This is totally silly. You work for the United States of America, not McDonald's.

If you can't even step out for a reasonable amount of time to have lunch, what's the point?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is obsessed with the fiction that people are not complying. It's the Bigfoot of the jobs forum.

OP here and well aware that people are overall complying or quitting. But what if someone didn’t?

I am at the end of my rope. I am a single mom I had accepted a fully remote position because it made sense. My commute takes 3 hours each day. I am burning through my leave balances just trying to survive and my health is spiraling, and my employer is not approving TW for RAs. Can’t afford to quit and I kind of want to die. So a not insignificant part of me wants to say no and just stop commuting.

I don't consider what you have as RTO.RTO means you worked in the office five days/week, it went remote or hybrid during COVID, now they want you back five days/week.

You took the job as remote and hopefully it is in your offer letter. That is a different story. I would be pissed because they changed the terms. And no DCUM, moving is difficult. It's not like your first years after college where people moved around.

Who would enforce the RTO? Doge? How would they enforce it for 2.2 million people? It’s a joke. Like every other stupid gimmick or “current thing,” nobody cares anymore. We’ve all moved on to the new Current Thing.

RTO is for suckers who can’t find an exemption out of the many that exist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

So before DOGE were Feds taking longer lunches and not working their full 8.5 hours?

Technically you can’t combine your 30 min lunch and 2 15 min break, so an outside lunch was never feasible

Oh please.

When there is flexibility, people are willing to do a little more when needed. It's a 2 way street.

I would routinely check email, respond to stuff etc after hours. I was a high performer andy mangers cared about output and results, not the number of minutes spent at lunch.

Now I stick to my federally mandated schedule and I do not do any work outside of my official working hours. If they want butts in seats, that's what they have.

And I make sure I take all 30 minutes of my lunch "hour" away from my desk now. Can't afford to go out to eat, so just walk around the building and find a quiet corner to eat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

Yes, same here. Almost everyone brings their lunch and no longer goes out. And the Marriot staffed agency cafeteria is too expensive for most of us now.

Our large agency did away with the mandatory 30 minute lunch maybe 7 years ago? Spouse’s agency still requires it though.

Anonymous wrote:I just want to say that nothing will happen. I have an employee who did not RTO. They have been given warnings and I basically have to email them daily about how they're supposed to be in the office, but nothing more happens. HR laughed at me when I asked about firing them.

Well, fortune favors the bold.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

So before DOGE were Feds taking longer lunches and not working their full 8.5 hours?

Technically you can’t combine your 30 min lunch and 2 15 min break, so an outside lunch was never feasible

Oh please.

When there is flexibility, people are willing to do a little more when needed. It's a 2 way street.

I would routinely check email, respond to stuff etc after hours. I was a high performer andy mangers cared about output and results, not the number of minutes spent at lunch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

So before DOGE were Feds taking longer lunches and not working their full 8.5 hours?

Technically you can’t combine your 30 min lunch and 2 15 min break, so an outside lunch was never feasible

Very much depends on the agency. DH's agency allows him to work 9 hours and take an hour lunch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

So before DOGE were Feds taking longer lunches and not working their full 8.5 hours?

Technically you can’t combine your 30 min lunch and 2 15 min break, so an outside lunch was never feasible

It used to be that if you wanted to go out for lunch you could just stay later and make up the time. I think they are much much stricter on adhering to the exact policy rather than just working the hours you are supposed to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.

So before DOGE were Feds taking longer lunches and not working their full 8.5 hours?

Technically you can’t combine your 30 min lunch and 2 15 min break, so an outside lunch was never feasible

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is obsessed with the fiction that people are not complying. It's the Bigfoot of the jobs forum.

OP here and well aware that people are overall complying or quitting. But what if someone didn’t?

I am at the end of my rope. I am a single mom I had accepted a fully remote position because it made sense. My commute takes 3 hours each day. I am burning through my leave balances just trying to survive and my health is spiraling, and my employer is not approving TW for RAs. Can’t afford to quit and I kind of want to die. So a not insignificant part of me wants to say no and just stop commuting.

I grew up with a single mom (dad died in a random accident when I was a baby) and she went into work every single day and sometimes on weekends. We lived close to the office and had babysitters and she paid a neighbor who helped out. She never complained but now comments on people who WFH and that it takes them 2 weeks to get her something that should take only 24 hours to send through.

Move closer to your work or look for another job. Many of us have been RTO since 2021/2022 having 3-4 extra years WFH was very fortunate. These are the policies now- abide or find another remote role.

Use your leave and apply for other jobs. Ask friends and neighbors if they can help.

You might get fired if you don’t show up and you’ll probably end up getting a bad reference. It’s not worth it. Many businesses now do back door references so even if you don’t put them on they’ll call or ask someone.

As a hiring manager I always ask how the person handles being in office and if there has been any issues regarding working in office. I’m flexible where I work and we are hybrid 4 days in office 3 days in office in summer but if I heard someone refused to go in after many warnings/ didn’t show up and didn’t give notice I would not hire as I would question their judgment on other factors.

Personally I would take my leave and apply like crazy to a role somewhere closer to where you work or another remote position, move closer to your office, or hire help so you can go into the office.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

Well, a huge number of people quit, retired, or were fired.

But Feds were never the people you saw around DC. We mostly don't work downtown, but on the fringes in SW, SE, and NE. We get only 30 minutes for lunch, so most of us brown-bag it or eat in our own cafeterias if there are any. And as a group, we're on the older side and we live in the suburbs or exurbs - so we're not sticking around for happy hour.

+1 everyone who stayed is complying. My DH took the fork. Others I know did VERA or were RIF'd. No one is trying to not comply.

At many age cies they are tracking badge swipes. No one is doing more than 30 min lunch so that means bringing your own. And getting out as fast as possible to get home to kids etc.

The young people who live in DC and eat out and go to HH etc were already doing a voluntary RTO. They're the ones who contribute to the local economy.

Anonymous wrote:DC has been a ghost town since I moved here four years ago. I really don't like living and working here.

FWIW I walk down the halls and half the offices are empty. IDK what's going on.

This is a shame. DC used to be a fun city to go out in after work. I hope it comes back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious because downtown DC remains a ghost town.

That’s what happens when you RIF people.

Yes. Also, People at my office don’t even like leaving the building to get lunch because they are scared people are counting badge swipes by the minute.