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Post by funkyodar on Oct 9, 2013 10:52:12 GMT -5
This blows
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Post by moopigsdad on Oct 9, 2013 12:14:25 GMT -5
Just think how much more of this you will have to deal with as an ALJ, if you are selected. It will be a regular blow fest for you funky.
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Post by funkyodar on Oct 9, 2013 13:06:04 GMT -5
Just think how much more of this you will have to deal with as an ALJ, if you are selected. It will be a regular blow fest for you funky. At almost twice the salary I can handle it. I hope odar gets some serious bang for the bucking office morale is taking for this recall. My hod just sent an email that work from home for the writers is not only fully in effect next week but we can also do it friday to make up for today. As immediate as expected those that can't do flexiplace and have to pay for gas to work without getting paid went apepoop.
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Post by hopefalj on Oct 9, 2013 13:14:06 GMT -5
I have totally opposite feelings on the situation. This sucks. Actually, I'm glad to be back, especially if we're going to get paid at some indeterminable point in the future. Our morale seems to be okay, but how long that lasts is TBD.
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Post by moopigsdad on Oct 9, 2013 13:31:05 GMT -5
Just think how much more of this you will have to deal with as an ALJ, if you are selected. It will be a regular blow fest for you funky. At almost twice the salary I can handle it.I hope odar gets some serious bang for the bucking office morale is taking for this recall. My hod just sent an email that work from home for the writers is not only fully in effect next week but we can also do it friday to make up for today. As immediate as expected those that can't do flexiplace and have to pay for gas to work without getting paid went apepoop. So money makes all the difference as to whether it blows or not. Well, right now nobody is getting paid, including ALJs, so it would still blow. As to those unable to have flexiplace, I am with them as they will continue to have more out of pocket expenses without pay than everyone else who can flexiplace.
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Post by sealaw90 on Oct 9, 2013 14:01:05 GMT -5
mpd - isn't it always a matter of money that determines what sucks and what blows?? Personally, my $1,500 fancy @ss vacuum does a way better job than my $150 Hoover... so I agree with funky.
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Post by moopigsdad on Oct 9, 2013 14:07:14 GMT -5
mpd - isn't it always a matter of money that determines what sucks and what blows?? Personally, my $1,500 fancy @ss vacuum does a way better job than my $150 Hoover... so I agree with funky. Sealaw if my salary is $163,000 a year or $90,000 a year or $65,000 a year it makes no difference because I am not being paid a dime right now, so all the jobs would be equal with $0 pay until the shutdown ends. Hence, right now the amount of money you are being paid ($0) means the job sucks period no matter what you are entitled to earn because your pay is equal to everyone else's right now (zip, zero, nada, nothing or bupkis).
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Post by funkyodar on Oct 9, 2013 15:12:44 GMT -5
mpd - isn't it always a matter of money that determines what sucks and what blows?? Personally, my $1,500 fancy @ss vacuum does a way better job than my $150 Hoover... so I agree with funky. Sealaw if my salary is $163,000 a year or $90,000 a year or $65,000 a year it makes no difference because I am not being paid a dime right now, so all the jobs would be equal with $0 pay until the shutdown ends. Hence, right now the amount of money you are being paid ($0) means the job sucks period no matter what you are entitled to earn because your pay is equal to everyone else's right now (zip, zero, nada, nothing or bupkis). You are of course right. but one would think those earning higher salaries can better whether a temp loss of income. not always true, people live up to and often beyond their means. but look atit like this: we all will recieve a check friday for about 60% of our regular pay (preshutdown earnings). aljs, seniors and management will of course have more as they make more. now, we all are much more likely to save and watch these funds as who knows when more will come in. Yet, the gs7 employess has the same expenses of coming to work everyday as the higher earners. To come to work these people have to pay for gas/transportation, lunch, daycare....all with no indication when they will get paid. If they need some more staff to be essential they should have taken volunteers first (I would have) then brought back the higher paid staff if not enough volunteers.
