid Feb. I can't even imagine what that's like after 23 months of WFH.

Another NRC person here...it's bad. A lot of positive cases. We receive constant emails about positive cases including 12 last Friday.

That's too bad. Sorry to hear that. It seems so unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is all over the news now. Everything is beginning to get canceled or push back again. Do you guys still think agencies will move forward as planned?

Yes. Because we are all getting omicron no matter what they do unless we lockdown EVERYTHING.

Same at our agency. Already back and no changes due to omicron.

Which one? A lot of trolls here.

NRC

How does it feel to be back in the office? We are supposed to go back mid Feb. I can't even imagine what that's like after 23 months of WFH.

Another NRC person here...it's bad. A lot of positive cases. We receive constant emails about positive cases including 12 last Friday.

That's too bad. Sorry to hear that. It seems so unnecessary.

Encourage all these people to file claims under FECA. Hope for a speedy recovery, document in case of later long COVID issues causing any long term disability. Agencies forcing telework capable employees in are Fing around and are going to find out how much unnecessary disruption and expense demanding butts in seats will cause them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mid-size agency here. No notice on back to office but did get notice on new telework policy if/when we ever go back:

-Four days required in office per pay period. Up to six days telework. (Pre-pandemic was the opposite - 6/4).

-Option to work 10 hour days, so an additional AWS day (up to two) per pay period.

-standard work hours 10-2pm. Work hours can be anywhere from 5am -10 pm (subject to approval).

-some other nuances.

Pretty happy with this.

What agency please??

[Anonymous]

DOT still full steam ahead, as of a meeting last week.
Managers ses to return first week January, various modes starting after that.
I am baffled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DOT still full steam ahead, as of a meeting last week.
Managers ses to return first week January, various modes starting after that.
I am baffled.

Yeah I'm sure you're baffled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOT still full steam ahead, as of a meeting last week.
Managers ses to return first week January, various modes starting after that.
I am baffled.

Yeah I'm sure you're baffled.

Lol. Pete has bigger dreams. He is thinking next job.