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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1 Another thing "business people" don't understand. The money isn't yours to use any way you see fit. It's taxpayer money and there are laws and rules you know nothing about to make sure it isn't used willy-nilly according to some office manager's whims, hiring whoever they please with no security clearance, competitive bidding, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What makes you think that legislation is required?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

While true, this is entirely irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I would say his approach uses "fiscal responsibility" to rope in a certain class of conservatives but (obviously) this has little to do with taxpayer money.
It is mostly about disabling parts of the government that he wants to get out of his way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What makes you think that legislation is required?

What makes you think it’s not?

[Anonymous]

Are people really working hard at home? I think issue is in Govt jobs you only work a set hourly work week if in the office or at home.

But at JP Morgan, Goldman etc. work in the office is often 8 am to 7pm barely a break, no lunch, no running out to bus stop, no throwing clothes in washing machine. So it is 11 hours productive every day. And in those jobs on commute in and commute home they are reading and responding to emails at least one more hour. So really 60 hours a week of work.

At home never going to happen to get 60 hours a person work out. In govt with timesheets sure it is 40 either way

[Anonymous]

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.

You mean back to the office. We've been working this whole time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people really working hard at home? I think issue is in Govt jobs you only work a set hourly work week if in the office or at home.

But at JP Morgan, Goldman etc. work in the office is often 8 am to 7pm barely a break, no lunch, no running out to bus stop, no throwing clothes in washing machine. So it is 11 hours productive every day. And in those jobs on commute in and commute home they are reading and responding to emails at least one more hour. So really 60 hours a week of work.

At home never going to happen to get 60 hours a person work out. In govt with timesheets sure it is 40 either way

Hmmmm I wonder if there is anything about the compensation that differs between these types of jobs …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people really working hard at home? I think issue is in Govt jobs you only work a set hourly work week if in the office or at home.

But at JP Morgan, Goldman etc. work in the office is often 8 am to 7pm barely a break, no lunch, no running out to bus stop, no throwing clothes in washing machine. So it is 11 hours productive every day. And in those jobs on commute in and commute home they are reading and responding to emails at least one more hour. So really 60 hours a week of work.

At home never going to happen to get 60 hours a person work out. In govt with timesheets sure it is 40 either way

And how much are people at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs making? Apples to oranges.

My husband took a significant pay cut to leave private to have more work/life balance and worked from home 3 days a week to be more present for our children. This was 9 years ago so obviously pre-Covid.

[Anonymous]

Did pp really compare federal employees to investment bankers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people really working hard at home? I think issue is in Govt jobs you only work a set hourly work week if in the office or at home.

But at JP Morgan, Goldman etc. work in the office is often 8 am to 7pm barely a break, no lunch, no running out to bus stop, no throwing clothes in washing machine. So it is 11 hours productive every day. And in those jobs on commute in and commute home they are reading and responding to emails at least one more hour. So really 60 hours a week of work.

At home never going to happen to get 60 hours a person work out. In govt with timesheets sure it is 40 either way

And how much are people at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs making? Apples to oranges.

My husband took a significant pay cut to leave private to have more work/life balance and worked from home 3 days a week to be more present for our children. This was 9 years ago so obviously pre-Covid.

True but to be honest even low paid people work like that at Chase and Goldman. They used to be called "Grunts or Clerks" years ago. When I was a at that level I used to work from 8-8 most days when busy for very little pay and no OT. I recall my boss saying if all the staff work at least 50 hours we need 25 percent less staff. So making less actually means you work More hours not less at the big banks. You paying your dues. Same as Big 4 etc. The staff during tax season work like Dogs more than the Partners.

In the coporate world you move up to have more work life balance at a lot of firms. Not move down.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why people keep posting these threads. No one has any idea what will happen until it happens. Every single thread has people arguing the same 10 points:

-I'm just as productive at home!
-No you're not!
-I'm going to stop working unpaid OT if I have to RTO
-There's not enough office space!
-Traffic!
-This will cause chaos
-That's the point!
-Feds agreed to lower wages in exchange for flexibility
-No one promised you telework was forever
-People went to the office 40 hours a week before and so can you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did pp really compare federal employees to investment bankers

First of all not investment banks, just employees. The staff at Chase, Goldman work long hours. Some are just Chase in Columbus Ohio, Texas, Delaware, Az or Goldmans back office. Very Very few of Chase employees are Investment Bankers and average salary for a Chase employee is around $67,800 per year. That is even counting in the Investment bankers. They have a large population of lower paid people who work hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why people keep posting these threads. No one has any idea what will happen until it happens. Every single thread has people arguing the same 10 points:

-I'm just as productive at home!
-No you're not!
-I'm going to stop working unpaid OT if I have to RTO
-There's not enough office space!
-Traffic!
-This will cause chaos
-That's the point!
-Feds agreed to lower wages in exchange for flexibility
-No one promised you telework was forever
-People went to the office 40 hours a week before and so can you

lol! +1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people really working hard at home? I think issue is in Govt jobs you only work a set hourly work week if in the office or at home.

But at JP Morgan, Goldman etc. work in the office is often 8 am to 7pm barely a break, no lunch, no running out to bus stop, no throwing clothes in washing machine. So it is 11 hours productive every day. And in those jobs on commute in and commute home they are reading and responding to emails at least one more hour. So really 60 hours a week of work.

At home never going to happen to get 60 hours a person work out. In govt with timesheets sure it is 40 either way

What a stupid post. How much are the people at Goldman making vs. Feds?