New OPM memo on RTO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Telework can be provided for weather-related emergencies, office closures, and other situations where telework serves a compelling agency need.”

So we do have to bring laptops home everyday? Worst of all worlds.

But if we don’t have telework agreements then we can’t telework. My one year on probation I didn’t have a telework agreement because I wasn’t eligible, so I got any weather or other office closures off.

So basically the idea is, you telework only when it benefits the government and never when it doesn’t. Because you aren’t actually working when you telework but your when we tell you telework.

Which way is up?

+1

If I’m in office 5 days/week then I’m freeing up the space for a real guest room. I’m not going to keep a room as an office in my house in case is snows. If we revoke our telework agreements, how can they force us to telework? And notice the wording says “can approve” not mandate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Telework can be provided for weather-related emergencies, office closures, and other situations where telework serves a compelling agency need.”

So we do have to bring laptops home everyday? Worst of all worlds.

Yep. They’re tripping if they think I’m bringing my laptop home ahead of snow days. sorry no. Neither my work IPhone nor my laptop is coming home, ever, if telework ends. If they want to decide we need to “telework” on a snow day I guess I’ll have some articles at home to read.

I agree with you 100% but I once worked for a company that expected you to work from home on snow days or you had to use vacation! Would the fed gov't do that?

What kind of lazy pos people are you? You don't got to work on snow days because it isn't safe to travel. That is the only reason there is such a thing as a snow day. Take your damn laptop home with you.

DP but we are allegedly not working at home when teleworking. We are lazy and inefficient. Why would that suddenly change just because there is snow on the ground? 🤔

Not that this administration actually follows any sort of consistent logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like that it has been radio silence so far today, apparently from all departments and agencies. It feels like they're going to drop something awful right at COB.

That’s the expectation. They have until 5pm and I suspect most agencies need all of that time to get it figured out and to be able to address as many questions as they can in the communication (e.g. what happens to remote people beyond 50 miles, medical accommodations, hired under a remote agreement, etc).

I bet a LOT of people will stay online late today! I feel bad for supervisors who are going to be inundated.

From my sources in our director's office, the email that will come out today is just going to say: "We got the EO and OPM memos. We plan to comply. Further directions to come later." You are very unlikely to get anything meaningful today. There is so much to sift thru, from CBA obligations, to real estate, to IT support, to people who were hired remote, etc. It's not happening today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wording is intentional and necessary. It says they are not playing around.

No. The wording says they think we’re trash. Instead of the highly educated and specialized workforce that we are. HR would be involved if our management spoke that way to us usually. It’s just unprofessional. I feel like an idiot for blindly following our SES and trusting them. I should have left as I’ve had higher job offers.

I’m at a subagency that is the darling of Trump as well and this is how we’re treated??

We’ve been made the whipping boy of this administration, but let’s turn the focus to Congress. So many of the issues with Feds stem from the truly awful Statutes we’re working under. (And for the uneducated- Congress writes statutes and Feds write regulations). Congress doesn’t fund us appropriately and then we’re sued nonstop for our inability to fully carry out the poorly written laws.

Feds teleworking 1-2 days a week was never the issue.

No they wouldn't.

Yes they would.

No.

Unless by "involved" you mean someone running to HR, and someone at HR having to sit there and listen. Then I suppose that would be "involved."

Actually yes they would be involved. We had a few managers who came from the military who were used to… screaming and they were reprimanded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Do you understand what an oligarchy is? If they don’t they’re fired. They have to comply whether they like it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like that it has been radio silence so far today, apparently from all departments and agencies. It feels like they're going to drop something awful right at COB.

That’s the expectation. They have until 5pm and I suspect most agencies need all of that time to get it figured out and to be able to address as many questions as they can in the communication (e.g. what happens to remote people beyond 50 miles, medical accommodations, hired under a remote agreement, etc).

I bet a LOT of people will stay online late today! I feel bad for supervisors who are going to be inundated.

From my sources in our director's office, the email that will come out today is just going to say: "We got the EO and OPM memos. We plan to comply. Further directions to come later." You are very unlikely to get anything meaningful today. There is so much to sift thru, from CBA obligations, to real estate, to IT support, to people who were hired remote, etc. It's not happening today.

I read the EO to permit what you're describing. It only requires agencies to revise their telework plans to comply with the EO by 5 p.m. It doesn't require them to transmit anything to employees other than the text of the EO and a statement that the agency intends to comply with it.

On the other hand, if all they have to send us is those two things, why wait until the end of the day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Do you understand what an oligarchy is? If they don’t they’re fired. They have to comply whether they like it or not.

