Anyone know a govt employee who simply decided they won't go to the office?

[Anonymous]

Should say that is the reason for the original post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you suspect this person is an actual fraud who doesn't do anything, report her to the inspector general.

They'll probably get her exclusively on claiming DMV locality pay while living outside the area.

I've been reading the IG reports from my own agency, and that's pretty much the sole basis on which bad apples are pushed out. That, and running your own business during working hours, using the printers to print hundreds of flyers or something.

+1. Submit an OIG complaint on her. The big issue is that if she’s living in the Midwest she’s being paid DC locality pay. That’s fraud. Im dealing with something similar regarding paternity leave. I transferred agencies last Fall and the week before I started, an employee got the acting supervisor to sign off on intermittent paternity leave to be used over 6 months in conjunction with full time telework. It was a recipe for disaster as the employee would pop online for 20-30 minutes at a time, stretched out their leave for 6 months vs 12 weeks and avoided RTO for several months. It caused a lot of issues because it was clear that the employee was not pulling their weight and created a mess for me.

Not fraud and not similar. Just because you don't like somebody's approved leave plan doesn't make the plan illegal.

You cannot collect DC locality pay unless you are in DC once a pay period. Several people at my work have been busted for this.

No, your location while on leave does not affect your pay. If I take a 4 week vacation overseas, I do not lose my DC locality pay. If I spend my maternity leave at my mom's house, I am not required to tell work where I am and I certainly don't get more money if my mom lives in a HCOL area.

The person PP is complaining about is on leave. They have approval to telework for short periods, but effectively they are "home" for pay purposes while on leave. The prior boss didn't have to approve the telework, and presumably PP could disallow the telework if they chose, but it's not locality fraud.

OK the question then is whether this person still maintains a residence in DC. If they don't have a residence in DC they are not on "vacation " in another state; they are living there. Once you live in another state and fail to report to DC once a pay period you can only collect locality pay in the new state.

Well, no - the rules have nothing to do with your residence, only your work site.
Perhaps you'd like to read the rule:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-531/subpart-F/section-531.605
Notice the parts that allow agencies to approve exceptions, too.

Look, I have no particular interest in people working from weird locations. But I really hate it when people cry "fraud" based on their own misunderstanding of the rules, as applied to a situation where they dont know the facts. It's not fraud just because it's unusual or inconvenient that your coworker is out.

My understanding is that the person does not have an approved exception. That is the reason for the originemployer.

The fact that someone can hypothetically be approved for sn exception is of no help when you have to explain why you are not located within 60 miles as required by your enployer.

Unless you work in HR or whatever department handles accommodations, you have no clue. It's actually illegal to have a clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you suspect this person is an actual fraud who doesn't do anything, report her to the inspector general.

They'll probably get her exclusively on claiming DMV locality pay while living outside the area.

I've been reading the IG reports from my own agency, and that's pretty much the sole basis on which bad apples are pushed out. That, and running your own business during working hours, using the printers to print hundreds of flyers or something.

+1. Submit an OIG complaint on her. The big issue is that if she’s living in the Midwest she’s being paid DC locality pay. That’s fraud. Im dealing with something similar regarding paternity leave. I transferred agencies last Fall and the week before I started, an employee got the acting supervisor to sign off on intermittent paternity leave to be used over 6 months in conjunction with full time telework. It was a recipe for disaster as the employee would pop online for 20-30 minutes at a time, stretched out their leave for 6 months vs 12 weeks and avoided RTO for several months. It caused a lot of issues because it was clear that the employee was not pulling their weight and created a mess for me.

Not fraud and not similar. Just because you don't like somebody's approved leave plan doesn't make the plan illegal.

You cannot collect DC locality pay unless you are in DC once a pay period. Several people at my work have been busted for this.

No, your location while on leave does not affect your pay. If I take a 4 week vacation overseas, I do not lose my DC locality pay. If I spend my maternity leave at my mom's house, I am not required to tell work where I am and I certainly don't get more money if my mom lives in a HCOL area.

The person PP is complaining about is on leave. They have approval to telework for short periods, but effectively they are "home" for pay purposes while on leave. The prior boss didn't have to approve the telework, and presumably PP could disallow the telework if they chose, but it's not locality fraud.

