Saw the Trump comment re: telework and dismissal, any words of sane advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump has no idea what is or isn't, and is throwing out platitudes with no care for practicalities, which is what you get when you have lived a life without consequences.

Not only has he lived a life without consequences, prior to running for president he never had to even apply for a job. He went to work at a family business from which he can never be fired. When he failed at his job (i.e., ran businesses into the ground), he was bailed out by his father He never had to deal with hour-long commutes like so many people in DC, NYC, and other large cities. His commute from Trump Tower to Trump corporate HQ was a mere 7 minutes (I just googled it) and he was driven there by a chauffeur. He never had to struggle with balancing work with childcare since he could afford nannies for his kids. He knows zip, zero, nada about the real-life challenges of getting a conventional job, keeping a job, commuting, balancing work schedules with childcare, or anything else that the average worker with a family has to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I’m wrong, but I really don’t think they’re going to go after the fully remote folks who don’t even live near an office and were hired for a position advertised as remote or who converted to a remote position. I think this is going to affect local telework folks who have only had to go into the office 2-3 days a week.

I'm one of the 2-3 day people, and think that it's total BS that there are people who literally live down the street from me who were converted to remote...and that I'd be required to be in office five days a week and they could stay home full time.

I think PP meant non-local remote

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump has no idea what is or isn't, and is throwing out platitudes with no care for practicalities, which is what you get when you have lived a life without consequences.

Not only has he lived a life without consequences, prior to running for president he never had to even apply for a job. He went to work at a family business from which he can never be fired. When he failed at his job (i.e., ran businesses into the ground), he was bailed out by his father He never had to deal with hour-long commutes like so many people in DC, NYC, and other large cities. His commute from Trump Tower to Trump corporate HQ was a mere 7 minutes (I just googled it) and he was driven there by a chauffeur. He never had to struggle with balancing work with childcare since he could afford nannies for his kids. He knows zip, zero, nada about the real-life challenges of getting a conventional job, keeping a job, commuting, balancing work schedules with childcare, or anything else that the average worker with a family has to deal with.

He has no tether to reality whatsoever. It goes so far beyond this basic day-to-day life stuff for most of us. He lies to himself and out loud all the f-ing day long. He doesn't understand how our government works. All he knows is the grift and how to use the legal system to get out of ever having any consequences for his actions. He's the worst example of a human being.

Future generations are really going to say WTF when they look back on this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So Trump was talking about a union contract for SSA workers. I imagine that just breaking a union contract is going to result in some sort of lawsuit. Details of who decides what have been discussed in many threads here. At any rate, it’s going to be slow and not some sort of instantaneous thing Trump can do to those SSA employees overnight.

He'll make it happen, believe him

You actually believe everything he says?? No, these things take time and no civil service protections won't disappear overnight.

What are you smoking we have no norms!!
There are no protections

That seems to be the 2025 approach - Do a large number of extreme actions without waiting for "process"; just summarily order people to be fired.
Sue him if you don't like it but he's not asking for permission.

The President knows that time is of the essence and he owns the Supreme Court.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency was 80% telework for years, including Trump 1.0. We didn't have the physical space (in a private building) and still don't have space (just moved this fall to another private building with a smaller footprint based on pre-pandemic plans of 80% telework). Assume there are occupancy laws that can't force us all into a space meant for 25% of us at any given time?

Forcing the government to spend more money for physical office space because of unnecessary return to office would be the most Trump/DOGE thing imaginable.

I don't know how many times this needs to be said before you all get it, but RTO is being used to shrink the size of the federal workforce. It's not the being in the office is more efficient, or costs less; it's that there will be attrition, people who leave won't be replaced, and federal programs will suffer. That's not an unintended consequence, it's the point. That's why all of you who are in remote locations, not WFH in near your office, are in danger - you're the most likely to quit. That you are competent and perform valuable functions doesn't matter at all.

I'm afraid you could be right. If true - I'll be unemployed in the new year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency was 80% telework for years, including Trump 1.0. We didn't have the physical space (in a private building) and still don't have space (just moved this fall to another private building with a smaller footprint based on pre-pandemic plans of 80% telework). Assume there are occupancy laws that can't force us all into a space meant for 25% of us at any given time?

Forcing the government to spend more money for physical office space because of unnecessary return to office would be the most Trump/DOGE thing imaginable.

And what are the odds that somehow the people planning all this would benefit from the taxpayer dollars spent (through raising commercial property values or the like). I cannot believe anyone thinks a bunch of billionaires have the country’s best interest at heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency was 80% telework for years, including Trump 1.0. We didn't have the physical space (in a private building) and still don't have space (just moved this fall to another private building with a smaller footprint based on pre-pandemic plans of 80% telework). Assume there are occupancy laws that can't force us all into a space meant for 25% of us at any given time?

They can cram you into open office seats or even do fixed swing shifts.

