New OPM memo on RTO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry if this was discussed in the previous 50 pages. Has anyone received guidance from their agencies on the following?

1. What a “qualifying medical condition” is—for example, if you have covid but are still able to log on, take calls, etc. Is your agency requiring you take sick leave? (I know this administration doesn’t give a shit, but social norms have changed since the pandemic regarding showing up to work sick…) Has anyone asked? We’ve got a kid in daycare, if I can’t work while sick I’ll basically be working part time lmao.


2. if your agency already had core hours, how are they interpreting full time? Are you required to be in the office 8.5 hours per day, or are they allowing some telework to account for PST time zones, late filings, etc.?

The answer is - We don’t know. The guidance you see is the guidance we got. HR and attorneys are meeting trying to keep up with the deadlines (like we need to have a plan by today). I know it’s upsetting, but posting these questions over and over is not going to magically make the unknown knowable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it will be good for dry cleaners.

I expect that dress codes will be much more casual in RTO

I heard a rumor from an admittedly unreliable source that there are plans to impose a business formal dress code in some agencies for some roles.

I’m an engineer. We’ve been wearing jeans and a sweatshirt to work since at least the 90s. Any dress code more strict than “appropriate body parts covered” would def cause a riot in my office 😂

My office was casual dress before COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness requires that federal office employees show up to the worksite each day like most other American workers."

Eyeroll. So.. this all really boils down to some people being jealous their workplace/career doesn't accommodate remote work, huh?

No, it boils down to a lazy pretense for stealth layoffs.

It is neither lazy or stealth, it is efficient and effective.

Weeks ago Feds were cackling about their $300k severance packages with RIFs.

Now they are sweating about giving up a job-for-life because they are required to go into the office to keep it.

Just a handful of people quitting will save $1mm.

Tell me how much could be saved in utility costs and rent by ending the building leases?

This is what I wonder too. But I think in many cases the Government owns the buildings, doesn’t just lease them.

GSA owns the buildings and agencies lease office space or buildings from GSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it will be good for dry cleaners.

I expect that dress codes will be much more casual in RTO

I heard a rumor from an admittedly unreliable source that there are plans to impose a business formal dress code in some agencies for some roles.

I'll finally get some mileage out of my tux.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it will be good for dry cleaners.

I expect that dress codes will be much more casual in RTO

Not sure what you mean by casual but we had a guy show up in shorts and his manager had a discussion with him about it.

If shorts are good enough for Pennsylvania senators, they're good enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect full time means 40 hours. Unclear if that means 5 days.

No I’m sure we can still do 9 or 10 hour days. I’ve been a fed for 20 years and it’s always been an option.

We were doing 4-10s back in 1989.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness requires that federal office employees show up to the worksite each day like most other American workers."

Eyeroll. So.. this all really boils down to some people being jealous their workplace/career doesn't accommodate remote work, huh?

No, it boils down to a lazy pretense for stealth layoffs.

It is neither lazy or stealth, it is efficient and effective.

Weeks ago Feds were cackling about their $300k severance packages with RIFs.

Now they are sweating about giving up a job-for-life because they are required to go into the office to keep it.

Just a handful of people quitting will save $1mm.

Tell me how much could be saved in utility costs and rent by ending the building leases?

This is what I wonder too. But I think in many cases the Government owns the buildings, doesn’t just lease them.

GSA owns the buildings and agencies lease office space or buildings from GSA.

In some cases. The federal government has lots of leases with private landlords too though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it will be good for dry cleaners.

I expect that dress codes will be much more casual in RTO

I heard a rumor from an admittedly unreliable source that there are plans to impose a business formal dress code in some agencies for some roles.

I'll finally get some mileage out of my tux.

hahahha thank you

[Anonymous]

I hope some of the posts on this thread are a weird minority because I am blown away by the condescension and disrespect for federal employees. I sure hope they’re not representative of the defense bar I work accross from everyday.

I could stomach changing my life around to go into the office everyday if I felt like my job was respected. I am not going to keep my job just to be abused by an administration with an apocalyptic agenda.

