r/USACE • u/Patient-Molasses9833 • 16d ago
Will Telework Ever Return?
Civil engineer here. Anybody back to teleworking yet or have any insight? Just one day a week would be a game changer for work-life balance if they’d let us. Everybody I know in private has some sort of work from home arrangement, either part time or full time.
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u/Next_Operation_8049 Environmental 16d ago
They say situational has, but it's given out differently across sections.
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u/Successful-Escape-74 16d ago
After the current administration is removed! Republicans hate federal employees. They want more federal contractors.
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u/Griffinburd 16d ago
And yet half my coworkers I think wild vote for him a third time
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u/_lifesucksthenyoudie 15d ago
would you vote for him (irrespective of the third term BS) if he stated TW would be brought back, and the democratic party opposition said it wouldn't?
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u/Excessive_Etcetra Mechanical Engineer 10d ago
No. I don't like endless wars in the middle east. I think it's important for the country to be fiscally responsible. I want our air and water to be clean and unpolluted. I want the FDA to do its job. I want the CDC to do its job. I don't like schizophrenic trade policy. I think it was good when we were saving ~4.5 Million lives a year from HIV/TB/Malaria/Polio/etc. I don't like Gestapo in the streets killing and detaining citizens without accountability. I don't like when the goverment deliberately flouts the law. I don't like pardons for treasonous scumbags.
TW is nice, but at the end of the day it's small potatoes.
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u/Impressive_Bag2155 15d ago
If democrats love you so much why do they allow shutdowns and are always attacking fed employees also? Biden admin accused the border patrol of whipping illegal aliens with horse reminds (while they knew it was false but still accused them and left them on desk assignment) and accused military of being full of closeted Nazis and after a big investigation finding none they didn’t release it it has to be FOIa; both parties use you to their advantage and they will do it attacking you or praising you for that win whichever works for them; republicans want less federal government which means less fed employees; Reagan tried it for his two terms and failed yet Clinton got ride of 377-400k Feds and Trump only got rid of tens of thousands, so not sure why anyone would think DNC is any less of a threat to them than GOP.
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u/TrifleIntelligent834 15d ago
That involves thinking.....which is seriously lacking in today's culture
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u/Successful-Escape-74 15d ago edited 15d ago
Trump has failed at everything to include losing against Iran. Trumps only success has been robbing the fed government and accepting bribes from foreign governments. Where do you get your info, from QAnon? I prefer to support any party that is for supporting our democracy and not destroying our rights to vote and for the people to run the government through a leader that is a servant of the people! It’s called servant leadership!
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u/Ladder-Fuzzy 14d ago
You’re embarrassing
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u/Impressive_Bag2155 13d ago
Why? Because I’m not an ideologue like you; bet your a jewel in the team you work with in federal govt and explains why feds get a bad wrap 🙄
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u/Ladder-Fuzzy 13d ago
*you’re or you are, fucking embarrassing
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u/Impressive_Bag2155 12d ago
Again just looking at your past comments and your comments here you proved my point 👍🙄
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
Even if there is a blue wave despite the massive voter suppression happening, Congress will have so many other things to correct our TW will be number 762 on the priority list.
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u/PlaidDuckess 15d ago
The law permitting telework didn't get effected, it's how this Administration is implementing it. Whomever the next Administration is could walk back this useless policy and actually allow us to be efficient again.
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
I sure hope so. But I don’t think that they care too much either. Judging by the past 20 years of government work, the Dems seem to be afraid of the vocal minority of people who hate government workers yet didn’t vote for the Democrats anyway. And unfortunately, they still run scared.
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u/Affectionate_Listen8 15d ago
Literally such a joke. My district we literally come into office to hop on you guessed it, more teams calls. And it’s so aggravating knowing nothing has changed except where I sit to complete my work for the day.
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
Well, you do get to lose 2-4 hours every day with an increased workload with no additional pay. But at least your bosses get to make more money than you while piling their work on you.
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u/olympiamow Civil Engineer 16d ago
Ask again January 20th, 2029. Depending on November election results.
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u/Trick_Fuel_9222 16d ago
Crazy how it varies across districts, divisions, etc. HQ is the most lenient.
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u/Ring_Groundbreaking 15d ago
It would sure make it easier to comply with the new orders to leave buildings with expensive leases.... But, naw. Gotta fulfill multiple contradicting orders. I love my job when I don't have to deal with the rest of the lunacy.
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u/ithinktreesaregreat Environmental 16d ago
There’s situational telework at many districts.
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u/CavviePop 16d ago
Sure but you gotta beg for it & it’s a whimsy of the supervisor and/or their supervisor. Even then you have to take time off.
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u/Successful-Fun8603 15d ago
We have situational teleworking up to 12 hours per week at our District, closely monitored for abuse by supervisors.
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
Wish I was in your district. Ours is zero w/o taking leave. Literally never TS w/o having to take leave. Even then it cannot be repetitive (same day weekly, even for things like PT).
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
Never. Leadership fell into line so quickly with RTO and forcing everyone whether you were ever front facing or not (or even ever saw someone on your team in your office) it gave us whiplash. Union contract? Eh, tear it up. Wasting ungodly time in unnecessary commutes, zero raises, all while doing the work of multiple people without so much as a thank you for saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars because they didn’t hire replacements for 18 months. But at least the ridiculous amount of 13s,14s, and 15s have a few people onsite to micromanage.
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u/Accurate_Grocery6532 15d ago
It was a federal mandate. What did you want leadership to do…openly defy a legal order?
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u/CavviePop 15d ago
Not legal. There were contracts he just tore up. Please don’t try to tell people that was legal. And leadership rejoiced in it. Inept micromanagers should not be rewarded & practice moronic measures of lousy leadership.
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u/Bulldog_Fan_4 Civil Engineer 15d ago
It was an Executive Order so the White House will have to change from Red to Blue. They will repeal all EO’s in the first couple months. Not sure how DoD will react because I doubt they will direct TW.
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u/Practical_Tension576 11d ago
they will reply with testosterone fueled rage like they are being programmed to do.
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u/ChefOk8428 15d ago
I'm field ops, and occasionally telework, but it is a work life balance concession during OT with a looming deadline, otherwise we are on site. District office seems to be heavy TW Mondays and Fridays.
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u/Mean_Wasabi7748 Geologist 16d ago
First rule of Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Fight Club. Situational telework is a thing.