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Post by moopigsdad on Oct 9, 2013 15:17:10 GMT -5
Sealaw if my salary is $163,000 a year or $90,000 a year or $65,000 a year it makes no difference because I am not being paid a dime right now, so all the jobs would be equal with $0 pay until the shutdown ends. Hence, right now the amount of money you are being paid ($0) means the job sucks period no matter what you are entitled to earn because your pay is equal to everyone else's right now (zip, zero, nada, nothing or bupkis). You are of course right. but one would think those earning higher salaries can better whether a temp loss of income. not always true, people live up to and often beyond their means. but look atit like this: we all will recieve a check friday for about 60% of our regular pay (preshutdown earnings). aljs, seniors and management will of course have more as they make more. now, we all are much more likely to save and watch these funds as who knows when more will come in. Yet, the gs7 employess has the same expenses of coming to work everyday as the higher earners. To come to work these people have to pay for gas/transportation, lunch, daycare....all with no indication when they will get paid. If they need some more staff to be essential they should have taken volunteers first (I would have) then brought back the higher paid staff if not enough volunteers. I think you are absolutely correct funky.
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Post by funkyodar on Oct 9, 2013 15:20:39 GMT -5
Something else bizzare....how is it every other agency that recalled employees got a national news story and ssa has done it without even a blurb on a news ticker?
Why was management forbidden to have a group meeting and explain things?
How can they force you to work without access to earned leave or sick leave?
What was the reasoning and mechanism for deciding a job that was nonessential under the antideficiency act last week is essential now when no change in the budget has occurred? why would I be committing a crime to write a decision last week (a fact they pounded into us) yet be told its ok and ordered to do so this week?
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Post by bartleby on Oct 9, 2013 15:29:49 GMT -5
Funkster, don't forget that they are taking out your full medical insurance payment and only a percentage of your TSP and pension, so it will probably be less than 60%. We all live payday to payday. some of us just drink more expensive Scotch. (don't tell anybody, but if you get in a bind, I will help you out, our secret, promise?) And yes, you have figured it out, SSA is Bizzarro world and ASS spelled backwards...
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Post by moopigsdad on Oct 9, 2013 15:34:52 GMT -5
Funkster, don't forget that they are taking out your full medical insurance payment and only a percentage of your TSP and pension, so it will probably be less than 60%. We all live payday to payday. some of us just drink more expensive Scotch. (don't tell anybody, but if you get in a bind, I will help you out, our secret, promise?) And yes, you have figured it out, SSA is Bizzarro world and ASS spelled backwards...
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Post by privateatty on Oct 9, 2013 15:39:03 GMT -5
Something else bizzare....how is it every other agency that recalled employees got a national news story and ssa has done it without even a blurb on a news ticker? Why was management forbidden to have a group meeting and explain things? How can they force you to work without access to earned leave or sick leave? What was the reasoning and mechanism for deciding a job that was nonessential under the antideficiency act last week is essential now when no change in the budget has occurred? why would I be committing a crime to write a decision last week (a fact they pounded into us) yet be told its ok and ordered to do so this week? Oh, not getting paid brings out the non-pc humor so let's answer the questions posed as if the paragraphs were numbered. 1. You (SSA) got '60 Minutes' AND a rehash of an old WSJ article and you're complaining? So what its off point--as they say all publicity is good! 2. You assume management knows what is going on and what they are doing? Ask OGC posters about the frenzied calls they have been getting... 3. You have access--you can furlough yourself. The bonus for ALJs is it pulls the rug out from under them as they can't go to the MSPB because they have shot themselves in the foot! Oh, the Karma! 4. Reasoning? Oh there you go again funky! What's the reasoning of Democrats opposing funding they have been championing for years and Republicans suddenly the federal workers (not to mention the welfare recipients) best friends. Welcome to Bizarro World!
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Post by sealaw90 on Oct 9, 2013 15:50:08 GMT -5
Funky, lots of agencies have gone unnoticed in the media. Do you think the public cares that GAO is closed and can't decide bid protests? No.
Did my management talk to us, let us know what was going on before, during or after? No.
