List of Toxic Federal Agencies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:State Department has been a shitshow for a while, even before Trump was in office. Some bureaus are better than others, but CS is always second fiddle to FS. CA is a mess, and I am sure DS and OBO aren’t much better.

Oh DS is full of a bunch of self important pricks. That's said, I know the nicest guy that just joined. No idea how long he'll last. He hates DS agents too but doing it for his wife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USAID OIG. STAY VERY FAR AWAY FROM THIS ORGANIZATION! The all-caps is VERY INTENTIONAL

Agree.

+1. I worked there for 12 years and left last year. The leadership is the worst and it's always been like this. The scandals in this organization would make amazing reality TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NIST Gaithersburg

Really? I’ve been there for work a few times, and it seemed like one of those secretly great agencies. Guess not.

I know many people who work there and they’re all happy and believe it to be a great organization. If you’re in a toxic area, find a new role in a different organization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State Department has been a shitshow for a while, even before Trump was in office. Some bureaus are better than others, but CS is always second fiddle to FS. CA is a mess, and I am sure DS and OBO aren’t much better.

Oh DS is full of a bunch of self important pricks. That's said, I know the nicest guy that just joined. No idea how long he'll last. He hates DS agents too but doing it for his wife.

What??! Joining a job you hate just for your wife? Who does that? It's not even like they get paid a lot. Why doesn't she join if she likes it that much?

He won't last long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NIST Gaithersburg

Really? I’ve been there for work a few times, and it seemed like one of those secretly great agencies. Guess not.

I know many people who work there and they’re all happy and believe it to be a great organization. If you’re in a toxic area, find a new role in a different organization.

I did. I work for a different org making 75% more and with better benefits. Making considerably more than my contemporaries at NIST make now.

When I was there, my entire lab and the administration was a shitshow. It was toxic because you couldn’t go up the chain to address issues. They alternative pay bands were designed to allow managers to minimize or deny merit raises. I think some of the lazy and arrogant boomers have retired since then so hopefully the culture is better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EPA OCFO! That place has been toxic for two decades.

What’s OCFO?

[Anonymous]

Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State Department has been a shitshow for a while, even before Trump was in office. Some bureaus are better than others, but CS is always second fiddle to FS. CA is a mess, and I am sure DS and OBO aren’t much better.

Oh DS is full of a bunch of self important pricks. That's said, I know the nicest guy that just joined. No idea how long he'll last. He hates DS agents too but doing it for his wife.

State is incredibly archaic with a lot of folks retired in place (a very old workforce). The front line managers that are younger are mostly awful. I've been told there is very little room for growth there at this time...why is State so unnecessarily bureaucratic when compared to other agencies?

[Anonymous]

State FS or CS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State Department has been a shitshow for a while, even before Trump was in office. Some bureaus are better than others, but CS is always second fiddle to FS. CA is a mess, and I am sure DS and OBO aren’t much better.

Oh DS is full of a bunch of self important pricks. That's said, I know the nicest guy that just joined. No idea how long he'll last. He hates DS agents too but doing it for his wife.

State is incredibly archaic with a lot of folks retired in place (a very old workforce). The front line managers that are younger are mostly awful. I've been told there is very little room for growth there at this time...why is State so unnecessarily bureaucratic when compared to other agencies?

The FS system is set up such that decisions are made for relationships rather than efficiency. God forbid you make an actual choice that sparks a change instead of just writing reviews that inflate your own involvement in initiatives. FS make decisions to appease people and not rock the boat….that’s a horrible way to run anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NIST Gaithersburg

Really? I’ve been there for work a few times, and it seemed like one of those secretly great agencies. Guess not.

I know many people who work there and they’re all happy and believe it to be a great organization. If you’re in a toxic area, find a new role in a different organization.

I did. I work for a different org making 75% more and with better benefits. Making considerably more than my contemporaries at NIST make now.

When I was there, my entire lab and the administration was a shitshow. It was toxic because you couldn’t go up the chain to address issues. They alternative pay bands were designed to allow managers to minimize or deny merit raises. I think some of the lazy and arrogant boomers have retired since then so hopefully the culture is better.

Pay bands like that are awful. I was in one at Navy and it encourages favoritism among crappy Management, of which they had a lot.

I meant another group at NIST, although another agency is good too. I think NIST is place people like to work for many people. Clearly, your group was terrible. I had worked once in an exceptionally toxic group at one place and when I moved it was like a totally different experience. I guess it all matters who you work with at any job. It’s hard for people to imagine when they haven’t been through it and it causes people to knee jerk reaction and assume you’re experience is not valid. I’m glad you found something better for you.

[Anonymous]

every part of the IRS

[Anonymous]

SEC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SEC

In what way? From the outside seems like pay is significantly better and there is relative autonomy for employees. Plus few political appointees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SEC

In what way? From the outside seems like pay is significantly better and there is relative autonomy for employees. Plus few political appointees.

Few political appointees but they drive the agenda and staff gets get yanked in every which direction. And the current chair is an arrogant former Goldman guy who got regulatory religion (after he made tons of money at GS) and thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. People are miserable.