Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:51     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What would everyone who can't possible take any sick leave do if they were sick with something else? Wouldn't you have to take an advance, LWOP, vacation?

Yes. The hysteria here is just that.


I would have phrased it entitlement more than hysteria, but yes, +1.


This is a different sickness. When I have the flu I take off when I have a fever and then come back to work (2 days usually). Or I can telework.

With covid you’re contagious for weeks and sick for weeks. And because daycares will close, work won’t let me telework.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:48     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.


So we’ll just plop our toddlers in front of tv for a month so we can telework at home? It’s impossible to get anything done with my kids in the house let alone try to competently work. If forced, then I will “work at home” aka sign into WebTA, do some half assed work during nap time, and otherwise occasionally move my mouse around to make it look active. OPM has to realize this is what parents of young kids are going to do because no one is going to voluntarily take a month or more of leave over this.


Your kids don’t nap?
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:48     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What would everyone who can't possible take any sick leave do if they were sick with something else? Wouldn't you have to take an advance, LWOP, vacation?

Yes. The hysteria here is just that.


I would have phrased it entitlement more than hysteria, but yes, +1.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:47     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.


Just call it quarantine related admin leave. If you are forced to take leave due to government mandate (school closure, office closure, or quarantine due to illness) then you are placed on admin leave.

It’s simple. The government is the one calling the shots on closures and who needs to be quarantined. So why should people lose money because the government’s decisions?


The government is the way we achieve common societal goals.

The government is us, really. There is no bogeyman.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:46     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:What would everyone who can't possible take any sick leave do if they were sick with something else? Wouldn't you have to take an advance, LWOP, vacation?

Yes. The hysteria here is just that.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:41     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
What would everyone who can't possible take any sick leave do if they were sick with something else? Wouldn't you have to take an advance, LWOP, vacation?
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:34     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.


So we’ll just plop our toddlers in front of tv for a month so we can telework at home? It’s impossible to get anything done with my kids in the house let alone try to competently work. If forced, then I will “work at home” aka sign into WebTA, do some half assed work during nap time, and otherwise occasionally move my mouse around to make it look active. OPM has to realize this is what parents of young kids are going to do because no one is going to voluntarily take a month or more of leave over this.


Yes, you may just have to let your toddler watch more tv than you would normally. Oh, the terrible sacrifice. You may have to work when they go to bed. There are other things that you may have to do that you wouldn’t ordinarily, but the proper answer isn’t to say you just get paid time off without requiring a little extra effort on your end.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:33     Subject: Re:OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Old fart feds whining and jealousy overt paid parental leave not hepful.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:32     Subject: Re:OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Democrats moving on paid sick leave and the like. Don’t know if it’ll apply to feds. Why does ANYONE EVER vote for Republicans???
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:32     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:I have weeks of sick leave and preschool kids too, but the leave will be useless unless opm specifically tells us to telework. There is no way I can telework just to avoid exposure.



My problem is that managers at my agency are not able to telework as easily as individual contributors. They need to face to face meets with other managers in order to stay relevant. My opinion, they seem to have some bitterness over that, and look down on telework.


I’m at Interior and none of our managers can telework. So they’re very strict with telework
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:31     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
How about allowing us to work outside of 6-6? Like working when my kids go to sleep at 7? You can bet I’ll come to work sick if we aren’t given leniency. I work with 50+ year olds and I’m the only one with kids at home.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 18:03     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.


Just call it quarantine related admin leave. If you are forced to take leave due to government mandate (school closure, office closure, or quarantine due to illness) then you are placed on admin leave.

It’s simple. The government is the one calling the shots on closures and who needs to be quarantined. So why should people lose money because the government’s decisions?
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 17:55     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.


So we’ll just plop our toddlers in front of tv for a month so we can telework at home? It’s impossible to get anything done with my kids in the house let alone try to competently work. If forced, then I will “work at home” aka sign into WebTA, do some half assed work during nap time, and otherwise occasionally move my mouse around to make it look active. OPM has to realize this is what parents of young kids are going to do because no one is going to voluntarily take a month or more of leave over this.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 17:42     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
Anonymous wrote:I carefully saved my leave for years and took advanced sick leave so that I could have two children and take two paid maternity leaves. I finally got my sick leave balance back to zero, after having to use annual leave almost as fast as I accrued it for my children's daycare sicknesses. I think that Feds like me who have very young children should get a break if both schools and offices close, as we didn't benefit from the forthcoming paid parental leave program and are still in the hole leave-wise.


Loosening rules around telework, including telework with kids at home, is one thing. Creating broad additional leave for people with empty balances is another.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2020 17:22     Subject: OPM Guidance on COVID-19
I have weeks of sick leave and preschool kids too, but the leave will be useless unless opm specifically tells us to telework. There is no way I can telework just to avoid exposure.



My problem is that managers at my agency are not able to telework as easily as individual contributors. They need to face to face meets with other managers in order to stay relevant. My opinion, they seem to have some bitterness over that, and look down on telework.