OPM Guidance on COVID-19

[Anonymous]

Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My grandfather lost 6 siblings in the Spanish flu. 6! These pandemics are not a joke.

Yep - a relative died in the 1918 epidemic of an unrelated, completely curable illness because she couldn't get seen by a doctor at a hospital in time. She was 9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

Boss and I had a heated discussion the other day because I asked to work from 7-3:30 instead of 8-4:30 (I am on maxiflex, but I don't think that means anything to boss). She said she had a duty to tax payers to make sure I was at work at the times I said I'd be at work. I said I felt I had a duty to taxpayers to get my job done #1, while also working the correct hours. I think she just doesn't know how to evaluate work and thus fixates on our time. We're all JDs, PhDs or masters degrees and all are GS13/14s. Not sure why we're treated like toddlers. Actually, I give my toddlers more autonomy.

There are plenty of bosses in the federal government who will be forcing their employees to take annual leave or sick leave or come in. I'd rather employees telework while recovering instead of taking the change on them still being contagious. I want OPM to address this head on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

Boss and I had a heated discussion the other day because I asked to work from 7-3:30 instead of 8-4:30 (I am on maxiflex, but I don't think that means anything to boss). She said she had a duty to tax payers to make sure I was at work at the times I said I'd be at work. I said I felt I had a duty to taxpayers to get my job done #1, while also working the correct hours. I think she just doesn't know how to evaluate work and thus fixates on our time. We're all JDs, PhDs or masters degrees and all are GS13/14s. Not sure why we're treated like toddlers. Actually, I give my toddlers more autonomy.

There are plenty of bosses in the federal government who will be forcing their employees to take annual leave or sick leave or come in. I'd rather employees telework while recovering instead of taking the change on them still being contagious. I want OPM to address this head on.

Mine makes me come in sick, although I have 160 hours of sick leave. He wants a written note from the doctor specifying that 1) I have coronavirus and 2) I can do my job from home otherwise I'm expected in the office. First, my primary care doc doesn't have the test and he doesn't know what I do at work. It's absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to know if my agency will actually expect me to be able to effectively telework while I’m, apparently, also going to be essentially homeschooling my children??

DON’T ASK DON’T TELL!

If your child is old enough for school they do not need constant supervision (like a toddler). No it will not be great but I think you will get into a routine. Start working as easily as possible in the am. Stock some self serve breakfast items. Take them outside over your lunch time. Of course you will take breaks when they need attention. Hopefully you can schedule some work time when a spouse is home or after bed time. To think they need your full attention focused on their schooling is not reasonable.

Yup. I have three kids. Here's what telework with schools closed looks like: Hand them a book. Let them watch an "educational" video for 1-2 hours. (Magic School Bus, Carmen San Diego, anything Kratts brothers, ... there are lots of suggestions.) Let them play Khan Academy or other educational video for 1-2 hours. If they are between the ages of 9 and 14, great time to read the entire Lord of the Rings series, or the Narnia series. That will keep them busy for a bit. If you have a backyard, have them run around it. Act like a 1970s mom who has kids on school break (i.e., just ignore them and if they bother you, tell them that if they are bored, they can clean the garage.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to know if my agency will actually expect me to be able to effectively telework while I’m, apparently, also going to be essentially homeschooling my children??

DON’T ASK DON’T TELL!

If your child is old enough for school they do not need constant supervision (like a toddler). No it will not be great but I think you will get into a routine. Start working as easily as possible in the am. Stock some self serve breakfast items. Take them outside over your lunch time. Of course you will take breaks when they need attention. Hopefully you can schedule some work time when a spouse is home or after bed time. To think they need your full attention focused on their schooling is not reasonable.

Yup. I have three kids. Here's what telework with schools closed looks like: Hand them a book. Let them watch an "educational" video for 1-2 hours. (Magic School Bus, Carmen San Diego, anything Kratts brothers, ... there are lots of suggestions.) Let them play Khan Academy or other educational video for 1-2 hours. If they are between the ages of 9 and 14, great time to read the entire Lord of the Rings series, or the Narnia series. That will keep them busy for a bit. If you have a backyard, have them run around it. Act like a 1970s mom who has kids on school break (i.e., just ignore them and if they bother you, tell them that if they are bored, they can clean the garage.)

9-12 is very different from 5 or 6. I have a kindergartener and an almost 3 year old. Full time telework will suck. I have no expectation of being able to do my usual day. Hoping to be able to make up the missed hours at night and on weekends. (My office is flexible with this already.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

OPM has new rules that permit teleworking w/ a dependent home, tracking hours actually worked and taking leave as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

OPM has new rules that permit teleworking w/ a dependent home, tracking hours actually worked and taking leave as needed.

Where is that?

