Survey of Government Attorney Parents
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Anonymous
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I have some questions for government attorneys who are also parents and would really appreciate honest responses. I am considering trying to move to the government from a law firm. Of course, you don't have to answer all of the questions.
(1) Are you part-time, full-time, flexible schedule? Do you ever work from home? How much flexibility do you have? Do you keep 9-5 hours or a different schedule? (2) What is your stress level? Are you challenged by your job? (3) Do you feel like you are a better or more "present" parent because of your job? (4) Are the benefits all that they are hyped up to be? (5) Do you ever wish that you worked at a firm? Why or why not? (6) Are you happy with your job and home life (and so-called work-life balance)? (7) Is there anything that you would do differently knowing what you know now? |
Anonymous
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1) FT, I telework 2 days a week. I keep a 8-4:30 schedule. I have flexibility during the day, so long as I give my boss a head's up and get my work done.
2) Good stress--my work is extremely interesting and challenging. We get to decide issues of first impression but we also have to keep up with closing cases. 3) Yes. 4) Yes. 5) No, though sometimes the money would be nice only so I could pay down my student loans. 6) I don't think "balance" exists, but if it does, I have it pretty good. 7) Yeah, not taken as much time off between college and law school so as to have more earning years and childbearing years. But, who's to say I would have ended up at my wonderful job at a wonderful agency if I hadn't taken the path that I did. |
Anonymous
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Worked at a huge law firm for 3 years, and a medium sized one for two. Moved to govt. 3 years ago.
(1) Full time, work from 9:30 - 6 p.m (2) Stress level is very low. Work is very interesting, and sometimes very challenging. I am learning many new things on this job. (3) Yes. I am not unhappy anymore. I have been told by my family that I am less cranky. I enjoy my time at home b/c I have no blackberry or threat of late/weekend phone calls. (4) Yes. Lots of holidays. Snow days. Icy road days. Good health bennys. (5) Still? Hell no. Miss the money though. Not the politics and job insecurity and long hours. (6) Very. In fact, we are that elusive unstressed family. We have less stuff and take fewer and less fancy vacations, but we are very happy! (7) No. Firm experience was good. Enabled us to save for a down payment on a house in a good close-in suburb, walk to metro and stores, good schools etc. Got out before I burned out. |
Anonymous
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(1) Are you part-time, full-time, flexible schedule? Do you ever work from home? How much flexibility do you have? Do you keep 9-5 hours or a different schedule? Full time. Flexible (must be at work 8.5 (0.5 is lunch) hours a day, but they don't have to be from 9-5:30). Could be 6-230 one day or 9-530 another. I can work from home 2x a week but I do not because daycare is near work. Part time is not an option for me because I have only been with the agency for 2.5 years and I am told I'm not senior enough. (2) What is your stress level? Are you challenged by your job? Not stressed but not challenged either (usually). Very tedious. (3) Do you feel like you are a better or more "present" parent because of your job? Yes. I love being home with my child and not having to check a blackberry. (4) Are the benefits all that they are hyped up to be? Not clear what you mean. (5) Do you ever wish that you worked at a firm? Why or why not? I did work at a firm and I don't miss it a bit. Well, except that I had more resources available at the firm and I guess more of an ability to work anytime and anywhere (but that meant I was expected to as well). I took at 100K paycut and haven't looked back. That says something. (6) Are you happy with your job and home life (and so-called work-life balance)? I am absolutely. (7) Is there anything that you would do differently knowing what you know now? Well, besides not going to law school? hahaha |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
I have had two jobs. DOJ job was full time, rarely home b efore 7:30, super high stress. Benefits (health insurance, etc) were good. Didn't wish I worked at a firm because my experience seemed much more substantive than that of my friends who worked at law firms (handling casework on my own, lots of in person court appearances, etc). I was unhappy with my work-life balance because there was none. My life was my job. Current job with an agency (non-litigating) 1- full time. don't work from home, but could 2 days a week. (I don't b/c day care is in my building at work). 2 - stress level is generally low. I do feel challenged sometimes but not always motivated. 3 - definitely a more present parent. 4 - benefits are good 5 - do not wish i worked in a firm. I would not trade the quality of life I have now for 100k/year. I can't imagine that it would make my life that much better, and the stress would make it worse. 6 - very happy with work life balance |
Anonymous
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1. Full time. It's flexible in that we have to do 8.5 hours/day (including 30 mins for lunch), it has to be one continuous stretch, but we can come in as early as 6:30 am and as late as 10 am (meaning that you can leave as early as 3 or as late as 6:30). I do 10-6:30 and it's generally fine (I generally need to go in early for a meeting about once a week). Most people telework once per week, but I don't because my boss doesn't like telework (it's not a trust issue, he just feels it's easier to work with people actually present) plus with the work that I do, teleworking is hard (I'm in constant communication with my boss and I feel like teleworking creates a barrier to that).
