DHS ends teleworking, requires employees to work in person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

I think agency heads are going to set policies for exemptions that will be too narrow for individual managers to circumvent. That's been my experience in my career to date.

[Anonymous]

"Reasons might include lack of adequate office space, physical inability of the employee, or a legal impediment," he wrote."

The words "might" can be a reason to restrict this very tightly, or... can also be a reason to circumvent.

"Physical inability" can mean many, many things. I had a very poor performing fed employee who TW and when they were directed to RTO, they immediately ran to quack doctors to have notes written saying they should be allowed to continue to work from home due to (unspecified) physical limitations. Any further questions about physical limitations were deemed a violation of HIPAA.

Same employee was on social media hiking, travelling to overseas locations, dancing with family members, camping, and going to casinos but according to quack doctors, employee was too "physically limited" to commute to an office every day.

Employee used every means possible of complaint, including congressional, and also played their veteran status to to hilt.

Real reason was this employee was running a business at home and needed to be there for pick-ups and deliveries.

Since that one got away with it, we had a flurry of others who used the same tactics. One of them served as the full-time bookkeeper, receptionist, appointment maker, etc. for her husband's business.

When they were identified to agency officials, we were told to shut up and color. Seems the employees were also vocal about pulling the correct lever in the voting booth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

Feel like too many people just aren't accepting this fact. It doesn't matter if there "isn't enough office space"...they may tell people to go work in conference rooms (at 10-12 per room) or set up makeshift stations.

However, the point is to just get people to quit so everyone can talk about how much $$$ they saved the government, without having to actually fire people or go through bargaining nonsense or whatever.

[Anonymous]

The DHS employees I know all work really hard and feel passionate about their mission. How sad that a few bad apples are the ones that get highlighted.

[Anonymous]

Productivity will go down for sure. And that applies to a lot of other agencies where there's senior staff that work above and beyond there 40 hour week.

[Anonymous]

Did any DHS employees hear anything from their supervisors yet?

[Anonymous]

No, this is good because my neighbor is a fed and spends all day eating Cheetos and going to the grocery store instead of working. I know because I have a camera in her house and an AirTag implanted between her shoulder blades. Also, she’s actually my friend and just tells me how she’s abusing telework and running an Etsy store eight hours a day. And my other friend is actually her supervisor and told me he tried to fire her but HR said no and she can only get 5’s on her performance eval because DEI. And I also commute nine hours to work each day so she should too.

Do I have it right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did any DHS employees hear anything from their supervisors yet?

Just informally that removing remote work is seen as just as important, if not more than, the border emergency. Basically the appointees and SES view it as an easy means of showing success at doing their job whereas securing the border is an easy way to get the axe once negative media coverage starts dropping. Think about the town halls in the future with the Secretary claiming every "victory" is directly related to everyone returning in office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is good because my neighbor is a fed and spends all day eating Cheetos and going to the grocery store instead of working. I know because I have a camera in her house and an AirTag implanted between her shoulder blades. Also, she’s actually my friend and just tells me how she’s abusing telework and running an Etsy store eight hours a day. And my other friend is actually her supervisor and told me he tried to fire her but HR said no and she can only get 5’s on her performance eval because DEI. And I also commute nine hours to work each day so she should too.

Do I have it right?

You forgot to mention you see them at the pool at all hours of the day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is good because my neighbor is a fed and spends all day eating Cheetos and going to the grocery store instead of working. I know because I have a camera in her house and an AirTag implanted between her shoulder blades. Also, she’s actually my friend and just tells me how she’s abusing telework and running an Etsy store eight hours a day. And my other friend is actually her supervisor and told me he tried to fire her but HR said no and she can only get 5’s on her performance eval because DEI. And I also commute nine hours to work each day so she should too.

Do I have it right?

It reminds me of the people who are convinced there are tons of welfare queens or people on disability who shouldn’t be on it. Like weird that you know SO MANY different people on Disability or receiving SNAP and also know their financial situations in such detail that you also know they don’t “need” the help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did any DHS employees hear anything from their supervisors yet?

My supervisor told me remote work is done, however, telework will still be available like pre-covid times. No idea how many days a week we will have to come in yet.

[Anonymous]

Cybersecurity?

The Chinese and Russian hackers can access US Gov systems remotely. Why can't Americans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is good because my neighbor is a fed and spends all day eating Cheetos and going to the grocery store instead of working. I know because I have a camera in her house and an AirTag implanted between her shoulder blades. Also, she’s actually my friend and just tells me how she’s abusing telework and running an Etsy store eight hours a day. And my other friend is actually her supervisor and told me he tried to fire her but HR said no and she can only get 5’s on her performance eval because DEI. And I also commute nine hours to work each day so she should too.

Do I have it right?

Liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is good because my neighbor is a fed and spends all day eating Cheetos and going to the grocery store instead of working. I know because I have a camera in her house and an AirTag implanted between her shoulder blades. Also, she’s actually my friend and just tells me how she’s abusing telework and running an Etsy store eight hours a day. And my other friend is actually her supervisor and told me he tried to fire her but HR said no and she can only get 5’s on her performance eval because DEI. And I also commute nine hours to work each day so she should too.

Do I have it right?

Liar.

No, it’s all true and you are only mad because you take meetings in the bath all day and not because you’ll have to sell your house, move 100 miles, commute 20 extra hours a week and pay for the added childcare that requires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cybersecurity?

The Chinese and Russian hackers can access US Gov systems remotely. Why can't Americans?

Well played