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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 9:29:31 GMT -5
Monday 11/30 will be today™.
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Post by christina on Nov 20, 2015 9:35:18 GMT -5
i am thinking of getting my own trademark on this, namely soon.... may all of you hear soon!
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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 13:45:28 GMT -5
i am thinking of getting my own trademark on this, namely soon.... may all of you hear soon! Are you sure you're prepared for the responsibility that goes with owning a trademark? First there's the barefaced claiming it's your trademark; then there's the finding and attaching the little ™ symbol each time you use it; and of course there's the whining whenever somebody infringes it.
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Post by sealaw90 on Nov 20, 2015 14:11:13 GMT -5
It's a tough job Gary, glad you took the reigns on that one.
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Post by hapi2balj on Nov 20, 2015 14:15:33 GMT -5
Monday 11/30 will be today™. OK, Gary, I'll bite. Why do you think 11/30? I get that it's a Monday, when these things normally have gone out. But why not 11/23? Just because it's Thanksgiving week? Wouldn't it be more likely that they want to get this out of the way before the holiday rather than coming back from a long weekend and scrambling to get it all done the first day back in the office? Just curious!
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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 15:15:47 GMT -5
Cert emails require the recipients, i.e. us, to each return a greater or lesser amount of paperwork. Some may only have to return a spreadsheet indicating which of the cities whose certs they are on they still wish to be considered for and an easily filled out form or two. Others will have to return all the paperwork, including the infamous Personal History Form. When cert emails have gone out on a Monday, GAL spreadsheets have been due back Wednesday, with the rest of the forms due back Friday or Monday.
I don't think SSA will want to do that over Thanksgiving week. I never have, though I'll grant you they could do so and jigger with the time periods they set for return of the paperwork.
In addition, I have recently learned it is likely the starting date will be 2/8/2016 and not 1/25/2016. With a 2/8/2016 starting date, a schedule may be devised that accomplishes everything they need to accomplish and avoids the big holidays. I believe that is what they will do.
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Post by hapi2balj on Nov 20, 2015 16:26:05 GMT -5
Sigh! Your explanation makes sense, given past practice, he said regrettably.
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Post by pumpkin on Nov 20, 2015 16:31:38 GMT -5
Maybe it's time to claim not soon enoughTM
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Post by christina on Nov 20, 2015 16:32:17 GMT -5
well said pumpkin!
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Post by phoenixrakkasan on Nov 20, 2015 16:48:32 GMT -5
'Not today' shall be my trademark. Infringe upon it at your own risk.
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Xman
Full Member
Posts: 57
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Post by Xman on Nov 20, 2015 16:49:13 GMT -5
Oh well. My uninformed prediction of today went down in flames. Guess it's time to stop checking my email every 5 minutes. I am still hoping for Monday, but if it doesn't come then, then it has to be the 30th. Three questions for the forum sages:
1 - If Feb 8 is the new report date, is that report date to the new duty location, followed 3 weeks later by a report date to Falls Church for training, or is it Falls Church on Feb 8? I assume that is the first day on the job.
2 - If it is true that cert packets will require different things from different people, why would that be the case, and what is the criteria for what we might have to provide.
3 - What about a new cert.
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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 16:55:35 GMT -5
Oh well. My uninformed prediction of today went down in flames. Guess it's time to stop checking my email every 5 minutes. I am still hoping for Monday, but if it doesn't come then, then it has to be the 30th. Two questions for the forum safes: 1 - If Feb 8 is the new report date, is that to the new duty location, followed 3 weeks later by a report date to Falls Church for training? 2 - If it is true that cert packets will require different things from different people, why would that be the case, and what is the criteria for what we might have to provide. I am a retired Government civil service attorney, and a retired military officer, but I don't know if that makes a hill of beans with OPM. Thanks, sorry, I have to go check my email again... 1. That's what I meant by report date. 2. Everybody fills out all the paperwork for their first set of certs. Those who were on prior certs already filled it all out. Some of the paperwork needs to be filled out each time you make a set of certs; and some is good for a year before it needs to be done again. That's why different people on the certs will have different amounts of paperwork due. 3. I am.
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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 17:10:40 GMT -5
A very reliable anonymous source has told me :
Week 3 of FC training will be the week of 3/14/2016.
That makes FC training dates 2/29/2016 to 3/25/2016.
Starting date for this class will be 3 weeks before training starts (2/8/2016) for NODARs and two weeks before training starts (2/15/2016) for insiders.
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Xman
Full Member
Posts: 57
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Post by Xman on Nov 20, 2015 17:13:44 GMT -5
Excellent, Gary. Thanks.
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Post by gary on Nov 20, 2015 17:19:02 GMT -5
Excellent, Gary. Thanks. You know your stuff. Is there anything in the regs that limits Agencies that want to hire us as retired anuatants as an ALJ, or is it just that we have to give up our retirement pay while we are back on duty? My understanding is the latter. I am also assuming we get the higher rate of vacation time since we were getting it while we were working for the Government. I already know about the catchup TSP and matching 5%. I have been reading as well on telework or work at home, and it looks like we could do two days a week, but not till we have worked 15 months. Of course, I don't want to jinx anything. We may be on the register, but it's still a long trek to the promised land. I am no expert on this, but I believe we may continue to receive our annuities but with our pay reduced accordingly. The following is 18 years old, but I have not found anything more recent. (I presume you are a FERS annuitant.) It may answer some questions. www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/pamphlets/ri90-18.pdf
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Post by mamaru on Nov 20, 2015 23:54:30 GMT -5
I agree it is unlikely that certs will roll out on 11/23. After the notices are sent, they are going to need to organize the status of the incoming documents and respond to other communications - problems with transmittals, questions, etc. Some hopefuls will merely be submitting a few updated forms, which will be a quick turnaround, others a lot of updated forms, and then there will be those new to the process starting from scratch. My theory is that their office might not be fully staffed all of this week and they would wait for that reason alone. Those of you who have not been through the experience may not realize that the paperwork can be time-consuming, depending on your history - I don't think they would expect people to try to track down updated contact information for former supervisors (required) and other references during Thanksgiving week when a lot of people are out of the pocket.
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Post by jessejames on Nov 21, 2015 6:16:30 GMT -5
Contra - one argument for Monday is to give the maximum time to get and process responses before Christmas. While some take leave during Turkey week, many more take time off around Christmas.
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Post by 71stretch on Nov 21, 2015 7:31:19 GMT -5
Contra - one argument for Monday is to give the maximum time to get and process responses before Christmas. While some take leave during Turkey week, many more take time off around Christmas. I don't think it will be this Monday. They give a short turnaround on sending documents back as it is. I don't think they are going to have that time run during Thanksgiving week.
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Post by Gaidin on Nov 21, 2015 9:45:05 GMT -5
The only way it is this coming week is if they still give us until December 4th or 7th to respond. That would allow everybody extra time to fill everything out and line up their references, etc.
I think the 30th is the date. I also think that they will be done with interviews and possibly the hiring committee by the time they turn off the lights and head home for Christmas on the 23rd. Once it gets moving this part of the process can be insanely fast.
I don't think calls start until after New Years though.
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Post by gary on Nov 21, 2015 9:56:46 GMT -5
I think interviews before Christmas week; hiring committee decisions the first full week of January; and offers the following week. By waiting until January, the hiring committee can allow the contractor more time to check references.
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