Will take quite a bit of time and $$ to redo an office for an open office. Taking down all the office walls and setting up all the outlets and communications for each desk

Taking down walls is pretty cheap, then have WiFi hubs with cables and power running through extension cords. Lots of startups handle rapid growth of personnel with limited funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope my agency is prepared to hire more people. I have been gladly working 10-hour days (and sometimes even more) to get all my work done (I kind of brought this on myself because I am very efficient and also very reliable), but that will be abruptly stopping when I have to go into the office more.

They don’t care if work gets done. If it doesn’t all the better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency was 80% telework for years, including Trump 1.0. We didn't have the physical space (in a private building) and still don't have space (just moved this fall to another private building with a smaller footprint based on pre-pandemic plans of 80% telework). Assume there are occupancy laws that can't force us all into a space meant for 25% of us at any given time?

Forcing the government to spend more money for physical office space because of unnecessary return to office would be the most Trump/DOGE thing imaginable.

I don't know how many times this needs to be said before you all get it, but RTO is being used to shrink the size of the federal workforce. It's not the being in the office is more efficient, or costs less; it's that there will be attrition, people who leave won't be replaced, and federal programs will suffer. That's not an unintended consequence, it's the point. That's why all of you who are in remote locations, not WFH in near your office, are in danger - you're the most likely to quit. That you are competent and perform valuable functions doesn't matter at all.

Of course the reality is the people who will bail are those with the most options, meaning educated and experienced workers. You don't necessarily want to hang onto just those who are desperate enough to stay when the conditions are terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So Trump was talking about a union contract for SSA workers. I imagine that just breaking a union contract is going to result in some sort of lawsuit. Details of who decides what have been discussed in many threads here. At any rate, it’s going to be slow and not some sort of instantaneous thing Trump can do to those SSA employees overnight.

He'll make it happen, believe him

You actually believe everything he says?? No, these things take time and no civil service protections won't disappear overnight.

What are you smoking we have no norms!!
There are no protections

That seems to be the 2025 approach - Do a large number of extreme actions without waiting for "process"; just summarily order people to be fired.
Sue him if you don't like it but he's not asking for permission.

The President knows that time is of the essence and he owns the Supreme Court.

So much for fiscal responsibility. Then again, bankruptcy is his MO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agencies will drag this out as logistically, it can’t be implemented right away.

Oh yes it will Musk is cleaning house he is Mr skeleton crew

Jobs are toast

Musk is a private citizen essentially running a think tank for social media clout. And he may have the president’s ear, but members of Congress don’t like him and aren’t going to push something through just because Musk wants it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Telework existed long before Covid.

+1 I'm an employment lawyer, and we were reviewing telework policies in the early 90s. As soon s people could work on a computer and be reached by cell phone anywhere any time, the office became less important and was viewed as a not entirely necessary expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My agency was 80% telework for years, including Trump 1.0. We didn't have the physical space (in a private building) and still don't have space (just moved this fall to another private building with a smaller footprint based on pre-pandemic plans of 80% telework). Assume there are occupancy laws that can't force us all into a space meant for 25% of us at any given time?

They can cram you into open office seats or even do fixed swing shifts.

Will take quite a bit of time and $$ to redo an office for an open office. Taking down all the office walls and setting up all the outlets and communications for each desk

Taking down walls is pretty cheap, then have WiFi hubs with cables and power running through extension cords. Lots of startups handle rapid growth of personnel with limited funds.

Hahaha this is government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump has no idea what is or isn't, and is throwing out platitudes with no care for practicalities, which is what you get when you have lived a life without consequences.

Not only has he lived a life without consequences, prior to running for president he never had to even apply for a job. He went to work at a family business from which he can never be fired. When he failed at his job (i.e., ran businesses into the ground), he was bailed out by his father He never had to deal with hour-long commutes like so many people in DC, NYC, and other large cities. His commute from Trump Tower to Trump corporate HQ was a mere 7 minutes (I just googled it) and he was driven there by a chauffeur. He never had to struggle with balancing work with childcare since he could afford nannies for his kids. He knows zip, zero, nada about the real-life challenges of getting a conventional job, keeping a job, commuting, balancing work schedules with childcare, or anything else that the average worker with a family has to deal with.

The man just learned what the word groceries mean at the ripe ole age of 78.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly people, OP was remote before covid, what are you talking about "go to work?"

I don't know, I was hired remote and I'm also worried. I certainly can't afford a house in or near DC. Our best hope is that 1) they'll go after management-directed remote work last, and 2) they'll station us in close by offices instead of requiring us to move.

Yeah, look at the previous posts. I don’t think this is what is being targeted. It is the people who were full time in office prior to covid who have been home for most of the past 4 years. While I am sure many get their work done, I get that it is a perception problem (and bo doubt some do abuse it) for positions of public trust. I have no problem whatsoever ordering people back to work.

It’s not “back to work”, we all work, and personally, I work more at home, it’s back to the office.

Please. Spare me the sensitivities. Get your fat a$$ back to the office. Feel better? Or your fired.

This is the exact type of classy and insightful comment I would expect from a Trump sycophant.

I noticed that for some people the ability to work at home has become a class divide thing. It is sometimes envied, and so vilified, by people who have jobs that require them to be at a place of employment. It has become another trigger for those who want power to turn regular folks against each other.