Can we take leave or work from home at my agency? No, then apparently Yes as of today. No explanation of the change.
As to why one week someone is non-essential and the next week they are essential - THAT is beyond me and I am quite disturbed at how this shutdown was handled (I was around for the '95-96 shutdown too). ADA violations galore...
So, I think we are settled - this sucks and blows, no matter what agency or department you work for. I have other choice words for this, but I will not repeat here.
I will get paid on Friday, but I still refuse to wear dry clean only items to work - a frivolous expense in this budget showdown. Even though I'll get paid, like you said, will I get a check in 2 weeks and what will it look like? Too uncertain.
And I can't even get ready to buy my case of "crusher" wine - really folks - we should be celebrating the end of testing (soon) but instead we get to mope about this - as my kids would say "Not Fair!"
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Post by chessparent on Oct 9, 2013 19:13:09 GMT -5
I'm so mad-I almost, almost, used a frownie face here.
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Post by quesera on Oct 9, 2013 23:50:16 GMT -5
Tuesday night's NTEU email said that we would get to reschedule Flexiplace days. The email that came this morning said the same thing. Then, we were told there would be no FP this week, later reversed by afternoon, when it was too late to prepare cases to take home for Thursday.
I don't understand at all why the M/T folks are not allowed to have a FP day this week. Aren't we all in same boat now? Don't even get me started on the "no leave" rule...
Looking on the bright side, I just realized we have "Like" buttons!
I'm very happy that we have a place to talk about this stuff, because God knows the level of info we get from the agency is zilch/nada/nothing. I think we should have a special board here entitled "Life in ODAR"
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Post by tripper on Oct 10, 2013 8:48:34 GMT -5
Tuesday night's NTEU email said that we would get to reschedule Flexiplace days. The email that came this morning said the same thing. Then, we were told there would be no FP this week, later reversed by afternoon, when it was too late to prepare cases to take home for Thursday. I don't understand at all why the M/T folks are not allowed to have a FP day this week. Aren't we all in same boat now? Don't even get me started on the "no leave" rule... Looking on the bright side, I just realized we have "Like" buttons! I'm very happy that we have a place to talk about this stuff, because God knows the level of info we get from the agency is zilch/nada/nothing. I think we should have a special board here entitled "Life in ODAR" In my office there was no hestitation in allowing flexiplace on Thursday and Friday.
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Post by prescient on Oct 10, 2013 9:18:19 GMT -5
My understanding is that fp was initially approved for this week and then in the middle of the day they wanted to revoke it for this week. There was understandable push back and the original decision to allow it was reinstated. If they felt it was suddenly so important to get the critical cases out the door, they should never have furloughed us in the 1 st place.
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Post by nappyloxs on Oct 10, 2013 10:28:34 GMT -5
I have to admit I was pissed that I got called back, I was enjoying my time off actually catching up on housework/family time, etc.. I was also pissed about how we were told that we are non-essential for basically 2 years. Then after a week that changed. (I blame the DOD for opening the loophole). However, now I try to think positive and just say SSA was rewarding us with a week off with retro-pay hopefully.
funkyodar. I get that ODAR employees didn't make the news. Region isn't back and DDS have been working. We were a small group. Funny that in my furlough papers it says to watch the news and even SSA hotline did not say we were recalled.
No group meeting, because it is not in the list of things allowed to perform during the shutdown. I wonder the same thing about earned/sick leave. I also plan to research if we should be entitled to interest for our delayed paychecks.
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Post by papresqr on Oct 10, 2013 10:58:04 GMT -5
We were told immediately that we could work flexiplace on Thursday and Friday. However, we were told we could not reschedule our days next week, so that if our 2 days on flexiplace are Mon/Tue, we cannot reschedule it to Tue/Wed, as we have ALWAYS done in the past when the Monday is a holiday, and have specifically been told by management we could do. And, of course, we were given 3 different answers by 3 different supervisors as to the reason. One couldn't provide an answer, one said we've never done that before, and the other said we're not going to do it that way from now on. An email requesting clarification from the HOD has gone unanswered.
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