And to the folks who seem to think biglaw is not an option, I spent nearly 10 years in biglaw. It’s not that hard to work yourself to death and look down on everyone outside of biglaw. Biglaw is also not the only option for an attorney with excellent credentials and extensive experience.

[Anonymous]

Biglaw is also not the only option for an attorney with excellent credentials and extensive experience.

But here is the thing - BigLaw and other outside employers are absolutely flooded with federal resumes right now. From what I understand, firms are not even bothering to use recruiters; they don't need to because there are so many applicants. Yes, someone who previously spent 10 years in BigLaw would be more desirable, but most federal attorneys do not have the personality or skill set needed to make it in BigLaw. The ability to work yourself to the bone is not enough these days. If you are senior, there is an expectation you will market yourself and bring in business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness requires that federal office employees show up to the worksite each day like most other American workers."

Eyeroll. So.. this all really boils down to some people being jealous their workplace/career doesn't accommodate remote work, huh?

No, it boils down to a lazy pretense for stealth layoffs.

It is neither lazy or stealth, it is efficient and effective.

Weeks ago Feds were cackling about their $300k severance packages with RIFs.

Now they are sweating about giving up a job-for-life because they are required to go into the office to keep it.

Just a handful of people quitting will save $1mm.

Tell me how much could be saved in utility costs and rent by ending the building leases?

This is what I wonder too. But I think in many cases the Government owns the buildings, doesn’t just lease them.

GSA owns the buildings and agencies lease office space or buildings from GSA.

In some cases. The federal government has lots of leases with private landlords too though.

Yes our office is in a leased building with a private landlord. We’ve had this arrangement for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness requires that federal office employees show up to the worksite each day like most other American workers."

Eyeroll. So.. this all really boils down to some people being jealous their workplace/career doesn't accommodate remote work, huh?

No, it boils down to a lazy pretense for stealth layoffs.

It is neither lazy or stealth, it is efficient and effective.

Weeks ago Feds were cackling about their $300k severance packages with RIFs.

Now they are sweating about giving up a job-for-life because they are required to go into the office to keep it.

Just a handful of people quitting will save $1mm.

Tell me how much could be saved in utility costs and rent by ending the building leases?

This is what I wonder too. But I think in many cases the Government owns the buildings, doesn’t just lease them.

GSA owns the buildings and agencies lease office space or buildings from GSA.

In some cases. The federal government has lots of leases with private landlords too though.

Yes our office is in a leased building with a private landlord. We’ve had this arrangement for decades.

Those leases can last 50 years and are expensive to breach if the government wants to leave early.

[Anonymous]

Every lawyer in my office already has two offers in hand. And we are an area key to achieving the administration’s agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every lawyer in my office already has two offers in hand. And we are an area key to achieving the administration’s agenda.

I am actually seriously considering applying out, and yes, I am also in an office that is absolutely key to a major Trump agenda item. I never wanted to leave civil service and very sincerely worked hard to make the function I perform work for industry. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness requires that federal office employees show up to the worksite each day like most other American workers."

Eyeroll. So.. this all really boils down to some people being jealous their workplace/career doesn't accommodate remote work, huh?

No, it boils down to a lazy pretense for stealth layoffs.

It is neither lazy or stealth, it is efficient and effective.

Weeks ago Feds were cackling about their $300k severance packages with RIFs.

Now they are sweating about giving up a job-for-life because they are required to go into the office to keep it.

Just a handful of people quitting will save $1mm.

Tell me how much could be saved in utility costs and rent by ending the building leases?

This is what I wonder too. But I think in many cases the Government owns the buildings, doesn’t just lease them.

GSA owns the buildings and agencies lease office space or buildings from GSA.

In some cases. The federal government has lots of leases with private landlords too though.

Yes our office is in a leased building with a private landlord. We’ve had this arrangement for decades.

Those leases can last 50 years and are expensive to breach if the government wants to leave early.

Right - we moved from one leased building to another in 2021, a process that had started years before Covid, and it’s a 15 year lease. I’m sure a large part of why we didn’t give it up, even though there’s just a handful of people in it on any given day.