Anyone get telework approved at SEC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

I don't see why you doubt that interview timeline. Screening interview and then a substantive interview usually within a week later can be just one job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

Between me and my three kids we have something almost every week. DH and I try to split but even then it is a lot. Two in braces. One in physical therapy from a sports injury. Dentist. Ob/gyn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

People aren’t playing games if they are using leave. If they are teleworking around appointments, I still wouldn’t call it playing games (assuming the medical appointments are legit), but then you are getting into a greyer area of what/how much is allowed, and it wouldn’t be crazy to be conservative for the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

It’s not a game. When you can’t telework, it’s hard to fit in appointments. Two things:

(1) under the CBA, we needed to complete our work hours between 5:30 am and midnight (I might be wrong about the exact times). So you could take two hours out of your day to take your kid to an appointment locally and make up that time by working earlier or later than usual.
(2) it was easy before to take just an hour or two for an appointment. For example, my dentist is a few mins from my house so I could make an appointment and only take 1.5 hours of leave. Same with the dermatologist, eye doctor, etc. I also had a 8-4:30 schedule so I would do a lot of my kids appointments in the early evening. With a long commute I just can’t do that anymore.

It is not a game, it’s the result of senseless policy. And your colleagues don’t need your judgment when they’re using their earned leave for exactly what it’s meant for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

I booked my and my kid's dental appointments 6 months ago, before we had an RTO date. I didn't plan it to coincide with the first week of RTO.

I have been trying to get all my medical stuff done while I still have insurance, so maybe appointments are a bit denser in my calendar than they might be, but there's also illness, car trouble, school music performance ... I don't control those dates, and I am taking a half day or full day for each.

[Anonymous]

You guys had it really good under the CBA, much better than most feds ever did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

Bit creepy that you know your colleagues’ medical appt schedules. When someone in my group is out, nobody knows (or cares) why — including managers.

DP. Not really. Colleagues talk about things other than work. And yes, the people in my group are taking tons of time off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

It’s not a game. When you can’t telework, it’s hard to fit in appointments. Two things:

(1) under the CBA, we needed to complete our work hours between 5:30 am and midnight (I might be wrong about the exact times). So you could take two hours out of your day to take your kid to an appointment locally and make up that time by working earlier or later than usual.
(2) it was easy before to take just an hour or two for an appointment. For example, my dentist is a few mins from my house so I could make an appointment and only take 1.5 hours of leave. Same with the dermatologist, eye doctor, etc. I also had a 8-4:30 schedule so I would do a lot of my kids appointments in the early evening. With a long commute I just can’t do that anymore.

It is not a game, it’s the result of senseless policy. And your colleagues don’t need your judgment when they’re using their earned leave for exactly what it’s meant for.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

Bit creepy that you know your colleagues’ medical appt schedules. When someone in my group is out, nobody knows (or cares) why — including managers.

Groups vary. People in my group are saying - dentist appt, kid dentist appt etc. No I'm not asking if they're headed to their podiatrist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it seem like tons of people in your groups are already taking time off? Not even counting the people on spring break last week, seems like everyone has a doctors appointment Friday, kid Dr appointment Monday etc. Granted some of this could be code for job interviews but I kind of doubt that people have 2-3 interviews in a ten day span. Am I the only one not playing this game? I def planned to take time off just thought I’d get thru a few full weeks first though now I’m like why exactly?

It’s not a game. When you can’t telework, it’s hard to fit in appointments. Two things:

(1) under the CBA, we needed to complete our work hours between 5:30 am and midnight (I might be wrong about the exact times). So you could take two hours out of your day to take your kid to an appointment locally and make up that time by working earlier or later than usual.
(2) it was easy before to take just an hour or two for an appointment. For example, my dentist is a few mins from my house so I could make an appointment and only take 1.5 hours of leave. Same with the dermatologist, eye doctor, etc. I also had a 8-4:30 schedule so I would do a lot of my kids appointments in the early evening. With a long commute I just can’t do that anymore.

It is not a game, it’s the result of senseless policy. And your colleagues don’t need your judgment when they’re using their earned leave for exactly what it’s meant for.

I agree it's not a game, it's leave they've earned. BTW OP it's also leave YOU'VE earned. So if you don't have kids or your kids aren't going to the orthodontist 2x/month, doesn't mean you can't take leave for YOURSELF. Mental health is health . . . just saying.

[Anonymous]

Is anyone else more worried after reading Atkin’s remarks from his swearing in?

[Anonymous]

I fear PA’s speech at the swearing in is not a good sign.

No one has said anything about staff needing to be hesitant to take leave. They took away telework. That’s not related to leave. I have plenty of leave and I will use it freely until I am told otherwise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else more worried after reading Atkin’s remarks from his swearing in?

I mean, he has to say that stuff in front of Trump. But I also think his email last night was a lot better than MU’s tone deaf email from Monday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fear PA’s speech at the swearing in is not a good sign.

No one has said anything about staff needing to be hesitant to take leave. They took away telework. That’s not related to leave. I have plenty of leave and I will use it freely until I am told otherwise

I mean other than kissing Trump's ass about the tacky decorations in the oval office it didn't seem that bad. From a policy perspective you had to expect that some of GG's rulemakings would be rolled back and enforcement would be less aggressive which is where I think he was going with that paragraph.

With Musk out there is a chance that DOGE will have less influence and cabinet heads may feel more inclined to push back against them. I don't think Vought has the same amount of leverage with Trump as Musk so there is a chance things lighten up if the agency heads felt so inclined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear PA’s speech at the swearing in is not a good sign.

No one has said anything about staff needing to be hesitant to take leave. They took away telework. That’s not related to leave. I have plenty of leave and I will use it freely until I am told otherwise

I mean other than kissing Trump's ass about the tacky decorations in the oval office it didn't seem that bad. From a policy perspective you had to expect that some of GG's rulemakings would be rolled back and enforcement would be less aggressive which is where I think he was going with that paragraph.

With Musk out there is a chance that DOGE will have less influence and cabinet heads may feel more inclined to push back against them. I don't think Vought has the same amount of leverage with Trump as Musk so there is a chance things lighten up if the agency heads felt so inclined.

I hope you’re right. My sense following Atkins’ remarks is that he is going to toe the line. Any hope I had for getting pre-Covid telework back is gone.