Other feds just very depressed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am for sure depressed right now. I am an attorney 15 years into my federal government career who picked flexibility/stability over high pay because I’m a mom.

The salary trade off seemed worth it because the FEHB and FERS. I also started at an agency that has been pro-telework since before Obama.

Now I feel like all this could be taken away because why? Some billionaires want to gloat over people losing jobs or having job flexibilities removed (which let’s admit has a particularly disparate effect on moms who may not otherwise stay in the workforce). I can’t rewind time and be 15 years into a private sector career with more money, so I may have picked wrong in the long term.

Still, I’m trying to remain optimistic DOGE will not be very effective and the Trump administration will have bigger fish to fry. But just the fact that the incoming president and his supporters have such vitriol toward the people who help the government function is demoralizing.

Also, how can you call yourself a patriot, but then hate this country’s employees and want to dismantle the civil service so it becomes a horrible bottom tier career path?

Same here except I’ve only been out of biglaw and in the federal government for 5 years. I have one in-house job offer in hand and another on the way for a law firm, but they aren’t remote and I like the amount of time I can spend with my twin toddlers. I’ve thought about just staying home with them, but that’s what the people who elected this man into office want, so no. I’ll miss this, though, and I’m glad that I’ve had 3 years of being able to do school drop off and pickup because that’s coming to an end. Very sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that many people are happy to see other people get fired. It reminds of public floggings. Some people are very envious that Federal jobs are secure, stable and can offer an opportunity to live a simple way of life.

I notice so many people want to see the Federal government run like a business. Yet, I know so many people in the private sector who are sick, overweight, stressed and living very challenging lives unless they earn over $200k. Even those people are working themselves to the bone.

Federal salaries are not even that high considering the cost of living in the DMV. It saddens me that so many people are living hand to mouth and that as a collective, we would rather bring everyone down instead of increasing salaries across private sector for the average American. How much more can a billionaire earn, buy and sell? At one point does the collective well being of the nation become a priority over seeing another group suffer financially?

This is typical federal employee BS. The private sector is better. Better pay, and often better benefits. No, the federal workforce is not healthier.

I feel bad for federal employees who have been brainwashed to fear the private sector.

The private sector employees hundreds of millions of people. It’s not all a sweat shop and it doesn’t exist to try to lay people off.

Yes, private sector pay and benefits are often better for many professions. However, the statement about private sector employees being healthier is unequivocally false.
Government employees are healthier and they live about a year longer than comparable private sector employees. https://www.soa.org/4aa1e0/globalassets/assets/files/resources/research-report/2021/life-expectancy.pdf

Gov health insurance is amazing. I went from a high tech firm to a Fed position in tech and the insurance is AMAZING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a political partisan but my agency will likely face massive cuts. I’ve spent two decades in a specialized job and the skills can’t transfer easily elsewhere. Just so incredibly worried now.

All this social media crazy talk about federal agency closures and RIF creates a risk of federal employees proactively cutting down on their planned major, discretionary purchases and going into max saving mode. That may impact demand for private sector goods and services and trigger more private sector cost cutting announcements.
All of that regardless if these speculations about federal RIF/closures ever materialize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a political partisan but my agency will likely face massive cuts. I’ve spent two decades in a specialized job and the skills can’t transfer easily elsewhere. Just so incredibly worried now.

All this social media crazy talk about federal agency closures and RIF creates a risk of federal employees proactively cutting down on their planned major, discretionary purchases and going into max saving mode. That may impact demand for private sector goods and services and trigger more private sector cost cutting announcements.
All of that regardless if these speculations about federal RIF/closures ever materialize.

I'm a fed and I'm absolutely saving money right now. I've also made multiple contingency plans for if I get laid off, updated my resume and double checked all my resumes and such are up to date. It costs me nothing to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that many people are happy to see other people get fired. It reminds of public floggings. Some people are very envious that Federal jobs are secure, stable and can offer an opportunity to live a simple way of life.

I notice so many people want to see the Federal government run like a business. Yet, I know so many people in the private sector who are sick, overweight, stressed and living very challenging lives unless they earn over $200k. Even those people are working themselves to the bone.

