Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Summer is going to be really tough for parents with zero telework flexibility. For just one example preteens/teenagers. One cannot so easily just sign them up for 8-6 summer camps for the entire summer anymore. They have activities that some weeks end at 12-4 pm etc. We the past few years got really used to having some scheduling flexibility that could be maximized during the summer months. I am not quite ready to have them be full-on latchkey kids 5 days a week.

My kids did camp all summer when I was working before the pandemic in a government position without telework.

Anonymous wrote:Summer is going to be really tough for parents with zero telework flexibility. For just one example preteens/teenagers. One cannot so easily just sign them up for 8-6 summer camps for the entire summer anymore. They have activities that some weeks end at 12-4 pm etc. We the past few years got really used to having some scheduling flexibility that could be maximized during the summer months. I am not quite ready to have them be full-on latchkey kids 5 days a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me the most about all of this, even more than being called back into the office is the way the OPM memo was worded. And the fact that our senior leaders sent it out unchanged. It is cold, rude, callous and untrue. I feel let down by our senior managers when a month ago I would have said they were the absolute best. That memo read like a high schooler wrote it. And it was factually untrue! My entire office is in person 50% and they are talking about how our building is abandoned and no one is working. I don’t want fluffy language but that memo was a disgrace. Never in my 20 years as a Fed have I had such a nasty memo sent to me. If our senior leaders (feds!) want to send more like this, they can be guaranteed that they’ve lost the heart of their workforce. We all thought we’d be returning to the office but it’s an embarrassment how this is being handled.

Frankly they should be using a scalpel to get rid of bad apples instead of this bulldozer. Give us managers better options to fire or manage our employees. Fire people who are only “fully successful” on their performance evals. Going into the office isn’t going to get rid of bad apples.

Absolutely this. The fact that our agency head sent out the template word for word made me incredibly disheartened. She signed her name to something malicious and untrue. She could have sent out the same idea in a more professional, factual manner; instead she chose to bend the knee. It sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Wait, why would I take leave to go to a work meeting? I wasn't talking about a personal appointment. I am often on interagency working groups that meet downtown or in the 'burbs. How would I count the time traveling from my agency to the meeting and back?

As work time, just as if you were on official travel.

But if DOGE is going to track your keystrokes or badge swipes, how are they going to monitor that? How does that go in your time sheet?

I realize this sounds idiotic in a non-DOGE world, but if they are insisting on being anal retentive in tracking, how does this work?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Wait, why would I take leave to go to a work meeting? I wasn't talking about a personal appointment. I am often on interagency working groups that meet downtown or in the 'burbs. How would I count the time traveling from my agency to the meeting and back?

As work time, just as if you were on official travel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Wait, why would I take leave to go to a work meeting? I wasn't talking about a personal appointment. I am often on interagency working groups that meet downtown or in the 'burbs. How would I count the time traveling from my agency to the meeting and back?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Wait, why would I take leave to go to a work meeting? I wasn't talking about a personal appointment. I am often on interagency working groups that meet downtown or in the 'burbs. How would I count the time traveling from my agency to the meeting and back?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Wait, why would I take leave to go to a work meeting? I wasn't talking about a personal appointment. I am often on interagency working groups that meet downtown or in the 'burbs. How would I count the time traveling from my agency to the meeting and back?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

They won't. That's the point. The vast majority of individual situational telework requests won't seem important enough to elevate. So people will have to take leave or commute in every. Single. Time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

That's not telework.

You’d need an hour of telework from 8:30-9:30 to get to your 10 am offsite. I think the idea is that if you had to commute in you wouldn’t be able to get to your office and then get to the offsite and still work for that hour. Most offsite meetings don’t have space you can use to work for an hour before your meeting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

That's not telework.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Email came out from our Agency -- noted that they intended to fully comply but will discuss with peer agencies and fulfill collective bargaining obligations in revising the telework policies.

I don't wish to be in my agency leadership's shoes now. I'll gladly take the 2 days/PP TW that we used to have before COVID. Most of us are back 4-6 days/PP anyway and adding a couple of days is not a problem. The pointless pinprick requests for situational TW will drive my poor supervisor mad.

Didn't you see the followup OPM did on situational telework? There will not be requests to your manager. Besides, it's your manager AND agency head who have to approve situational telework. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USOPM/bulletins/3ce821e

I did and it makes no sense. Agency heads are ridiculously busy (mine is out of DC/US half the time). How will they certify a measly request for a 1 hour telework so I can attend a 10 AM meeting downtown if they are in Singapore that day? Ridiculous. Unless they mean recurring telework (which apparently won't exist)....