Anonymous wrote:A lot of us can leave work early, go to a school event, and then work later in the evening.

But yeah, I'm sure there are lots of feds slacking off everywhere. That's why I focus on the actual work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked for the government for 20 years. It’s interesting that the instinct of most posters on here is to defend WFH, the time the dad has with his kids, federal employee time-off benefits, etc. In other words, when confronted with the possibility of abuse, federal workers quickly rally around the flag. My experience with such knee-jerk responses is that many know there is abuse, but they don’t want light shed on it. Why? Because they do it too. They don’t want the gravy train to stop. Another typical response to such allegations is that federal employees need a break because they are underpaid. Again, this is all about distraction. For the work performed, many, many Federal employees are overpaid, especially when lifetime benefits are considered. This is even more egregious at the financial regulators. I know. Been there, done that. OP, what you describe is abuse and fraud. It has nothing to do with flexible work arrangements. Unfortunately, I could name you a dozen people from my former agency division that do as your ex does. Yes, they abuse the system. Any “jealousy” on your part is really outrage that this can be happening, and yes, a bit of “if this is how it works, why not me.” But, this isn’t how it should work. You are right to question it.

Yup, everyone’s colluding. That must be it.

It’s interesting to me that you think people pushing back on what’s an obvious troll post must have a nefarious reason to do so. What other reason could they possibly have for defending themselves when they’re part of a workforce that is the constant target of disingenuous attacks from certain political groups whose primary motive is to lower their own tax bill at everyone’s expense?

Reread my post. I don’t need to wonder if this happens, I know that it does. I’ve witnessed it. I knew a young woman who had a child out of wedlock. Even after she returned to work, no one knew where she was. She was never available for assignments. During COVID, she went to live with her mother. Anytime someone raised an issue, her Director covered for her. She became an untouchable. She makes $200k. There are many stories like this. I’m not a troll. I’m channeling reality.

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fed and like others mentioned you get a lot of leave after 15 years. Also I am able to earn credit hours (basically a form of comp time, get time off awards, and have a broad flex band of hours I can work). I am able to volunteer at my kids’ schools and take long weekends, school breaks, etc. off because I plan my work schedule around them. It may mean getting up early to work at 6 am or catching up at night once their asleep.

Also, my DH is in the private sector and has a similar setup. He coaches sports games with 5 pm practices, meaning he has to wrap up work by 4:15 or so a couple times per week.

Some jobs are more amenable to this type of flexibility than others. We chose to stay in these roles so we aren’t tethered to our computers, but it also means we aren’t making the crazy $$$ that comes with some of the more stressful jobs out there (e.g. I have zero interest in giving up my lifestyle to work in big law).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of jobs are like this. It’s crazy. We get pushed to get high grades and to do well in school etc. and then… the jobs are such a snooze!

Right, but most on here can admit it. Instead, they want to tell you how hard they have it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing no one is going to talk about this on here, but my kid's dad is a very well-paid fed who is constantly on personal vacation. I mean, I've lost track of how many times per year he has been off traveling, plus breaks with the kids winter break, spring break, summer vacations, being chaperone for their field trips, able to pick them up early after school, attend their sports practices at times most people are working. This is has been ongoing for years. How much leave to federal employees get or is he milking the system? It would be impossible that this is carryover year after year and he is not the type to be up on his computer late into the night. I am working in the wrong sector.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol, so the only evidence of telework abuse that OP has is the fact that her baby daddy spends his vacations with his kid and takes him to soccer practice?

Nope, you missed that he is also on weeks and weeks of vacations...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh dear, it seems as though someone is a little envious of the flexible work-life balance that federal employees can enjoy. Let's take a moment to clear up your confusion, shall we? Federal employees do have a relatively generous leave package, including annual leave, sick leave, and various other leave options, which may include family and medical leave or even leave for volunteer activities. It's not inconceivable that your child's father is simply adept at managing his leave time and taking advantage of the flexibility his job offers. In fact, many federal agencies have been promoting work-life balance for years, because, believe it or not, happy and well-rested employees are more productive.

Now, if you find yourself questioning the integrity of your child's father, it might be more productive to address those concerns directly with him instead of speculating on DCUM. As for your career aspirations, it's never too late to consider a change if you're unhappy with your current situation. However, I do hope you understand that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and the federal sector has its own unique set of challenges and responsibilities. But, best of luck to you in your quest for a more satisfying and flexible work arrangement.

OP here. As a federal contractor, I see both sides. I interact closely with federal employees who struggle with work life balance because of the work expectations. I'm baffled that in a separate federal agency its so vastly different where he can be away so often under so many circumstances.