Fork in the road letter

[westsloper]

A few of my coworkers definitely abuse telework. All I know is that a few weeks ago, when I really had to get an assignment finished, I had to work from home in order to get things done without distractions. As a supervisor, all I care about from my people when they're teleworking is whether or not they're being productive. If they aren't producing, I always have the option of changing their telework agreements.

I get why things are happening the way they are politically. The OPM emails have been unprofessional and annoying, but it really is what the people voted for and we have to accept it.

Like a lot of employees with federal land management agencies, I worked hard for many years to get a permanent position. I'm in my dream job now. I continue to work hard because I take pride in my work. I'm not leaving voluntarily.

 

[Weldor]

Good luck getting a job. Most companies don’t like hiring x gov employees. Many of the reasons are in this thread. Same goes for layoffs from large corporations. Not saying there aren’t good ones. But they get lumped in with the rest.

 

[PLhunter]

I get why things are happening the way they are politically. The OPM emails have been unprofessional and annoying, but it really is what the people voted for and we have to accept it.

We don’t have to accept it, or shouldn’t, when it’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and unethical. Right now the DOJ is firing executives associated with January 6th cases, and is ordered to doxx every employee who worked on those cases. You know the ones who convicted people who sure didn’t accept what the people voted for and who having been released have since tried to diddle kids, get killed attacking officers, and committed other felonies.

What’s happening is wrong and harmful. People need to open their eyes to it and admit they made a big mistake. It is going to get a hell of a lot worse if we take what’s coming with a “it’s what the people voted for” mentality.

 

[PLhunter]

The Biden/Harris approach was to keep spending money we don’t have until everything hyperinflates and blows the country up.

You are about to see inflation numbers that make those look like rookie numbers. Our economy had less inflation and more growth than any other major world economy post Covid. The inflation you’re about to see is going to make that look like nickels and dimes.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I get your frustration and have no arguments about rampant gov’t waste and needed reform, or even people showing up to the office for work.

Telework and remote work are two different things, however. If you were hired for a physical office duty location and have somehow moved to another location and are claiming telework, there is a serious issue right there. In my agency, telework still requires employees to physically show up to their office at least one day/week, two days/pay period. If supervisors and employees are breaking this protocol, that’s on them and they deserve the possible disciplinary actions owed to them. Removing telework and having employees be at the office everyday of their required tour off duty is not a big deal, from my perspective anyways.

Remote work, on the other hand, allows for residence anywhere. So if an employee is hired under these circumstances and guarantees, how is it fair or legal to pull the rug out from these employees and make them show up to a physical location? This is clearly an adverse action against the employee. If this employee is worth the squeeze, how is this administration retaining employees through merit? So do we remove these folks and rehire someone to replace them to make the blanket agenda work? Sounds like gov’t waste to me…this will vacate positions and cause a bog in hiring. Not to mention, there is a hiring freeze that has no end date.

Further, with the hostile, toxic environment created with this Fork letter, who wants to come to work for the Feds now? If we’re going to get the “best of the best” to work for the Feds, will the Feds pay higher wages to attract these “best of the best” employees? If not, how are you going to fill positions in undesirable or unaffordable locations? Take SoCal for instance, I would like to know how the “best of the best” are hired for entry or professional level positions in an expensive and undesirable (IMO) location.

Good Copy....understood

 

[Ten Bears]

You are about to see inflation numbers that make those look like rookie numbers. Our economy had less inflation and more growth than any other major world economy post Covid. The inflation you’re about to see is going to make that look like nickels and dimes.

simply pull the N95 down a little and take a couple deep breaths.

tell all of your cats you love them and everything will be alright.

grab the remote and turn off CNN.

now go outside and go get a hike in…

I promise it will help…

 

[cnelk]

Im a retired state employee. I saw all kinds of waste while was there for 25 years. Frustrating as hell. I can only imagine the WFH waste now.

I was done right at the start of covid, when the WFH bullsheet started. Even if I wouldve continued working, my duties required me to go in to the office.

I still know of lots of WFH people that take advantage of the situation and can imagine how scary it is to them to have that gravy train end.

 

[2buffalo]

We don’t have to accept it, or shouldn’t, when it’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and unethical. Right now the DOJ is firing executives associated with January 6th cases, and is ordered to doxx every employee who worked on those cases. You know the ones who convicted people who sure didn’t accept what the people voted for and who having been released have since tried to diddle kids, get killed attacking officers, and committed other felonies.

What’s happening is wrong and harmful. People need to open their eyes to it and admit they made a big mistake. It is going to get a hell of a lot worse if we take what’s coming with a “it’s what the people voted for” mentality.

You should be a co host on the view. You would fit right in.

 

[KenLee]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/31/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-systems/

lol, non-government employees with zero oversight demanding unfettered unsupervised access to a 6 trillion dollar payment system. What could go wrong. We are about to see the greatest heist of all time. lol, not only are you not getting that package but your retirement and pension is ****** too. How could we have known they’d go full retard.

State and retirement pensions aren't sustainable...like UAW pensions.

 

[PLhunter]

simply pull the N95 down a little and take a couple deep breaths.

tell all of your cats you love them and everything will be alright.

grab the remote and turn off CNN.

now go outside and go get a hike in…

I promise it will help…

Peer through your 15 flags and banners and look around. Let’s see where we are in a few months. The reality is pretty easy to see and what I said about our post covid economy is verifiable. Won’t hear it on OAN though.