OK the question then is whether this person still maintains a residence in DC. If they don't have a residence in DC they are not on "vacation " in another state; they are living there. Once you live in another state and fail to report to DC once a pay period you can only collect locality pay in the new state.

Well, no - the rules have nothing to do with your residence, only your work site.
Perhaps you'd like to read the rule:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-531/subpart-F/section-531.605
Notice the parts that allow agencies to approve exceptions, too.

Look, I have no particular interest in people working from weird locations. But I really hate it when people cry "fraud" based on their own misunderstanding of the rules, as applied to a situation where they dont know the facts. It's not fraud just because it's unusual or inconvenient that your coworker is out.

My understanding is that the person does not have an approved exception. That is the reason for the originemployer.

The fact that someone can hypothetically be approved for sn exception is of no help when you have to explain why you are not located within 60 miles as required by your enployer.

Unless you work in HR or whatever department handles accommodations, you have no clue. It's actually illegal to have a clue.

If she had an exception it would be known by her co-workers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you suspect this person is an actual fraud who doesn't do anything, report her to the inspector general.

They'll probably get her exclusively on claiming DMV locality pay while living outside the area.

I've been reading the IG reports from my own agency, and that's pretty much the sole basis on which bad apples are pushed out. That, and running your own business during working hours, using the printers to print hundreds of flyers or something.

+1. Submit an OIG complaint on her. The big issue is that if she’s living in the Midwest she’s being paid DC locality pay. That’s fraud. Im dealing with something similar regarding paternity leave. I transferred agencies last Fall and the week before I started, an employee got the acting supervisor to sign off on intermittent paternity leave to be used over 6 months in conjunction with full time telework. It was a recipe for disaster as the employee would pop online for 20-30 minutes at a time, stretched out their leave for 6 months vs 12 weeks and avoided RTO for several months. It caused a lot of issues because it was clear that the employee was not pulling their weight and created a mess for me.

Not fraud and not similar. Just because you don't like somebody's approved leave plan doesn't make the plan illegal.

You cannot collect DC locality pay unless you are in DC once a pay period. Several people at my work have been busted for this.

No, your location while on leave does not affect your pay. If I take a 4 week vacation overseas, I do not lose my DC locality pay. If I spend my maternity leave at my mom's house, I am not required to tell work where I am and I certainly don't get more money if my mom lives in a HCOL area.

The person PP is complaining about is on leave. They have approval to telework for short periods, but effectively they are "home" for pay purposes while on leave. The prior boss didn't have to approve the telework, and presumably PP could disallow the telework if they chose, but it's not locality fraud.

OK the question then is whether this person still maintains a residence in DC. If they don't have a residence in DC they are not on "vacation " in another state; they are living there. Once you live in another state and fail to report to DC once a pay period you can only collect locality pay in the new state.

Well, no - the rules have nothing to do with your residence, only your work site.
Perhaps you'd like to read the rule:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-531/subpart-F/section-531.605
Notice the parts that allow agencies to approve exceptions, too.

Look, I have no particular interest in people working from weird locations. But I really hate it when people cry "fraud" based on their own misunderstanding of the rules, as applied to a situation where they dont know the facts. It's not fraud just because it's unusual or inconvenient that your coworker is out.

My understanding is that the person does not have an approved exception. That is the reason for the originemployer.

The fact that someone can hypothetically be approved for sn exception is of no help when you have to explain why you are not located within 60 miles as required by your enployer.

Unless you work in HR or whatever department handles accommodations, you have no clue. It's actually illegal to have a clue.

It is not illegal to know what someone tells you on their own..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you suspect this person is an actual fraud who doesn't do anything, report her to the inspector general.

They'll probably get her exclusively on claiming DMV locality pay while living outside the area.

I've been reading the IG reports from my own agency, and that's pretty much the sole basis on which bad apples are pushed out. That, and running your own business during working hours, using the printers to print hundreds of flyers or something.