They do not, at least exactly as requested. Evidence is my own office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Do you understand what an oligarchy is? If they don’t they’re fired. They have to comply whether they like it or not.

If they all refused, would they all be fired?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Do you understand what an oligarchy is? If they don’t they’re fired. They have to comply whether they like it or not.

They do not, at least exactly as requested. Evidence is my own office.

Good luck to your SES then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Do you understand what an oligarchy is? If they don’t they’re fired. They have to comply whether they like it or not.

They do not, at least exactly as requested. Evidence is my own office.

Good luck to your SES then.

Yes without them the administration isn’t going to accomplish their main priorities so good luck.

What’s your purpose in demanding us all to believe the worst possible thing will happen?

[Anonymous]

I have heard the memo at 5pm will tell us all the date we need to report. I am frustrated they are waiting until 5pm.

The new OPM memo makes my blood boil even more. I am a diabetic and thus I keep getting sickness from my 3 kids. Does work really want me to come to work spreading the flu, covid, enterovirus? I’m sick at least one week a month in the winter. (I wish I was exaggerating but we can’t stop getting sick). I hold an important position and I don’t think they want me taking nonstop leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like that it has been radio silence so far today, apparently from all departments and agencies. It feels like they're going to drop something awful right at COB.

That’s the expectation. They have until 5pm and I suspect most agencies need all of that time to get it figured out and to be able to address as many questions as they can in the communication (e.g. what happens to remote people beyond 50 miles, medical accommodations, hired under a remote agreement, etc).

I bet a LOT of people will stay online late today! I feel bad for supervisors who are going to be inundated.

From my sources in our director's office, the email that will come out today is just going to say: "We got the EO and OPM memos. We plan to comply. Further directions to come later." You are very unlikely to get anything meaningful today. There is so much to sift thru, from CBA obligations, to real estate, to IT support, to people who were hired remote, etc. It's not happening today.

Darn, I was hoping for something concrete today so we can just get on with it.

Some friends in a couple of different agencies already have actual RTO dates and can start planning for childcare, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like that it has been radio silence so far today, apparently from all departments and agencies. It feels like they're going to drop something awful right at COB.

That’s the expectation. They have until 5pm and I suspect most agencies need all of that time to get it figured out and to be able to address as many questions as they can in the communication (e.g. what happens to remote people beyond 50 miles, medical accommodations, hired under a remote agreement, etc).

I bet a LOT of people will stay online late today! I feel bad for supervisors who are going to be inundated.

From my sources in our director's office, the email that will come out today is just going to say: "We got the EO and OPM memos. We plan to comply. Further directions to come later." You are very unlikely to get anything meaningful today. There is so much to sift thru, from CBA obligations, to real estate, to IT support, to people who were hired remote, etc. It's not happening today.

I read the EO to permit what you're describing. It only requires agencies to revise their telework plans to comply with the EO by 5 p.m. It doesn't require them to transmit anything to employees other than the text of the EO and a statement that the agency intends to comply with it.

On the other hand, if all they have to send us is those two things, why wait until the end of the day?

The OPM memo was revised yesterday. The original version directed agencies to send language that everyone has to start showing up five days a week starting Monday. They definitely got pushback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like that it has been radio silence so far today, apparently from all departments and agencies. It feels like they're going to drop something awful right at COB.

That’s the expectation. They have until 5pm and I suspect most agencies need all of that time to get it figured out and to be able to address as many questions as they can in the communication (e.g. what happens to remote people beyond 50 miles, medical accommodations, hired under a remote agreement, etc).

I bet a LOT of people will stay online late today! I feel bad for supervisors who are going to be inundated.

From my sources in our director's office, the email that will come out today is just going to say: "We got the EO and OPM memos. We plan to comply. Further directions to come later." You are very unlikely to get anything meaningful today. There is so much to sift thru, from CBA obligations, to real estate, to IT support, to people who were hired remote, etc. It's not happening today.

I read the EO to permit what you're describing. It only requires agencies to revise their telework plans to comply with the EO by 5 p.m. It doesn't require them to transmit anything to employees other than the text of the EO and a statement that the agency intends to comply with it.

On the other hand, if all they have to send us is those two things, why wait until the end of the day?

NP and with the DEI memo they told us what they were doing to comply. Of course, this is a much more complicated issue than scrapping some programming and internal web pages so I could see them needing more time.

[Anonymous]

I work in a child care center and our phone is ringing off the hook today.