2. Stress level is medium. Job is challenging, but I love it and after being bored for several years, I'm excited and grateful to be challenged. I'm in one of the more stressful areas of the agency. At my first position with the agency, the stress level was very low. 3. Not really sure on that one. I don't think I'm cut out to be a SAHM, and I really want to work because I get a lot of satisfaction out of it. 4. Eh. Some are great (our health insurance is less expensive, although for many that's not the case). Fewer vacation days and I feel that the hours are less flexible (at a firm you could cut out early if it was slow or make appts during the day without worrying about "making up" the hours, etc.; I can't do that as a fed). I could also telework easier from the two firms I worked at. And the maternity leave is obv terrible (at both firms, I got 18 weeks paid). 5. No. When I took this job, I figured I'd do ~5 years and then go back to a firm with a better shot at partner, or go in house for more $$$. Now I'd consider in house, but I can't imagine going to a firm. I feel so much more invested in the work I'm doing. At a firm, I had a hard time caring, and that was reflected in my work, unfortunately. (For full disclosure, DH works at a firm, so the pay cut hasn't hurt as much as it could for others.) 6. I do wish I was home a bit more, but I don't think there's ever a point where I wouldn't say that. That said, about an hour per day more would be really nice. That said, I never work weekends. I think maybe twice all year. That makes a huge difference. |
Anonymous
What? I thought Fox News said federal government workers were overpaid compared to their private sector counterparts. You must all be mistaken . . . . you are getting paid MORE in the government, right? I mean, the news wouldn't like about something like this, would they?
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Anonymous
I feel very fortunate to be where I am now, so I guess I can't change a thing, b/c then I might not be where I am now . . . if I could be in the exact same spot, I suppose I would have done a clerkship, just to have had the experience. But, I'd still want to be where I am now . . . . Similar to a poster above, I was at prestigious section(s) of DOJ (moved on up several times), and worked killer hours working on high profile cases. So answers then would have been very different . . . but I didn't have a kid then, so nights and weekends were ok! Glad I did it - and now happy to be at an agency. |
Anonymous
| I work at FDA... echo all above. DOJ is its own beast as I think high level SEC/FTC. Agencies are more family friendly IMHO. Love my job. If I stayed biglaw we would be in a bigger house in DC and going private. Instead we are in a meh house in Bethesda and going public. I can live without granite. |
Anonymous
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1) Are you part-time, full-time, flexible schedule? Do you ever work from home? How much flexibility do you have? Do you keep 9-5 hours or a different schedule?
I work FT. Basically 8:00-6:00, sometimes more, sometimes less. I answer my blackberry at home at night. I rarely work weekends. I am not permitted to work from home. I have some flexibility but not tons -- although they do not look over my shoulder to see if I'm there. I have a lot of work to do, so I need to work to get it done. (2) What is your stress level? Are you challenged by your job? I am stressed and challenged. We are understaffed so I have been working very hard lately. (3) Do you feel like you are a better or more "present" parent because of your job? No. I feel like I need to be home more. I'd like to switch but am not sure if my skills are really transferrable. (4) Are the benefits all that they are hyped up to be? No. (5) Do you ever wish that you worked at a firm? Why or why not? I used to work at a firm. I hated it. I like the "mission" of my agency. I really believe in government service. (6) Are you happy with your job and home life (and so-called work-life balance)? No. (7) Is there anything that you would do differently knowing what you know now? I would move to a different component with less stress and more flexible hours (but I worry I'd be bored). BTW, I work for DOJ. |
Anonymous
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I think these are tough questions to compare across gov't agencies. An attorney might be busier and have less flex at DOJ than say at the PTO.
(1) Are you part-time, full-time, flexible schedule? Do you ever work from home? How much flexibility do you have? Do you keep 9-5 hours or a different schedule? Full time; work 60 hours a week, plus international travel (2) What is your stress level? Are you challenged by your job? High stress; very challenging (3) Do you feel like you are a better or more "present" parent because of your job? No (4) Are the benefits all that they are hyped up to be? Medical ok. Dental terrible Time off is not easy to take even though leave time is significant. (5) Do you ever wish that you worked at a firm? Why or why not? Yes -- better pay for the same bad hours. (6) Are you happy with your job and home life (and so-called work-life balance)? NO |
Anonymous
Maybe they meant on average. |
Anonymous
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DOJ Trial Atty
(1) Are you part-time, full-time, flexible schedule? Do you ever work from home? How much flexibility do you have? Do you keep 9-5 hours or a different schedule? 60 hour weeks--more with trials, a lot of travel. However, I don't work on weekends (except when there's a trial). (2) What is your stress level? Are you challenged by your job? High stress, good level of challenge (far better than working in litigation at law firm). (3) Do you feel like you are a better or more "present" parent because of your job? Hard to tell. When I worked at a firm, I wasn't a parent, so I can't compare. When I am home on the weekends now, I am very present. But, I don't often get to see my children at bedtime, M-F. (4) Are the benefits all that they are hyped up to be? Benefits are good, solid compared to private sector. However, law firm salaries would compensate. (5) Do you ever wish that you worked at a firm? Why or why not? Yes, I work long hours for 1/4-1/8 of the pay. Many of law school classmates are partners now, and they clear between $500K and $1.2M/year. I am capped at $155K, no matter low long I work or how far I advance. (6) Are you happy with your job and home life (and so-called work-life balance)? Pretty happy, but that's only because my partner has a flexible work schedule and can take care of the kids (drop off, pick up, after school activities, cooking, baths, etc.). (7) Is there anything that you would do differently knowing what you know now? Not sure. Most people leave DOJ trial positions to go to firms because the salary cap makes no sense financially for a very experienced trial atty. I could work 10 hours more/week and make 5x what I currently earn. |
Anonymous
It is true at the lower GS levels. The equivalent jobs at private firms pay less in the government. Lawyers, accountants get paid a lot less than their private sector counterparts. |