 

[PLhunter]

State and retirement pensions aren't sustainable...like UAW pensions.

Missing what my post was saying. lol, also not sustainable so might as well let guys off the streets have access to our social security and payment system? This is like trying to conduct brain surgery with a mallet.

 

[KenLee]

Screw the savings to me. Let’s look at the tax payer savings.

We are building a new HR/Admin building. Bids aren’t back yet, but the last building we built similar in specs was a clean 27 million. That doesn’t include the on going maintenance costs and energy costs. We are strapped on maintenance personnel, and are looking at hiring a couple more due to three new buildings going up. Just got notification that energy prices are increasing 13% starting July 1.

That entire building will be housing people that could work 100% from home. I can’t remember the exact number but I think it’s about 100 people.

Edit to add. You could give all 100 employees an extra 2500 a year to offset the cost of a home office and the break even point on just the initial cost of the building is 108 years. At year 108, we will be looking at knocking that building down and rebuilding for the second time.

Do you want me to go into the new parking terrace that is being built so we have enough parking? Or the land that is looking at be purchased to continue building because we are running out of space?

I see the government inefficiency 40 hours a week. I am all for holding people accountable. Many in my office, including our director are completely worthless. But let’s not pretend like making people come into an office will suddenly change anything. I work 100% in the office, it’s the same thing that people complain about with remote employees.

I'd bet the work of those 100 could be done by 40 who were hungry and eager.

 

[KenLee]

Missing what my post was saying. lol, also not sustainable so might as well let guys off the streets have access to our social security and payment system? This is like trying to conduct brain surgery with a mallet.

I understand what you were saying. The ridiculous government pensions after at least half don't perform on even a decent level just set me off.

 

[Ten Bears]

Peer through your 15 flags and banners and look around. Let’s see where we are in a few months. The reality is pretty easy to see and what I said about our post covid economy is verifiable. Won’t hear it on OAN though.

I don’t know what any of that means nor do I care to find out. You have seriously been ranting for two days. Go take a walk man…you are spiraling.

 

[Steve300xcw]

you are spiraling.

Kinda fun to watch though

 

[thinhorn_AK]

100% of these people need to return to the office. Don’t like it? Take the retirement package.

 

[Dos XX]

If only reincarnation would bring some people back as a seat cushion on The View, I would feel like they were in their proper surroundings.

 

[Eagle]

100% of these people need to return to the office. Don’t like it? Take the retirement package.

Who are “these people”? If you’re referring to those that were allowed to telework as a result of Covid, then I agree.

However, if you are lumping all remote/telework folks into this, even those with production based jobs or orgs that have been 90+% remote workforce for several years long before Covid, I can’t agree.

Again, if a worker has a production based job that doesn’t require face to face work, there is no benefit to this individual being forced into an office. An office just costs the government more money for that employee.

Some of the responders in this thread also seem to think that all government orgs are a burden on taxpayers if their employees work from home and “screw around” all day.

If a job is production based, and the org actually makes the government money, do you feel the same? In my case, both are true. I’m required to perform at a minimum of 95% production (I’ve averaged roughly 120% production over my 7 years in this job for the record). Along with that, my org makes money, rather than costing the taxpayer. There is literally zero benefit to anyone in my org working in an office.

I understand that my org is unique, but I just want to help some of you understand that we aren’t all scum federal employees wasting your tax dollars.

 

[wyosam]

I volunteer for hiring panel interviews so lames aren’t picking lames.

I do occasionally, but generally get in trouble for straying from the canned questions from HR that everyone and their brother has a prepped answer for. Waste of my time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Who are “these people”? If you’re referring to those that were allowed to telework as a result of Covid, then I agree.

However, if you are lumping all remote/telework folks into this, even those with production based jobs or orgs that have been 90+% remote workforce for several years long before Covid, I can’t agree.

Again, if a worker has a production based job that doesn’t require face to face work, there is no benefit to this individual being forced into an office. An office just costs the government more money for that employee.

Some of the responders in this thread also seem to think that all government orgs are a burden on taxpayers if their employees work from home and “screw around” all day.

If a job is production based, and the org actually makes the government money, do you feel the same? In my case, both are true. I’m required to perform at a minimum of 95% production (I’ve averaged roughly 120% production over my 7 years in this job for the record). Along with that, my org makes money, rather than costing the taxpayer. There is literally zero benefit to anyone in my org working in an office.

I understand that my org is unique, but I just want to help some of you understand that we aren’t all scum federal employees wasting your tax dollars.

I’m talking about the Covid stuff. I have co workers who have to come back to work now too and they are livid. It’s funny because they were some of the most outspoken when it came to how stupid Covid rules were yet, they were the first in line to take advantage of the parts that benefited them.

Just human nature I guess. At my job we are also seeing lots of grant based positions get axed (I’m not a federal government worker but we get a lot of grant money from the federal government). In a round about way this does effect me as a few positions I was in the pipeline for are now likely not an option, luckily me and my wife were never really relying on those and as such we are seeing it as an opportunity to move out of rural AK and to somewhere we want to be (Anchorage or Fairbanks) because her job will pay the same as it does here and my job might pay a bit more. Without these grant based positions on the horizon it means we have fewer strings attaching us to this town.

As for your job, no it dosent seem like you should go back, my sister has a similar situation as you and was remote before covid even happened, I don’t think she should go back.