Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:46     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


It depends on the agency. Military, defense, and veterans will increase.

What makes you think your agency will have cuts?


NP. It isn't just about cuts. It's where the cuts will be (ie, WHO is getting cut - the higher level people with the knowledge and experience. Bad for the government, and bad for those employees who are approaching retirement and could lose it all).
It's about Trump and his sycophants wanting to eliminate anyone who essentially believes in their oath of allegiance to the constitution and the country rather than taking an oath to the person in the oval office. That can happen at any/all agencies.
It's also about the Feds' retirement system (TSP) that Trump was eyeing his first time around to raid in order to bolster Social Security.


How would he raid TSP. Those are individual accounts for each person. It is not one big fund with a single balance that can be withdrawn. It is like saying Trump can raid individual bank accounts.


I *think* the poster means FERS? But even that is funded by employee payroll deductions.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:41     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


It depends on the agency. Military, defense, and veterans will increase.

What makes you think your agency will have cuts?


NP. It isn't just about cuts. It's where the cuts will be (ie, WHO is getting cut - the higher level people with the knowledge and experience. Bad for the government, and bad for those employees who are approaching retirement and could lose it all).
It's about Trump and his sycophants wanting to eliminate anyone who essentially believes in their oath of allegiance to the constitution and the country rather than taking an oath to the person in the oval office. That can happen at any/all agencies.
It's also about the Feds' retirement system (TSP) that Trump was eyeing his first time around to raid in order to bolster Social Security.


How would he raid TSP. Those are individual accounts for each person. It is not one big fund with a single balance that can be withdrawn. It is like saying Trump can raid individual bank accounts.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:27     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s weird — Trump never mentioned RTO a single time in campaign speeches, etc. But now everyone thinks that’s suddenly his highest priority and major platform? An admin only has so much bandwidth and can only fight so many battles at once. RTO isn’t one of them.


Agreed.
People outside the DC bubble or other federal employment locations don't care about this issue at all and only see it as running government more like a business, getting rid of poor performing employees. They have no idea that many are even working from home and don't understand that many CAN'T work from home due to security priorities. I bet Trump isn't even aware of how many are teleworking or how effective/ineffective it is. And doesn't give a crap.


I hope you’re right.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:27     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


It depends on the agency. Military, defense, and veterans will increase.

What makes you think your agency will have cuts?


NP. It isn't just about cuts. It's where the cuts will be (ie, WHO is getting cut - the higher level people with the knowledge and experience. Bad for the government, and bad for those employees who are approaching retirement and could lose it all).
It's about Trump and his sycophants wanting to eliminate anyone who essentially believes in their oath of allegiance to the constitution and the country rather than taking an oath to the person in the oval office. That can happen at any/all agencies.
It's also about the Feds' retirement system (TSP) that Trump was eyeing his first time around to raid in order to bolster Social Security.


Not sure where you're getting information that Trump would raid TSPs to bolster Social Security. That makes no sense - they are basically 401ks that federal employees/retirees have funded and own. That's like saying "Trump will steal all of Democrats' savings to reduce the national debt."
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:27     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:Everyone here is panicking over something they have no control about. At least you have time to prepare. Those of us in the private sector get emails at 6 am on Monday morning that we are fired.

Use this time to get healthier, pay down some debt, prepare your resume, take additional training and start networking if you are really worried.

You have ZERO control over your fate at the fed, but you have TOTAL control over your future elsewhere


We have taken less money for years for the stability of gov’t work. Or so we thought.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:26     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:It’s weird — Trump never mentioned RTO a single time in campaign speeches, etc. But now everyone thinks that’s suddenly his highest priority and major platform? An admin only has so much bandwidth and can only fight so many battles at once. RTO isn’t one of them.


Agreed.
People outside the DC bubble or other federal employment locations don't care about this issue at all and only see it as running government more like a business, getting rid of poor performing employees. They have no idea that many are even working from home and don't understand that many CAN'T work from home due to security priorities. I bet Trump isn't even aware of how many are teleworking or how effective/ineffective it is. And doesn't give a crap.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:18     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


It depends on the agency. Military, defense, and veterans will increase.

