Return to work- fed edition

[Anonymous]

Fda just announced we’re hearing back in April but of course no details about what that means practically for WAH/schedules….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My agency is saying in office 4 days per pay period, but date to return to office still TBD. I think they are considering the ongoing Metro situation too since that’s how most employees commute.

Which agency?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should just push it back to the end of the school year, given all the complications for working families. We're almost there anyway.

Lol

[Anonymous]

So glad I work for a component that allowed 100% maxi flex telework long before the pandemic. Go Patent Office!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So glad I work for a component that allowed 100% maxi flex telework long before the pandemic. Go Patent Office!

The PTO’s telework program and bonus really make it a great agency to work for.

[Anonymous]

Any other news?!

[Anonymous]

I hope that everyone that can work from home will continue to work from home. I have to be in person at least 60% of the time and the roads are so much nicer now.

[Anonymous]

CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

[Anonymous]

My agency is still work-in-office on a voluntary basis with capacity limits. The limits are increasing in the next few weeks and people are now being encouraged to at least visit the office. Next phase (near full capacity) likely around March/April. Not clear when full capacity will arrive. Long-term telework policy still under discussion and likely won't be resolved this calendar year (IMHO).

IMHO unless an office is moving to fulltime telework (for example, USPTO), it's time to start requiring some office presence even if people need to switch at the last minute b/c of school/daycare quarantines. Most of my colleagues have been amazing about getting childcare arrangements (AND BACKUP PLANS) in place, but others are just slacking and cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

doubt it.

If teachers are packing themselves in classrooms because it is safe enough then adults can be in offices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

doubt it.

If teachers are packing themselves in classrooms because it is safe enough then adults can be in offices.

I don't know if I'd buy that logic but that's another thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

doubt it.

If teachers are packing themselves in classrooms because it is safe enough then adults can be in offices.

For the last time, teachers are NOT office workers. Like hospital nurses and retail workers, their job is fundamentally client-facing that requires them to be on-site. Meanwhile white-collar professionals like patent attorneys can do online research from basically anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EPA just pushed back managers and non-union employees return by another month. They’re still finalizing unions agreements so no start date stated for them yet.

I’m non-Union and was supposed to start back 1 day a week in late January, now it’s late Feb.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm out of the country and left my work electronics at home. I'm also non-union and was starting to get anxious about late January as I have a child too young to be vaccinated.

It sounds like that when we go back, we will only have to be in the office two days per pay period, which I have absolutely no issues with -- unless I commute the hour in and spend the whole day in my office on Teams calls with my door shut. If that's the new normal, it sounds like a waste of commuting time. When it's safe for us to meet in person, I'll be looking forward to seeing my colleagues in person a few days a pay period.

My agency (not EPA) is talking about taking your office away if coming in only a few days.

EPA will require only 20% in office. Hurray!!!! Thank you for the sanity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CDC said yesterday that the booster is not as effective after 4 months. Wonder agencies will reevaluate their opening policy.

doubt it.

If teachers are packing themselves in classrooms because it is safe enough then adults can be in offices.

For the last time, teachers are NOT office workers. Like hospital nurses and retail workers, their job is fundamentally client-facing that requires them to be on-site. Meanwhile white-collar professionals like patent attorneys can do online research from basically anywhere.

But the concern mentioned above was vaccine efficacy - If it is safe for teachers then it is safe for adults in offices - period. It doesn't matter how you do the job because the objective that keeps being mentioned is safety. It's safe. The narrative has to change if people want to advocate for a transition to permanent work from home status. I personally think that all people who can do their job remotely should absolutely stay out of the office permanently. The roads will be less congested and it would be better for the environment+ a mile-long list of personal reasons. Some people may lament about the city centers losing business and vacant office spaces but I think that the benefits outway the cost. We've got to move away from covid being the reason to stay out of the office and make it about something that is sustainable and relevant.