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Post by Gaidin on Aug 23, 2015 12:46:09 GMT -5
When you flex does that mean working your 8 hours at non-standard times. Such as early morning or late evening? I'm not a big work from home person most of the time but it would be great sometimes to be able to get on early in the morning and do some file review then drop my son off at school then head to the office. Or do some file review at night after he goes to bed.
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Post by lonestar on Aug 23, 2015 13:48:13 GMT -5
Yes, flexing is working 8 hours, within the 6:30am to 6pm hours an office is open. For example, I could work 6:30am to 8:30am, take 2 hours off for a doctor's appointment, and then work from 10:30am to 5. My understanding is that ALJs, however, have access to their computers beyond these standard times. I would no have access to the system before 6 am or after 6pmish. Also, many ALJs in the quest to make the numbers both earn & give back a lot of credit time.
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Post by mamaru on Aug 23, 2015 22:05:34 GMT -5
I was not aware that only NTEU is required to be on Lync, but, yes, there are ways to monitor even without it. I too work in an office where the managers don't make an issue of it as long as you flex or take leave as appropriate and let them know ahead of time. I hope that's the norm.
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Post by Propmaster on Aug 24, 2015 10:34:18 GMT -5
A lot of interesting posts here. When I was in management (ptui (sound of spitting to avoid the evil eye)), I don't believe there was a single flexiplace worker who actually abided by the contract completely. And higher management refused to allow lower management to check on compliance. I don't mean being logged in when you are supposed to and being accessible by phone and e-mail, etc., I mean accomplishing your work in non-compliant ways.
Such as working in a coffeee shop via wifi. Or in your bed, which is not allowed. You are required to have a clear deskspace, well lit, etc. I don't know if you still need to guard the computer with a locking cabinet and taking it directly home from work, but at the time, the employees mostly laughed at the requirement.
Management had good reason to hate flexiplace, but they also had only themselves to blame since they never used any of the options available for actually checking on it under the CBA, and instead tried to discourage it by doing underhanded things. The VPN system is way better. It is literally like people are still in the office, but without having them walk in and bother me.
My unrequested 2 cents.
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Post by lonestar on Aug 24, 2015 11:28:07 GMT -5
I think under the old system there was a lot of abuse. I believe some union contracts required giving a teleworker two hours notice you were checking on them, which would make it hard to catch someone violating the agreement.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 12:38:36 GMT -5
Yes, flexing is working 8 hours, within the 6:30am to 6pm hours an office is open. For example, I could work 6:30am to 8:30am, take 2 hours off for a doctor's appointment, and then work from 10:30am to 5. My understanding is that ALJs, however, have access to their computers beyond these standard times. I would no have access to the system before 6 am or after 6pmish. Also, many ALJs in the quest to make the numbers both earn & give back a lot of credit time. Yes, by our contract, we have access to the office and network from 5AM to 10PM (Art. 14 of CBA). I have never tested the 5AM to 6:30 AM timeframe, but I have been at work until at least 9PM before, but you are not allowed to be working "off the clock", as the saying goes. I will start teleworking as of Wednesday and Friday of this week, but I have had VPN for a couple of months due to travel dockets, which is another reason to have VPN access prior to your first year. And like most other comments, I will try it and see if I like it, but staying on task and keeping my docket moving is priority number #1 for me. I will stop it and go back to the office if it is not productive time. I have no distractions at home, other than the ones I make for myself, and I have an upstairs office with mini-fridge and bathroom, so if I just stay up here and work (I'm home now, just got back from a travel docket and taking the morning off), I should like it! tiger
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Post by owl on Aug 24, 2015 18:22:53 GMT -5
When you flex does that mean working your 8 hours at non-standard times. Such as early morning or late evening? I'm not a big work from home person most of the time but it would be great sometimes to be able to get on early in the morning and do some file review then drop my son off at school then head to the office. Or do some file review at night after he goes to bed. First of all, unfortunately, the mixing of telework and office work on the same day is verboten (at least for NTEU attorneys; if it is different for ALJs I'm sure one will chime in). The only exception is if you start out a day teleworking and then the system goes down, your electricity goes kaput, or any other occurrence that makes continuing telework impossible - in that case you either have to come into the office to complete your 8-hour tour (allowing for a 2-hour travel period) or use leave time to cover the remainder of the day. As you point out it would be convenient to do some work at home and some at the office, but the rules as currently constituted don't allow for it.
As for working at non-standard times, you can't claim credit (towards the minimum 8 hours or any credit hours) for any work done outside the 6:30 am to 6 pm time band (it actually starts at 6 am for NHCs).
However, I have found that the VPN connection will not actually terminate until 12 hours after logon. In other words, for instance, if you sign on at 6:30 am, flex out (locking the computer but otherwise leaving it on and connected) for a couple hours, and then come back and resume working, it will not disconnect until 6:30 pm - however I have been able to just reconnect when that happens, which I generally do so I can make sure the documents I am working on are saved and shut everything down in the recommended way. (I figure the offense of working past 6 pm from time to time is a noncapital one in the agency's view. I'm conditioned to longer workdays from private practice and while I'm not going to make a habit out of donating big chunks of my time I just prefer to finish whatever I've started for the day, within reason, rather than have to obey some arbitrary whistle and slide down the brontosaurus's tail whether I'm ready or not.) I figure the reason it does not automatically terminate for me at 6 pm is because I am in the Central time zone, so when it is 6 pm for me there are still thousands of SSA attorneys and ALJs in the western time zones still needing VPN access for up to 4 more hours (for those in Hawaii).
But again, any work done after 6 pm local time, even if you are able to do it as a practical matter, can't be claimed.