+1. Submit an OIG complaint on her. The big issue is that if she’s living in the Midwest she’s being paid DC locality pay. That’s fraud. Im dealing with something similar regarding paternity leave. I transferred agencies last Fall and the week before I started, an employee got the acting supervisor to sign off on intermittent paternity leave to be used over 6 months in conjunction with full time telework. It was a recipe for disaster as the employee would pop online for 20-30 minutes at a time, stretched out their leave for 6 months vs 12 weeks and avoided RTO for several months. It caused a lot of issues because it was clear that the employee was not pulling their weight and created a mess for me.

Not fraud and not similar. Just because you don't like somebody's approved leave plan doesn't make the plan illegal.

You cannot collect DC locality pay unless you are in DC once a pay period. Several people at my work have been busted for this.

No, your location while on leave does not affect your pay. If I take a 4 week vacation overseas, I do not lose my DC locality pay. If I spend my maternity leave at my mom's house, I am not required to tell work where I am and I certainly don't get more money if my mom lives in a HCOL area.

The person PP is complaining about is on leave. They have approval to telework for short periods, but effectively they are "home" for pay purposes while on leave. The prior boss didn't have to approve the telework, and presumably PP could disallow the telework if they chose, but it's not locality fraud.

OK the question then is whether this person still maintains a residence in DC. If they don't have a residence in DC they are not on "vacation " in another state; they are living there. Once you live in another state and fail to report to DC once a pay period you can only collect locality pay in the new state.

Well, no - the rules have nothing to do with your residence, only your work site.
Perhaps you'd like to read the rule:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-531/subpart-F/section-531.605
Notice the parts that allow agencies to approve exceptions, too.

Look, I have no particular interest in people working from weird locations. But I really hate it when people cry "fraud" based on their own misunderstanding of the rules, as applied to a situation where they dont know the facts. It's not fraud just because it's unusual or inconvenient that your coworker is out.

My understanding is that the person does not have an approved exception. That is the reason for the originemployer.

The fact that someone can hypothetically be approved for sn exception is of no help when you have to explain why you are not located within 60 miles as required by your enployer.

Unless you work in HR or whatever department handles accommodations, you have no clue. It's actually illegal to have a clue.

If she had an exception it would be known by her co-workers

What? No it wouldn't. And people lie or exaggerate to their coworkers all the time.

There are two "offenders" being discussed in this thread. The one in the OP is on parental leave and is not teleworking at all. Then a PP brought up a second one who is doing a mix of parental leave and telework. Neither situation, as described, involves any kind of fraud. You can be where you want while on leave, and the telework was approved.

The only thing that's iffy is that several posts in, OP casually alleged that her frenemy on parental leave has never lived in DC, and lied about it. I'm pretty skeptical that OP would even know, and pretty confident it will get caught when this person returns from leave if it's still the case at that time - but yes, lying about where you live is fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you suspect this person is an actual fraud who doesn't do anything, report her to the inspector general.

They'll probably get her exclusively on claiming DMV locality pay while living outside the area.

I've been reading the IG reports from my own agency, and that's pretty much the sole basis on which bad apples are pushed out. That, and running your own business during working hours, using the printers to print hundreds of flyers or something.

+1. Submit an OIG complaint on her. The big issue is that if she’s living in the Midwest she’s being paid DC locality pay. That’s fraud. Im dealing with something similar regarding paternity leave. I transferred agencies last Fall and the week before I started, an employee got the acting supervisor to sign off on intermittent paternity leave to be used over 6 months in conjunction with full time telework. It was a recipe for disaster as the employee would pop online for 20-30 minutes at a time, stretched out their leave for 6 months vs 12 weeks and avoided RTO for several months. It caused a lot of issues because it was clear that the employee was not pulling their weight and created a mess for me.

Not fraud and not similar. Just because you don't like somebody's approved leave plan doesn't make the plan illegal.

You cannot collect DC locality pay unless you are in DC once a pay period. Several people at my work have been busted for this.

No, your location while on leave does not affect your pay. If I take a 4 week vacation overseas, I do not lose my DC locality pay. If I spend my maternity leave at my mom's house, I am not required to tell work where I am and I certainly don't get more money if my mom lives in a HCOL area.

