Two hour school delay yet OPM status is normal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay. And the Feds with younger children who need care are likely younger, less experienced, have less leave available to take on these days. For example, I am just under 3 years so I only get 4 hours leave per pay period which is about 2.5 weeks per year. If we get a really nasty January storm, I could easily blow through a week of leave right there due to school closures. Nevermind all the other random days off and early releases. Luckily my spouse's job provides more flexibilty so I am not in that scenario but a lot of people in my office do run out of leave to take and have to take LWOP. There's also the general idea of missed productivity for the government itself, so a telework option would actually be mutually beneficial if max productivity was the goal but.. I will stop there.

This is what all young workers (or newer to the workplace workers) go through. It gets better as you're there longer. But, when you're at entry level benefits and you choose to have kids, this was your reality pre Covid and now again with the second term of Trump. I doubt you will see a lot of sympathy because many people have been through this rite of passage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay. And the Feds with younger children who need care are likely younger, less experienced, have less leave available to take on these days. For example, I am just under 3 years so I only get 4 hours leave per pay period which is about 2.5 weeks per year. If we get a really nasty January storm, I could easily blow through a week of leave right there due to school closures. Nevermind all the other random days off and early releases. Luckily my spouse's job provides more flexibilty so I am not in that scenario but a lot of people in my office do run out of leave to take and have to take LWOP. There's also the general idea of missed productivity for the government itself, so a telework option would actually be mutually beneficial if max productivity was the goal but.. I will stop there.

This is what all young workers (or newer to the workplace workers) go through. It gets better as you're there longer. But, when you're at entry level benefits and you choose to have kids, this was your reality pre Covid and now again with the second term of Trump. I doubt you will see a lot of sympathy because many people have been through this rite of passage.

This seems like gaslighting. Unscheduled situational telework was allowed previously for weather like this, at least when my kids were young (pre-covid).

[Anonymous]

Take PTO. Btw roads are perfect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take PTO. Btw roads are perfect

+1

[Anonymous]

The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay.

You are wrong. Here is the MCPS language:
MCPS is Code Yellow: Delayed Opening for Monday, December 15, 2025, with schools and offices opening two hours late. Morning, all-day, and after-school childcare programs may operate as scheduled; families are encouraged to check directly with their childcare provider.

Childcare usually opens at 7:30am. Drop your kid and go to work. Or call out. I really don't care but I don't want to hear whining about "cruelty".

[Anonymous]

Feds claiming you can't call out without prior notice: What do you do when you are sick?

Oh right, you call out. Without notice. Stop complaining. The rest of the world figures this out, you can too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay.

You are wrong. Here is the MCPS language:
MCPS is Code Yellow: Delayed Opening for Monday, December 15, 2025, with schools and offices opening two hours late. Morning, all-day, and after-school childcare programs may operate as scheduled; families are encouraged to check directly with their childcare provider.

Childcare usually opens at 7:30am. Drop your kid and go to work. Or call out. I really don't care but I don't want to hear whining about "cruelty".

That's great if you’re in MCPS. FCPS isn't quite as flexible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay.

You are wrong. Here is the MCPS language:
MCPS is Code Yellow: Delayed Opening for Monday, December 15, 2025, with schools and offices opening two hours late. Morning, all-day, and after-school childcare programs may operate as scheduled; families are encouraged to check directly with their childcare provider.

Childcare usually opens at 7:30am. Drop your kid and go to work. Or call out. I really don't care but I don't want to hear whining about "cruelty".

That's great if you’re in MCPS. FCPS isn't quite as flexible.

I thought FCPS is open on time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’ve never been in sync. Government workers are obnoxiously entitled. Take leave if you can’t make it in. That is what private sector does.

As the pp above explained it, feds cannot just take leave instantly. They need prior approval.

I work for government most supervisors are not jerks about this. Call out sick then. Figure it out. Jesus the whining. Never mind all the non-office job workers who show up everywhere they are supposed to before during and after minor weather events.

All of my fed coworkers and employees are married to inflexible job spouses. It's the reason most took the fed job so they could trade flexibility for the slightly lower pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have they always been in synch in the past? Is that a norm or standard?