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Post by funkyodar on Aug 24, 2015 20:17:59 GMT -5
Yes, flexing is working 8 hours, within the 6:30am to 6pm hours an office is open. For example, I could work 6:30am to 8:30am, take 2 hours off for a doctor's appointment, and then work from 10:30am to 5. My understanding is that ALJs, however, have access to their computers beyond these standard times. I would no have access to the system before 6 am or after 6pmish. Also, many ALJs in the quest to make the numbers both earn & give back a lot of credit time. Yes, by our contract, we have access to the office and network from 5AM to 10PM (Art. 14 of CBA). I have never tested the 5AM to 6:30 AM timeframe, but I have been at work until at least 9PM before, but you are not allowed to be working "off the clock", as the saying goes. I will start teleworking as of Wednesday and Friday of this week, but I have had VPN for a couple of months due to travel dockets, which is another reason to have VPN access prior to your first year. And like most other comments, I will try it and see if I like it, but staying on task and keeping my docket moving is priority number #1 for me. I will stop it and go back to the office if it is not productive time. I have no distractions at home, other than the ones I make for myself, and I have an upstairs office with mini-fridge and bathroom, so if I just stay up here and work (I'm home now, just got back from a travel docket and taking the morning off), I should like it! tiger What a coincidence, Tiger. I heard the folks in your office are also really hoping you like working from home.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 7:18:11 GMT -5
Apparently I have misunderstood "flex time". I thought it was a physical requirement.
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Post by anotherfed on Aug 25, 2015 8:11:17 GMT -5
Apparently I have misunderstood "flex time". I thought it was a physical requirement. Dang! So all the yoga classes in preparation of teleworking have been for naught???
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Post by Propmaster on Aug 25, 2015 10:46:59 GMT -5
Apparently I have misunderstood "flex time". I thought it was a physical requirement. Telework used to be called "flexi-place." Could this be the source of some confusion?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 17:47:51 GMT -5
Ok now I am even more confused.
With "flex time" I at least (wrongfully) thought I had to get up and do something physical every hour or so in front of my laptop.
But if the correct term is "flexi-place" well that is what my 4 year granddaughter calls the place where her mom goes to do yoga.
Am I required to get a leotard now?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 18:40:56 GMT -5
Ok now I am even more confused.
With "flex time" I at least (wrongfully) thought I had to get up and do something physical every hour or so in front of my laptop.
But if the correct term is "flexi-place" well that is what my 4 year granddaughter calls the place where her mom goes to do yoga.
Am I required to get a leotard now? Ok everybody, I have this last question. As someone that has spent 4 weeks with you in training, there is only one, maybe two others of our class, that would look worse than you in a leotard, so no is the answer to the leotard! (funkyodar is one of the other two). tiger
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 18:43:09 GMT -5
What a coincidence, Tiger. I heard the folks in your office are also really hoping you like working from home. If I had feelings, that would be hurtful right now! tiger
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Post by gary on Aug 25, 2015 18:52:05 GMT -5
Are you guys saying training in FC is leotard-optional?
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Post by christina on Aug 25, 2015 20:50:11 GMT -5
Ok now I am even more confused.
With "flex time" I at least (wrongfully) thought I had to get up and do something physical every hour or so in front of my laptop.
But if the correct term is "flexi-place" well that is what my 4 year granddaughter calls the place where her mom goes to do yoga.
Am I required to get a leotard now? Please don't.... im going to take Tiger's word on this..... And Gary asked are you guys saying training in FC is leotard-optional? the thought of seeing Gary in a leotard made me think oh God, i hope FC is leotard optional..... not that i would want to wear one these days either..... although i think i could beat out papajudge and Gary
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Post by anotherfed on Aug 26, 2015 9:18:25 GMT -5
Okay, stop. Just stop. I have work to do and those mental images are seared into my mind. Ouch. As highly as I regard and respect you, I have no desire to see any of you in a leotard. Let's leave the mystery in our relationships.
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Post by moopigsdad on Aug 26, 2015 12:52:47 GMT -5
Ok now I am even more confused.
With "flex time" I at least (wrongfully) thought I had to get up and do something physical every hour or so in front of my laptop.
But if the correct term is "flexi-place" well that is what my 4 year granddaughter calls the place where her mom goes to do yoga.
Am I required to get a leotard now? Ok everybody, I have this last question. As someone that has spent 4 weeks with you in training, there is only one, maybe two others of our class, that would look worse than you in a leotard, so no is the answer to the leotard! (funkyodar is one of the other two). tiger My only question is does Tiger's leotard have room for a Tiger's tail???
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Post by gary on Aug 26, 2015 13:25:49 GMT -5
Ok everybody, I have this last question. As someone that has spent 4 weeks with you in training, there is only one, maybe two others of our class, that would look worse than you in a leotard, so no is the answer to the leotard! (funkyodar is one of the other two). tiger My only question is does Tiger's leotard have room for a Tiger's tail??? Whew! You had me worried up till the last word!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2015 15:06:02 GMT -5
Ok everybody, I have this last question. As someone that has spent 4 weeks with you in training, there is only one, maybe two others of our class, that would look worse than you in a leotard, so no is the answer to the leotard! (funkyodar is one of the other two). tiger Ok now I am totally bumfuddled......If I am not supposed to wear a leotard, just what am I supposed to wear under this robe? Because Funky and others told me at training that is what all the cool judges wear and I have received nothing but comments for the past year wherever I go. (Although Susie, my better half, did finally tell me after a couple of months that the zipper goes in front and not to wear it like a hospital gown nor to WalMart any more.)
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