Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll go back. I'll be much more of a clock watcher, though.

However, we are 50% in the office, as we don't have space for everyone. Where will they put us?

We have had dozens of posts of “but no space” — they don’t care. You need to badge in and find a corner of floor. They do not care about productivity, enough bathrooms, HVAC, comfort or anything. They want you in and miserable so you will quit.

So stop with that line of concern.

+1

But I suggest people keep calling the fire marshall every day about these violations.

What if there is literally not enough space to fit everyone even if they only have a chair? Then go sit on one of the two bathrooms?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll go back. I'll be much more of a clock watcher, though.

However, we are 50% in the office, as we don't have space for everyone. Where will they put us?

We have had dozens of posts of “but no space” — they don’t care. You need to badge in and find a corner of floor. They do not care about productivity, enough bathrooms, HVAC, comfort or anything. They want you in and miserable so you will quit.

So stop with that line of concern.

+1

But I suggest people keep calling the fire marshall every day about these violations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll go back. I'll be much more of a clock watcher, though.

However, we are 50% in the office, as we don't have space for everyone. Where will they put us?

We have had dozens of posts of “but no space” — they don’t care. You need to badge in and find a corner of floor. They do not care about productivity, enough bathrooms, HVAC, comfort or anything. They want you in and miserable so you will quit.

So stop with that line of concern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

She said it wasn't worth it to her.
I see this "lots of people make it work" argument all the time but why would somebody merely make it work when they have options? People want to be around their families during waking hours, and if they can do so they will.

That said, I don't actually know any families with 2 parents working full time in DC and the long daycare hours etc. Either they're both hybrid, or one parent commutes and the other is part time or a teacher or WFH or shift work (nursing) so that they can be available. I think the families with school aged kids and two significant commutes 5 days/week are not the norm.

It’s absolutely not the norm anymore. And everyone is better off for it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

She said it wasn't worth it to her.
I see this "lots of people make it work" argument all the time but why would somebody merely make it work when they have options? People want to be around their families during waking hours, and if they can do so they will.

That said, I don't actually know any families with 2 parents working full time in DC and the long daycare hours etc. Either they're both hybrid, or one parent commutes and the other is part time or a teacher or WFH or shift work (nursing) so that they can be available. I think the families with school aged kids and two significant commutes 5 days/week are not the norm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

She said it wasn't worth it to her.
I see this "lots of people make it work" argument all the time but why would somebody merely make it work when they have options? People want to be around their families during waking hours, and if they can do so they will.

That said, I don't actually know any families with 2 parents working full time in DC and the long daycare hours etc. Either they're both hybrid, or one parent commutes and the other is part time or a teacher or WFH or shift work (nursing) so that they can be available. I think the families with school aged kids and two significant commutes 5 days/week are not the norm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the higher earner in my household, so I will go back. I already bought a parking pass just in case. It will cost us plenty in driving/parking but the big impact is to my non-fed DH, who will need to limit himself to remote roles so he can handle the to/from school situation. Right now we split it because we each work hybrid.

What did you do before COVID in terms of getting kids to and from school situation?

Not PP but I was remote before COVID.

A different PP but my kids were previously in daycare with longer full time hours. Now they’re in school which is a different situation with before/ after care, school closures, and summer camp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have the luxury to “take a break” from working.

Anonymous wrote:I'll go back. I'll be much more of a clock watcher, though.

However, we are 50% in the office, as we don't have space for everyone. Where will they put us?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

And that’s exactly what we as a society should be discouraging. Allow parents to work with WFH or hybrid arrangements so that kids are not sitting in daycare for 10 hrs, it’s not good for the kids. Support working parents and we might get a society with more functional people, destroy and overwork families and we will deserve every bit of dysfunction coming our way.

I am not a Fed btw, I do feel strongly about this issue though. If hybrid work environment is getting the work done and a family is able to have healthier meals, plus their kids spend more time with parents then what exactly is the problem? This should be a no brainer, I can understand PPs for argument coming from an uneducated person but not from a supposedly educated person. Shame on you, PP!

Anonymous wrote:I think about it but probably not. We were considering a move that would lengthen my commute and have shelved it.

If you’ve been government 15 years, then know if you leave and come back you’ll be in the higher amount of pension contribution.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private sector DH is the higher earner and the only reason we are tethered to this area is because of my fed job. It would not be worth it to our family to stay in this area with one parent having to be in an office 5 days per week (the added cost of after care, commuting, etc.) and stress on our family would just suck.

I’d first search for another job in this area, I have feelers out and am pretty sure I could land somewhere. But if nothing works out, we could just move to a lower COL area near family and live off my DH’s income. We have 13 years of home equity we could use to buy a nice home with cash (or small mortgage) elsewhere.

I hate thinking like this though because I know the MAGA sociopaths would love the idea of a woman leaving the workforce and a family moving out of the DC area.

Okay? Lots of families have two full time working parents, with long daycare hours or split shifts.

If you don’t have to live near your DH job, then you are free to live near YOUR job, so your commute is not that long, so why is this so impactful you will move over it?

And that’s exactly what we as a society should be discouraging. Allow parents to work with WFH or hybrid arrangements so that kids are not sitting in daycare for 10 hrs, it’s not good for the kids. Support working parents and we might get a society with more functional people, destroy and overwork families and we will deserve every bit of dysfunction coming our way.

I am not a Fed btw, I do feel strongly about this issue though. If hybrid work environment is getting the work done and a family is able to have healthier meals, plus their kids spend more time with parents then what exactly is the problem? This should be a no brainer, I can understand PPs for argument coming from an uneducated person but not from a supposedly educated person. Shame on you, PP!