Federal furloughs...do you think they'll happen?

[Anonymous]

So because the DoD has already put in a furlough request that there *will* be furloughs, regardless of what happens with Congress?

[Anonymous]

Our dept doesn't have to furlough to meet the 5% budget cut, but management has decided that if other depts have to furlough, we all do, across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what'll happen with the DoD.

My DH works for DoD and I think, that because DoD doesn't want to do RIF, it will be a one day a week furlough. Sounds like it will be starting soon. I hope he gets to pick his day off but I don't know if it works that way or not.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you can use leave for furloughed days, because that would defeat the point (to not pay people) of the furloughs. Also, I doubt we will be able to pick our days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is that the furlough will impact people regardless of productivity.

The most productive thing for the government would be if every manager with lets say 50 employees or more would be told that they have to fire one person, and the decision on who to fire would be completely and totally exempt from civil service rules or procedures.

I promise you that they would jump at the chance to get rid of the one turkey in every office, and even with one less employee productivity would go up and cost would go down. But that will never happen.

This is ignorant, specifically because there are lazy ass managers who would protect their lazy friends and "trim" the people they don't like personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you can use leave for furloughed days, because that would defeat the point (to not pay people) of the furloughs. Also, I doubt we will be able to pick our days off.

That's correct, leave is not an option during a furlough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I may (and probably will) get flamed for this, but I have a hard time finding sympathy for people (above a grade 9 that is) that have not planned for this. Maybe it was because I came from private sector before I became a fed, but this situation is hardly a surprise. The environment in Congress has been toxic for many years and the sequestration has hardly been a secret. We all KNEW it could come to this. DH and I planned for it. We pared back expenses and saved, just in case. We also live within our means. I do, however, feel a great deal of sympathy for support staff (9 and below).

+1

I posted earlier about going back to work part-time. We have also saved, pared back, ect. It still hurts a family of 5. (3 little people). DH is new to DOD.

[Anonymous]

How about cutting some of the mooch contractors instead?

So true though that some of the least capable people are the most protected ones when it comes to gov't employment.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard about DOJ? Its my understanding that furloughs will be necessary but I'm not sure we've heard about how long and whether it's every component.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about cutting some of the mooch contractors instead?

So true though that some of the least capable people are the most protected ones when it comes to gov't employment.

A lot of contractors work very hard. When I was a contractor colleagues who didn't want to work so hard left for federal or local jobs, at the same salary or higher.

[Anonymous]

How can taking accrued leave during furloughs not be permitted? I would think that might have legal implications since funds should already be set aside for it since it was accrued.

[Anonymous]

A furlough is like LWOP. You cannot take leave during a furlough. Paying you for leave would negate the point of saving money.

OPM guidance, page 4: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/guidance-for-administrative-furloughs.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anyone heard anything about HHS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about cutting some of the mooch contractors instead?

So true though that some of the least capable people are the most protected ones when it comes to gov't employment.

Most of the time the contractors are the capable ones and the Feds are the mooches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes furloughs here. We've been running on empty for a while, borrowing from peter, etc. We're screwed.

That said, yes, I wish it would be easier to get rid of some employees. Over the past year it's been the better employees who have jumped ship or retired early with the modest incentive.

I read that near the end of the Space Shuttle program, NASA mostly had "Plan B" workers. The "Plan A" workers had long since jumped ship for better opportunities.