Fed Hiring Freeze

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Questions:

1) Anyone else with a TO going into the freeze who heard good news?
2) Anyone with any ideas whether the TO will be honored after the freeze is lifted?

I accepted a TO just prior to the freeze. I got news on Friday that the agency will have to file an appeal (or justification) to proceed with my hiring. And, I'm told the agency head plans to submit the appeal today. So, I'm still in limbo but at least I know the agency is committed to trying to get me on-board. (This is a USDA agency.)

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PP! I'm the one who asked those questions. Coincidentally, mine is for a USDA agency, too. My fingers are crossed for both of us.

[Anonymous]

Unrelated question. Has USDA, especially FAS, been on a hiring push pre-1/20? I know at least 4 people who recently started in January.

[Anonymous]

https://www.change.org/p/donald-trump-reverse-the-federal-hiring-freeze?recruiter=673298390&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink


Please sign the petition to reverse the hiring freeze and forward the link to your friends! Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is so stupid for Trump to simply freeze the hiring. Then agency turns around to hire more expensive contractor.

If he really want to make government more productive and efficient, he should change the rules to make it easier for federal government to fire these people who have bad performance. But still hire capable hardworking people

Stupid trump! Everyday is full of surprise!

You read about as well as Trump does. The executive order specifically states

"Contracting outside the Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum shall not be permitted."

The point is that they want a full hiring freeze for 90 days. Agencies will not be allowed to generate contracts to substitute for hiring. There are exemptions for positions that are considered critical or would cause loss of service.

"The head of any executive department or agency may exempt from the hiring freeze any positions that it deems necessary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities. In addition, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may grant exemptions from this freeze where those exemptions are otherwise necessary."

So, positions that are essential for national security or public safety will be filled. Other exemptions can be made by the Director of OPM. Otherwise, wait 90 days for the OPM/OMB directors to come up for a plan for reducing the federal workforce through attrition. That usually means buyouts for those people of retirement age to force them to get off the rolls. Since those are typically amongst the highest paid individuals, it saves a considerable amount of money to buy them out.

For those who think that this another one of Trump's crackpot ideas, this has been done by many incoming POTUS's as a way to trim spending on federal employment salaries. Typically after the period (in this case 90 days), they release the plan, and then slowly over the next several months, they slowly allow more and more exemptions to allow those most critical job vacancies to be filled, while keeping those that are not as necessary unfilled. It also encourages agencies to shuffle personnel around from one project to the next so that the workforce covers the most critical needs. It is thought by some that any job that can remain vacant for several months to a year without the agency reallocated another internal transfer to fill it will be less critical and more appropriate to just not fill.

[Anonymous]

Just got word today that my agency received a waiver to the hiring freeze for a specific position (the bulk of what we do and I'd characterize as critical to national security). Don't want to out my agency but just dropped by to let everyone know the waivers are being processed pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

I also had a TO with a USDA bureau, but haven't heard anything. Can't be on by February 22 since it's a lateral.

Question for those of you with a TO - how much are you staying in touch with the hiring official? I emailed the day after the hiring freeze to say I was still interested even if it meant waiting a few months, but otherwise, haven't checked in. I know there's not a whole lot they can do, but I want to make sure they know I still want to come.

[Anonymous]

Lots of us USDA folks. I hope we all get there!

Re: keeping in touch with hiring people. I emailed the person who would be my boss last Wednesday. I essentially listed the steps I'd gone though so he'd know I accepted the TO and started the BI, and then said I'm still really excited to join his team and still hopeful that will happen.

I've spoken to my HR rep twice since last Monday. Most recent convo was yesterday morning when he basically said they still didn't know, but there were lots of meetings going on to discuss, and that he'd probably be able to tell me more in a day or two. I don't want to bug them, but I do want to know. I'm losing hope I'll be on-boarded during the freeze, but I'd like some indication that my TO could be honored after the freeze.

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I'm checking in to see if there has been any movement for folks. Has anyone with a TO been told, one way or another, the status of the job? My HR guy called my Monday to tell me they still didn't know what would happen with my TO. So... still keeping everything crossed, but getting a little less hopeful by the day.

[Anonymous]

Do you think it will be just 90 days or go longer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think it will be just 90 days or go longer?

Depends on how fast the directors of OPM and OMB can come up with a plan to encourage retirement. One thing that makes this difficult is Trumps campaign promise to reduce taxes. That puts less money into the system for buyouts. But I expect that it will be between 90-150 days (most likely 90-120).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think it will be just 90 days or go longer?

Depends on how fast the directors of OPM and OMB can come up with a plan to encourage retirement. One thing that makes this difficult is Trumps campaign promise to reduce taxes. That puts less money into the system for buyouts. But I expect that it will be between 90-150 days (most likely 90-120).

I'm a bit skeptical that OMB/OPM can come up with a plan by end of March. But I don't know what happens if they don't have a plan after 90 days. Perhaps the freeze will get extended.

[Anonymous]

Why are there still lots of jobs listed on USAJOBS? Maybe a stupid question but I'm curious.

[Anonymous]

^^ hiring freeze or not there are still openings that need to be filled....

[Anonymous]

and a lot of the jobs were posted before the executive order came out.