Some local school systems would follow OPM in the past. So like if OPM announced a fed government closure, it should influence DCPS and some of the close in districts to close as well. It was an easier call to make if the government was closing because you figure a lot of parents are employed by the feds, and also the feds are using similar metrics regarding commutes and safety.

I can't think of any situation where schools announced delays or closures and then OPM followed suit. There have definitely been times when schools had a 2 hour delay and I still had to work (and used leave or had to make arrangements with my spouse or a fellow family). But before Trump2, it was easier to flex to a different schedule or get permission to work from home that day even if not already scheduled.

I think a lot of people have forgotten how things worked prior to Covid. The swing from Covid (everyone teleworking all the time, lots of deference to agencies and individual teams to figure out what works) to Trump2 (no telework at all and no leeway and just general hostility towards all feds) has been so dramatic that people don't remember the middle ground we used to have that was actually pretty reasonable.

My daycare used to follow OPM but has recently shifted away for the safety of their workers. After Covid, OPM was providing delays less and less and just telling people to telework. Daycare workers (and many feds like my spouse) cannot telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feds claiming you can't call out without prior notice: What do you do when you are sick?

Oh right, you call out. Without notice. Stop complaining. The rest of the world figures this out, you can too.

You can all out for sick leave, but not annual leave. A kid school delay would not be sick leave. Annual leave is supposed to be scheduled... Does that clarify it for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay.

You are wrong. Here is the MCPS language:
MCPS is Code Yellow: Delayed Opening for Monday, December 15, 2025, with schools and offices opening two hours late. Morning, all-day, and after-school childcare programs may operate as scheduled; families are encouraged to check directly with their childcare provider.

Childcare usually opens at 7:30am. Drop your kid and go to work. Or call out. I really don't care but I don't want to hear whining about "cruelty".

That's great if you’re in MCPS. FCPS isn't quite as flexible.

I thought FCPS is open on time?

They are. I guess PP is talking hypothetically. But usually FCPS before care opens on time when school has a 2 hour delay (at least they used to).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’ve never been in sync. Government workers are obnoxiously entitled. Take leave if you can’t make it in. That is what private sector does.

As the pp above explained it, feds cannot just take leave instantly. They need prior approval.

I work for government most supervisors are not jerks about this. Call out sick then. Figure it out. Jesus the whining. Never mind all the non-office job workers who show up everywhere they are supposed to before during and after minor weather events.

All of my fed coworkers and employees are married to inflexible job spouses. It's the reason most took the fed job so they could trade flexibility for the slightly lower pay.

You still get a ton of annual leave and sick leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feds claiming you can't call out without prior notice: What do you do when you are sick?

Oh right, you call out. Without notice. Stop complaining. The rest of the world figures this out, you can too.

It's frustrating to hear private sector workers saying "just call out!" or "just telework!" or "flex your schedule and work later!" without realizing that many salaried feds are treated more like hourly workers and not given the level of flexibility you have. Do you have to use PTO for a 2 hour doctor's appointment, or is that something you can make up later from home, or even not count because you'll probably stay late some other day? Welp, if you were a fed, you'd have to request the time off in advance.

The only two reasons you can call out without notice if you have a very by-the-book manager are actually being ill, or "liberal leave" for weather, which we do not have today.

The whole point is that yes we can figure it out, but it just doesn't have to be this hard!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The problem arises that you can't throw money at it- there are no camps or childcare open for a delay.

You are wrong. Here is the MCPS language:
MCPS is Code Yellow: Delayed Opening for Monday, December 15, 2025, with schools and offices opening two hours late. Morning, all-day, and after-school childcare programs may operate as scheduled; families are encouraged to check directly with their childcare provider.

Childcare usually opens at 7:30am. Drop your kid and go to work. Or call out. I really don't care but I don't want to hear whining about "cruelty".

That's great if you’re in MCPS. FCPS isn't quite as flexible.

I thought FCPS is open on time?

They are. I guess PP is talking hypothetically. But usually FCPS before care opens on time when school has a 2 hour delay (at least they used to).

FCPS before care opens at 8 am on 2 hour delay days. However, not everyone has before care because not everyone needs before care if schools open on time. It's not something you can just sign up for by the day. Please don't tell me you think people should be paying for before care just so they can get their kid off to school on the approximately 10 or so 2 hour delays days that occur annually.