What makes you think your agency will have cuts?


NP. It isn't just about cuts. It's where the cuts will be (ie, WHO is getting cut - the higher level people with the knowledge and experience. Bad for the government, and bad for those employees who are approaching retirement and could lose it all).
It's about Trump and his sycophants wanting to eliminate anyone who essentially believes in their oath of allegiance to the constitution and the country rather than taking an oath to the person in the oval office. That can happen at any/all agencies.
It's also about the Feds' retirement system (TSP) that Trump was eyeing his first time around to raid in order to bolster Social Security.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:16     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:Everyone here is panicking over something they have no control about. At least you have time to prepare. Those of us in the private sector get emails at 6 am on Monday morning that we are fired.

Use this time to get healthier, pay down some debt, prepare your resume, take additional training and start networking if you are really worried.

You have ZERO control over your fate at the fed, but you have TOTAL control over your future elsewhere


Fair enough. It's dispiriting because this is one of the reasons I left the private sector for the federal government: less money but more stability in middle age. Or so I thought!
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 16:11     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think they’re going to do a lot, honestly. Elon musk is just a blowhard. If they had a real plan for huge cuts without chaos that would amount to political suicide, they would have done it. It’s the same as “repeal and replace.”


Elon fired 70% of twitter. That is not just a blowhard


But that’s a private company and he can do what he wants. Aren’t there regulations that would keep him from doing that so easily in the govt? (I mean, that said, I think they will move forward as they wish and if the courts get tied up, that’s fine with them. They won’t wait for things to be finally decided and approved.)


This is precisely what Trump wants to change - and DID at the end of his first term. Biden reversed it; but with R control across the board, it's very feasible very quickly. And in typical "blow it all up" mentality, they will do so without any plan for what happens next.
First, fire all the ones in charge that can already be appointed (and with a Senate majority leader who will ensure bypassing Senate confirmations).
Second, eliminate the next layer of non-trump loyalists.
Third, once all of those are gone, eliminate the ones who aren't disloyal, but aren't loyal enough.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 15:40     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
While I believe there will be some reduction in the federal workforce I do not believe it will happen on day 1 and/or be an across the board mass layoffs

I assume agencies like BLS, commerce, fed reserve banks, etc will be less affected.

Of course those working at the department of education or interior for example have reasons to worry .
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 15:16     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Everyone here is panicking over something they have no control about. At least you have time to prepare. Those of us in the private sector get emails at 6 am on Monday morning that we are fired.

Use this time to get healthier, pay down some debt, prepare your resume, take additional training and start networking if you are really worried.

You have ZERO control over your fate at the fed, but you have TOTAL control over your future elsewhere
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 13:53     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


I will be 47 in early December, have 26 years in the fed (at one of the targeted agencies), and have ten years until I am retirement eligible. Though at times I am frustrated by the bureaucracy at my agency, I am mostly content and planned to stay until retirement. With the uncertainty and not feeling up to the bs that it will entail, I am exploring viable options. I have zero desire to switch to private industry this late in my career. The best case for me is they give us two years head start on cuts, start making cuts in 2027, and then offer two years' salary to retire early. I would take that, run, and never look back.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 13:51     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
I was miserable during the first trump term and definitely don’t want to be more miserable. I have two interviews next week and if the money is good- it is time to leave government
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 13:51     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.


Assuming that you have been at your agency for a while, if your agency has a RIF, you'll probably be in good shape to remain. Yes, if you're at the Education Department, you need to worry about them shutting it down entirely, but I'm not sure how that could even happen - so much of what the department does, like student loans, would need to be handled somewhere else. And it would take quite a few years to wind down. By that time, Dems could very well control the House and slow things down even more.


Thanks to you and the other person who responded.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2024 13:48     Subject: Other feds just very depressed?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.


lol, immediately?


It took years for them to move two fairly small USDA agencies and that was a disaster.