[Anonymous]

OPM's actual guidance:"Critically, supervisors may allow employees to work from home during an emergency with a child or others in the home who need care, so long as employees document the hours they actually work and take appropriate leave for the time they aren’t working."

My agency is taking this to mean that if you care for your children during your 8-4:30 day, you need to take leave.

I'd like it interpreted that I can start work at 6am and work until midnight to get my 8.5 hours in. I will do the same work (lawyer), but I need flexibility on hours. My DH is active duty stationed overseas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

Boss and I had a heated discussion the other day because I asked to work from 7-3:30 instead of 8-4:30 (I am on maxiflex, but I don't think that means anything to boss). She said she had a duty to tax payers to make sure I was at work at the times I said I'd be at work. I said I felt I had a duty to taxpayers to get my job done #1, while also working the correct hours. I think she just doesn't know how to evaluate work and thus fixates on our time. We're all JDs, PhDs or masters degrees and all are GS13/14s. Not sure why we're treated like toddlers. Actually, I give my toddlers more autonomy.

There are plenty of bosses in the federal government who will be forcing their employees to take annual leave or sick leave or come in. I'd rather employees telework while recovering instead of taking the change on them still being contagious. I want OPM to address this head on.

Mine makes me come in sick, although I have 160 hours of sick leave. He wants a written note from the doctor specifying that 1) I have coronavirus and 2) I can do my job from home otherwise I'm expected in the office. First, my primary care doc doesn't have the test and he doesn't know what I do at work. It's absurd.

That's ridiculous and not enforceable. You need to enlist HR or go over his head here. You can't have the flu or something else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great that some of you get don’t ask don’t tell. My boss asks and forces annual leave. Same with snow days. And I can’t make up the hours on other days even though I’m technically on maxiflex. My boss told me to take it up with whoever wrote the rules.

Whoever wrote the rules needs to understand the rules don’t apply anymore. This is not a typical situation. I’m sorry your boss sucks.

Boss and I had a heated discussion the other day because I asked to work from 7-3:30 instead of 8-4:30 (I am on maxiflex, but I don't think that means anything to boss). She said she had a duty to tax payers to make sure I was at work at the times I said I'd be at work. I said I felt I had a duty to taxpayers to get my job done #1, while also working the correct hours. I think she just doesn't know how to evaluate work and thus fixates on our time. We're all JDs, PhDs or masters degrees and all are GS13/14s. Not sure why we're treated like toddlers. Actually, I give my toddlers more autonomy.

There are plenty of bosses in the federal government who will be forcing their employees to take annual leave or sick leave or come in. I'd rather employees telework while recovering instead of taking the change on them still being contagious. I want OPM to address this head on.

Mine makes me come in sick, although I have 160 hours of sick leave. He wants a written note from the doctor specifying that 1) I have coronavirus and 2) I can do my job from home otherwise I'm expected in the office. First, my primary care doc doesn't have the test and he doesn't know what I do at work. It's absurd.

That's ridiculous and not enforceable. You need to enlist HR or go over his head here. You can't have the flu or something else?

Yeah, pp’s crazy supervisor needed to be addressed long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to know if my agency will actually expect me to be able to effectively telework while I’m, apparently, also going to be essentially homeschooling my children??

Nope! Instead you are expected to use up your vacation and advance more so you're in the hole as long as this goes on. Ah, such generous federal benefits!

Yeah, it’s actually against Federal telework policy to telework with kids under your supervision... My agency said don’t ask don’t tell will be the name of the game here unless new regs come out.

During the NASA town hall yesterday they basically said that you could work "in between caregiving responsibilities" - so basically, let the tv supervise your kid for a while and then when you go check on them, you're off the clock. There's no way any agency will be enforcing the no kids policy when they send people home en masse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OPM's actual guidance:"Critically, supervisors may allow employees to work from home during an emergency with a child or others in the home who need care, so long as employees document the hours they actually work and take appropriate leave for the time they aren’t working."

My agency is taking this to mean that if you care for your children during your 8-4:30 day, you need to take leave.

I'd like it interpreted that I can start work at 6am and work until midnight to get my 8.5 hours in. I will do the same work (lawyer), but I need flexibility on hours. My DH is active duty stationed overseas.

This is really dependent on agency and if you can, you should ask for it. This is how we are interpreting it (also lawyers). We have variable weeks. 80 hours in 2 weeks is what you need, and at least for COVID purposes, if you work that time at 2 am or 6 am or whatever, we don't care so long as the work gets done. That's how my own office has handled leave for many years now anyway; the other offices are less flexible, but they have been directed to be flexible for this crisis.

[Anonymous]

Now it's a pandemic officially
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/11/814474930/coronavirus-covid-19-is-now-officially-a-pandemic-who-says