The person PP is complaining about is on leave. They have approval to telework for short periods, but effectively they are "home" for pay purposes while on leave. The prior boss didn't have to approve the telework, and presumably PP could disallow the telework if they chose, but it's not locality fraud.

OK the question then is whether this person still maintains a residence in DC. If they don't have a residence in DC they are not on "vacation " in another state; they are living there. Once you live in another state and fail to report to DC once a pay period you can only collect locality pay in the new state.

Well, no - the rules have nothing to do with your residence, only your work site.
Perhaps you'd like to read the rule:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-531/subpart-F/section-531.605
Notice the parts that allow agencies to approve exceptions, too.

Look, I have no particular interest in people working from weird locations. But I really hate it when people cry "fraud" based on their own misunderstanding of the rules, as applied to a situation where they dont know the facts. It's not fraud just because it's unusual or inconvenient that your coworker is out.

My understanding is that the person does not have an approved exception. That is the reason for the originemployer.

The fact that someone can hypothetically be approved for sn exception is of no help when you have to explain why you are not located within 60 miles as required by your enployer.

Unless you work in HR or whatever department handles accommodations, you have no clue. It's actually illegal to have a clue.

If she had an exception it would be known by her co-workers

What? No it wouldn't. And people lie or exaggerate to their coworkers all the time.

There are two "offenders" being discussed in this thread. The one in the OP is on parental leave and is not teleworking at all. Then a PP brought up a second one who is doing a mix of parental leave and telework. Neither situation, as described, involves any kind of fraud. You can be where you want while on leave, and the telework was approved.

The only thing that's iffy is that several posts in, OP casually alleged that her frenemy on parental leave has never lived in DC, and lied about it. I'm pretty skeptical that OP would even know, and pretty confident it will get caught when this person returns from leave if it's still the case at that time - but yes, lying about where you live is fraud.

You bet it would. If everyone has to be at the office and one person is not there, everyone is going to ask what makes that person special.

[Anonymous]

You are assuming that all the people who have to go to the office every day will not be curious why someone still gets to be remote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming that all the people who have to go to the office every day will not be curious why someone still gets to be remote.

You can be curious, but that doesn't mean supervisors can tell you. Or that the employee will tell coworkers the truth instead of a story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming that all the people who have to go to the office every day will not be curious why someone still gets to be remote.

You can be curious, but that doesn't mean supervisors can tell you. Or that the employee will tell coworkers the truth instead of a story.

Supervisors can tell other supervisors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming that all the people who have to go to the office every day will not be curious why someone still gets to be remote.

This. We have people in my office who are still remote. Yes everyone knows why. I’m not saying people get into the nitty gritty of their upcoming back surgery or whatever - though some do if they choose to - but people know Bob isn’t here bc he has some serious health thing happening, he’s hoping to come back later this year if everything is better. It’s not Bob isn’t here bc he never lived in Maryland like he said, instead he lives in Phoenix and thinks he shouldn’t have to fly in and Airbnb on his own dime so he doesn’t. No one is begrudging anyone a RA - frankly it’s being granted for people in pretty serious situations so no one is like gee he’s sooo lucky.

But yes people will be annoyed and start saying stuff if someone simply chooses not to show and their manager “looks the other way.” That’s what this woman planning to do after her leave per OP. Now maybe she’s BSing but if she does it, all it takes is one coworker taking it to HR or OIG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s none of your business. I say kudos to them and more people should refuse to go to office when it reduces productivity to be in said office.

For people like her we are hated and in this current position. I am glad she doesn’t represent most Feds, who are hard workers and responsible.

[Anonymous]

She should be reported to HR for fraud once she is back from maternity leave.

[Anonymous]

Anyone in the future considering government jobs should be required to read this thread.

There is very little if any discussion about actual work and productivity.

Instead it’s about silly rules, HR, time sheets, exceptions, RTO etc.

Prioritize working somewhere that’s focused on actual work and adding value. Not on where someone uses their laptop.

[Anonymous]

Nope, I don’t know anyone who has decided that.

[Anonymous]

The government sucks and the teleworkers watch Netflix, go shopping, nap, etc. They are not working. The end.