What is your federal agency telling you re: RTO? (No other rants/comments!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Patent and Trademark Office (non-bargaining unit employees) have had telework agreements cancelled immediately. Not sure why they bothered with the "exemption" from the overall Commerce policy. They are working on plans to bring remote workers to the office. In most cases, I think, that's not going to happen. People will quit. Which may be the point

Big Tech doesn’t care about patents. They are bitter over years of patent trolls, and are now so rich that they can just buy and scale problems away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Patent and Trademark Office (non-bargaining unit employees) have had telework agreements cancelled immediately. Not sure why they bothered with the "exemption" from the overall Commerce policy. They are working on plans to bring remote workers to the office. In most cases, I think, that's not going to happen. People will quit. Which may be the point

Big Tech doesn’t care about patents. They are bitter over years of patent trolls, and are now so rich that they can just buy and scale problems away.

Even if they didn't care about their patents, they do care very much about their Trademarks. Albeit the ratio of patent examiners to trademark examiners is 9:1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any word on how this is being handled at Social Security in Baltimore? I have a couple friends who work there. , but haven’t wanted to ask them yet….

Or DC based SSA attorney-advisors? I was out of the office today and radio silence from my manager. She’s norms even acknowledging my question about where I’m supposed to be working Monday.

This weekend is all about the resumes and getting out to liters anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know what is meant by “situational and ad hoc” telework? This is referred to in the HHS memo.

[Anonymous]

I’ve always heard that agencies HAVE to give 30 days notice before changing telework agreements, such that even if telework agreements are cancelled this week, it doesn’t take effect for another 30 days. However, I haven’t had a chance to dig into the law or regs to find a citation for that anyone happen to know the citation off the top of their head?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FHFA is planning to comply, but no details sent out other than a brief email that details are forthcoming.

Something similar at FCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what is meant by “situational and ad hoc” telework? This is referred to in the HHS memo.

Snow, natural disasters, protest that prevents you from going into the office. Maybe an outage at work and are told to go home. Your supervisor may allow for example if you had a dental appointment near your home you could take leave and then telework the remainder of your tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what is meant by “situational and ad hoc” telework? This is referred to in the HHS memo.

Snow, natural disasters, protest that prevents you from going into the office. Maybe an outage at work and are told to go home. Your supervisor may allow for example if you had a dental appointment near your home you could take leave and then telework the remainder of your tour.

No, you take leave

[Anonymous]

Small agency. Return to office 80 hours per pay period effective mid-march. We have a bargaining unit but CBA does not guarantee telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Managers at the SEC must be really pissed tonight.

SEC manager here. Mainly just delighted for my staff attorneys that they are likely ok until '26; we very likely would have lost at least two high-performers in my branch more or less immediately if this went the other way.

I am a staff attorney and I feel really bad for you guys. I hope they allow you guys some flexibility in the future. We need good managers and it is hard enough to fill the branch chief jobs in my division this will make it even worse. Also, there's no business need to not give you guys any flexibility.

You used “you guys” 3 times in that paragraph.

[Anonymous]

We were told no more telework (routine or situational) except for reasonable accommodation-based requests that a higher authority must approve. No specification as to who the "higher authority" approver would be (God, perhaps?).

We have thirty days to implement the changes. Since I've been back five days for a while, I am unphased by RTO and glad our secretary won't be able to do it anymore. It's been a PITA covering the front on days when she's out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were told no more telework (routine or situational) except for reasonable accommodation-based requests that a higher authority must approve. No specification as to who the "higher authority" approver would be (God, perhaps?).

We have thirty days to implement the changes. Since I've been back five days for a while, I am unphased by RTO and glad our secretary won't be able to do it anymore. It's been a PITA covering the front on days when she's out.

Which agency?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were told no more telework (routine or situational) except for reasonable accommodation-based requests that a higher authority must approve. No specification as to who the "higher authority" approver would be (God, perhaps?).

We have thirty days to implement the changes. Since I've been back five days for a while, I am unphased by RTO and glad our secretary won't be able to do it anymore. It's been a PITA covering the front on days when she's out.

Are you 100% logging 8.5 hours per day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Managers at the SEC must be really pissed tonight.

SEC manager here. Mainly just delighted for my staff attorneys that they are likely ok until '26; we very likely would have lost at least two high-performers in my branch more or less immediately if this went the other way.

I am a staff attorney and I feel really bad for you guys. I hope they allow you guys some flexibility in the future. We need good managers and it is hard enough to fill the branch chief jobs in my division this will make it even worse. Also, there's no business need to not give you guys any flexibility.

I’m an SK-14 in a NBU and I’m really upset by this RTO carve out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Managers at the SEC must be really pissed tonight.

SEC manager here. Mainly just delighted for my staff attorneys that they are likely ok until '26; we very likely would have lost at least two high-performers in my branch more or less immediately if this went the other way.

‘27. The CBA stays in effect for a year unless BOTH parties agree to a new one.