Federal salaries are not even that high considering the cost of living in the DMV. It saddens me that so many people are living hand to mouth and that as a collective, we would rather bring everyone down instead of increasing salaries across private sector for the average American. How much more can a billionaire earn, buy and sell? At one point does the collective well being of the nation become a priority over seeing another group suffer financially?

Agree. They want to do public flogging. There will be other targets, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that many people are happy to see other people get fired. It reminds of public floggings. Some people are very envious that Federal jobs are secure, stable and can offer an opportunity to live a simple way of life.

I notice so many people want to see the Federal government run like a business. Yet, I know so many people in the private sector who are sick, overweight, stressed and living very challenging lives unless they earn over $200k. Even those people are working themselves to the bone.

Federal salaries are not even that high considering the cost of living in the DMV. It saddens me that so many people are living hand to mouth and that as a collective, we would rather bring everyone down instead of increasing salaries across private sector for the average American. How much more can a billionaire earn, buy and sell? At one point does the collective well being of the nation become a priority over seeing another group suffer financially?

Agree. They want to do public flogging. There will be other targets, too.

I don't know if other feds have experienced this but since COVID the amount of inappropriate behavior and outright harassment has gone through the roof. Threats, diatribes, sexual harassment, it's absolutely nuts. And I imagine it's just going to get worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a political partisan but my agency will likely face massive cuts. I’ve spent two decades in a specialized job and the skills can’t transfer easily elsewhere. Just so incredibly worried now.

All this social media crazy talk about federal agency closures and RIF creates a risk of federal employees proactively cutting down on their planned major, discretionary purchases and going into max saving mode. That may impact demand for private sector goods and services and trigger more private sector cost cutting announcements.
All of that regardless if these speculations about federal RIF/closures ever materialize.

You're not already doing this? My spending is going bare minimum now. Saving everything. I had a bunch of purchases postponed until after the election. All those purchases were canceled. I'm in survival mode now until midterms 2026.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that many people are happy to see other people get fired. It reminds of public floggings. Some people are very envious that Federal jobs are secure, stable and can offer an opportunity to live a simple way of life.

I notice so many people want to see the Federal government run like a business. Yet, I know so many people in the private sector who are sick, overweight, stressed and living very challenging lives unless they earn over $200k. Even those people are working themselves to the bone.

Federal salaries are not even that high considering the cost of living in the DMV. It saddens me that so many people are living hand to mouth and that as a collective, we would rather bring everyone down instead of increasing salaries across private sector for the average American. How much more can a billionaire earn, buy and sell? At one point does the collective well being of the nation become a priority over seeing another group suffer financially?

This is typical federal employee BS. The private sector is better. Better pay, and often better benefits. No, the federal workforce is not healthier.

I feel bad for federal employees who have been brainwashed to fear the private sector.

The private sector employees hundreds of millions of people. It’s not all a sweat shop and it doesn’t exist to try to lay people off.

Yes, private sector pay and benefits are often better for many professions. However, the statement about private sector employees being healthier is unequivocally false.
Government employees are healthier and they live about a year longer than comparable private sector employees. https://www.soa.org/4aa1e0/globalassets/assets/files/resources/research-report/2021/life-expectancy.pdf

Gov health insurance is amazing. I went from a high tech firm to a Fed position in tech and the insurance is AMAZING.

Really? How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a political partisan but my agency will likely face massive cuts. I’ve spent two decades in a specialized job and the skills can’t transfer easily elsewhere. Just so incredibly worried now.

All this social media crazy talk about federal agency closures and RIF creates a risk of federal employees proactively cutting down on their planned major, discretionary purchases and going into max saving mode. That may impact demand for private sector goods and services and trigger more private sector cost cutting announcements.
All of that regardless if these speculations about federal RIF/closures ever materialize.

You're not already doing this? My spending is going bare minimum now. Saving everything. I had a bunch of purchases postponed until after the election. All those purchases were canceled. I'm in survival mode now until midterms 2026.

Absolute true bare minimum? Like no discretionary spending at all on activities, alcohol, restaurants, Christmas gifts? Putting off medical spending, new glasses, worn out shoes as long as possible? Or do you mean no big purchases only?

