DHS ends teleworking, requires employees to work in person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

I think agency heads are going to set policies for exemptions that will be too narrow for individual managers to circumvent. That's been my experience in my career to date.

This!
An administration that doesn’t believe in remote work and telework will make sure that many people don’t use exemptions to work around the EO.
They have a goal and will make sure they achieve.

True. The goal is to have people on the roads so that they buy gas and cars, then they spend 2-3 hrs in commute and are so tired that they end up eating out a lot, then when they are fat and unhealthy the pharmaceutical companies can make mind off of them.

This is no coincidence, billionaires want the plebes constantly working and tired, that’s how they make money. From fast foods to gas stations to big pharma to clothes retailers, we are supposed to enrich all of them off our backs. The tragedy is that billionaires exploit people by using them against each other, a tale as old as time.

Otherwise, what difference does it make to Trump whether Federal workers have a hybrid schedule or not, to him and his donors these people are the cogs in their money making process.

[Anonymous]

^ money not mind

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As former military, I did find this part concerning -

24.4% of total hours worked by U.S. Coast Guard personnel — a branch of the armed services tasked with protecting our coasts — were done remotely.

Military service should not be done remotely, that includes IT and office based service members.

Why don't you check that number for DoD, PP. A lot of people I know that work for Dod as Civilians work from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't there civilian office staff in the USCG? I doubt crews on a cutter are reporting remote hours.

Yes, the USCG has a good amount of civilians doing the same things other agencies do: acquisitions, IT, compliance, safety regulations, etc. They also have space constraints just like everybody else is dealing with.

Their HQ is also in Anacostia and only a very small number of employees get a parking spot. It's a nice building, but horrible place to work no matter where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did any DHS employees hear anything from their supervisors yet?

My supervisor told me remote work is done, however, telework will still be available like pre-covid times. No idea how many days a week we will have to come in yet.

I am a contractor. 90% of the federal staff I work with are remote. Like they live all over the country. None of the remote workers live within commuting distance of DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

I think agency heads are going to set policies for exemptions that will be too narrow for individual managers to circumvent. That's been my experience in my career to date.

This!
An administration that doesn’t believe in remote work and telework will make sure that many people don’t use exemptions to work around the EO.
They have a goal and will make sure they achieve.

And, yet Trump and his friends work remotely all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't there civilian office staff in the USCG? I doubt crews on a cutter are reporting remote hours.

Yes, the USCG has a good amount of civilians doing the same things other agencies do: acquisitions, IT, compliance, safety regulations, etc. They also have space constraints just like everybody else is dealing with.

Their HQ is also in Anacostia and only a very small number of employees get a parking spot. It's a nice building, but horrible place to work no matter where you live.

Obama forced them to build the HQ at St. E's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

I think agency heads are going to set policies for exemptions that will be too narrow for individual managers to circumvent. That's been my experience in my career to date.

This!
An administration that doesn’t believe in remote work and telework will make sure that many people don’t use exemptions to work around the EO.
They have a goal and will make sure they achieve.

And, yet Trump and his friends work remotely all the time.

So did Buttigeg even though he was forcing DOT workers into the office 3-4 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These headline grabbing articles are just that. There are exemptions for lack of physical space or employee’s inability to return. Let’s see how this plays out with actual DHS employees.

+1, the loopholes are actually huge.

They are using RTO as stealth layoffs, just like the private sector has the last few years. It's also a way to clear out older workers who probably should retire but have stuck around because their jobs are very easy for them at this stage and if they can do them at home with a flexible schedule, why not.

Managers are going to come back with exemptions for most of their other workers though. A lot of these jobs have no permanent offices to go back to. Some are highly skilled workers who are very hard to replace (and most replacements would also expect WFH allowances).

If you have an empty office somewhere that you never go to, are relatively easy to replace, and are a poor performer, you should either ready yourself to return to the office or look for another job.

I can't stand Trump but I support this specific policy. I've managed people a long time and there are lots of appropriate uses for RTO but there are also a lot of people who just abuse it to avoid working and you need mechanisms for rooting those people out.

I think agency heads are going to set policies for exemptions that will be too narrow for individual managers to circumvent. That's been my experience in my career to date.

This!
An administration that doesn’t believe in remote work and telework will make sure that many people don’t use exemptions to work around the EO.
They have a goal and will make sure they achieve.

And, yet Trump and his friends work remotely all the time.

So did Buttigeg even though he was forcing DOT workers into the office 3-4 days a week.

This, so much this. Many politicals are not walking the talk.

[Anonymous]

You do realize people can move. I had to relocate for work so I moved. My starter house I lived in a couple retiring bought it to move closer to their young grandkids.

I guess I could have commuted 500 miles a day roundtrip forever and that couple could have commuted two hours a day to help their kid with raising grandkids.

But in end we moved. My firm that was fully remote now back at work only 2 days a week. Most of our pre-2020 employees and new hires lived near office.

[Anonymous]

This may not be factual. But my car dealership in Bethesda I went in for an oil change at 1 pm last week on a weekday and empty.

In 2021, 2022, 2023 and early 2024 it used to be crowded at lunchtime with WFH folks.

I asked manager and he said more people back to office. We give free ride to metro up the block and allow car drop off night before more people back at office so less coming at lunch time.

I am still remote most days so I often go at lunch as they have free wifi, free coffee and next door some good lunch place. But pre-remote they used to drop me off at Metro with a bunch of people. They literally had a guy running back and forth to Metro at start and end of day. that is back.

[Anonymous]

I didn't read all 7 pages but my friend that works there said they have 30 days to RTO. DHS is huge but at least in his group their building isn't big enough so it sounds like they are going to utilize space from another group, maybe customs? I forget which one but I didn't realize space could be set up that fast. Like the whole process, getting people access to the building, getting permission to use the building, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do realize people can move. I had to relocate for work so I moved. My starter house I lived in a couple retiring bought it to move closer to their young grandkids.

I guess I could have commuted 500 miles a day roundtrip forever and that couple could have commuted two hours a day to help their kid with raising grandkids.

But in end we moved. My firm that was fully remote now back at work only 2 days a week. Most of our pre-2020 employees and new hires lived near office.

Did you have a working spouse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do realize people can move. I had to relocate for work so I moved. My starter house I lived in a couple retiring bought it to move closer to their young grandkids.

I guess I could have commuted 500 miles a day roundtrip forever and that couple could have commuted two hours a day to help their kid with raising grandkids.

But in end we moved. My firm that was fully remote now back at work only 2 days a week. Most of our pre-2020 employees and new hires lived near office.

Did you have a working spouse?

Yes she cooks, cleans, watch kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't read all 7 pages but my friend that works there said they have 30 days to RTO. DHS is huge but at least in his group their building isn't big enough so it sounds like they are going to utilize space from another group, maybe customs? I forget which one but I didn't realize space could be set up that fast. Like the whole process, getting people access to the building, getting permission to use the building, etc.

You do realize after 9/11 companies in WTC relocated in a week or two. That is almost 25 years ago. That involved signing new leases, buying all new IT equipment and in a lot of cases hiring new staff. I worked at KBW briefly back that where 39 percent of company killed in 9/11. They had a new lease, all new equipment, new badges very quickly. In regards to losing 39 percent of company in one day. Ex employees, retired employees, their external auditor etc. all chipped in to do those jobs on short notice.

50,000 people worked in WTC and they were all set up in new places within 1-4 weeks. In NYC at a time where office space was tight. It is not hard as you think.