We finally just came out of that level of "grad school budget" living a couple years ago, and I haven't been able to go back to it yet, while I still have a job. We are making some big financial changes but depriving the whole family of all the little things is tough when I do still have a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am for sure depressed right now. I am an attorney 15 years into my federal government career who picked flexibility/stability over high pay because I’m a mom.

The salary trade off seemed worth it because the FEHB and FERS. I also started at an agency that has been pro-telework since before Obama.

Now I feel like all this could be taken away because why? Some billionaires want to gloat over people losing jobs or having job flexibilities removed (which let’s admit has a particularly disparate effect on moms who may not otherwise stay in the workforce). I can’t rewind time and be 15 years into a private sector career with more money, so I may have picked wrong in the long term.

Still, I’m trying to remain optimistic DOGE will not be very effective and the Trump administration will have bigger fish to fry. But just the fact that the incoming president and his supporters have such vitriol toward the people who help the government function is demoralizing.

Also, how can you call yourself a patriot, but then hate this country’s employees and want to dismantle the civil service so it becomes a horrible bottom tier career path?

Yes to all of this. I’m 20 years in and as a working mom, those flexibilities are so important to maintaining a reasonable work/life balance. And I take pride in being a public servant and working for the government, but I’m saddened by the hatred being directed toward federal employees and the complete disdain for the federal government all led by two people who have no idea what value the government brings to people’s lives and who have no respect for the good work that is being carried out by civil servants. I think Trump will only grow frustrated by the chaos of his Admin and will take it out on Feds using whatever levers and mechanisms he can. I just hope we can weather these four years and rebuild moving forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Those with professional degrees can easily double to triple their current government salaries.

Not when Biglaw conducts mass layoffs because all of their regulatory enforcement and counseling work has dried up. No more merger enforcement, SEC defense, counseling on banking regulations, etc., etc. What do you think generates business in DC?

Yes this is what I think people are missing.

+1

there will be downstream effects for local economy and housing because of this and the significant number of federal employees whose loss of wages and tax would be felt by everyone in the DMV. Just looking at DC proper, federal employees make up just under 25% of all dc employment as of Oct 2024. I’m sure there are many who also lives in the surrounding area.

https://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/CESdcOct24.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Those with professional degrees can easily double to triple their current government salaries.

Not when Biglaw conducts mass layoffs because all of their regulatory enforcement and counseling work has dried up. No more merger enforcement, SEC defense, counseling on banking regulations, etc., etc. What do you think generates business in DC?

Yes this is what I think people are missing.

+1

there will be downstream effects for local economy and housing because of this and the significant number of federal employees whose loss of wages and tax would be felt by everyone in the DMV. Just looking at DC proper, federal employees make up just under 25% of all dc employment as of Oct 2024. I’m sure there are many who also lives in the surrounding area.

https://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/CESdcOct24.pdf

Agreed. I think DC leadership wants us to RTO, not be fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$100k is not a lot of money. I don't understand why so many people think that Fed admin assistants earn a lot of money. Some people have worked 15 years to make $100k.

So how much should someone make? Where should they live? Should everyone make under $60k and live in Frederick and commute hours to DC, while all the "educated" people live in DC proper and bike to work? How long should someone have to work to make a salary that is will pay for their kids to go to college, enjoy a vacation or even feed themselves. Or should only people who attended high end universities earn over $100k?

What an odd perspective.

Admin assistants, like everyone else, should earn market wages given their skill set, work ethic and level of competence. Not a penny more or less.

They can choose to live wherever they like.

There will obviously be a wage premium to get someone to work in an office in DC or Manhattan. There already is. But there’s a market wage for a competent admin. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

I don't think Youngkin at al want RIFs, NOVA has gotten significantly redder in the past 4 years and is potentially a swing state in the future. Laying off all these people, many who are ex military will make it go way blue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Youngkin at al want RIFs, NOVA has gotten significantly redder in the past 4 years and is potentially a swing state in the future. Laying off all these people, many who are ex military will make it go way blue.

I’m not convinced most feds will leave the area, at least not enough to turn nova red. The only think a RIF in NOVA will do is piss the people who live here off.