I am a Fed that is going to retire and so will 1000's like me [View all]

[DenaliDemocrat]

Trump and Elon are about to screw the proverbial pooch. Once again the dummies don’t realize that it’s not the Reagan era with 1000’s of janitors, cooks, and other wage-grade federal employees. Those positions were outsourced long ago. The workforce left is lean. We lost a HUGE number of lifers around COVID - they simply retired. We have had a hiring problem since COVID. Our pay is not commensurate and we rely on benefits to attract new people. Good insurance, a pension, and flexible schedules including telework are a few of the perks I have personally used to fill in the labor gap. I typically work 50-60 hours a week (with the OT at less than my normal hourly rate) to make up the difference. I’m basically doing my job as a supervisor plus a regular scientist’s job taking projects because I have no one to delegate it down to.

FUCK THIS! We will have a mass exodus and I, for one, am not sticking around to watch the fallout. I’m tired of doing MORE with LESS. I’m not going to do EVEN MORE with EVEN LESS. We are NOT attracting new talent, the pay is not commensurate with private industry, and now one of the few perks I have to entice workers is being yanked because some rich asshole from South Africa doesn’t understand that federal employees don’t get profit sharing and agencies by law cannot make a profit.

I am going to defer retirement for four years and work private industry or maybe teach at a college. I work for a department that has a national mission that affects the lives of many citizens. We respond to FEMA and do other critical jobs for the nation’s security and military.

If you thought the federal response to this year’s hurricane season was weak - just wait. You ain’t seen nothing baby!

Too bad really because I was more than willing to keep
Working. In fact, I was anticipating a phased retirement and had planned on working part-time well
Into my seventies as my mental faculties allowed. I still might, but it won’t be for a federal agency.

Some dumb billionaires with limited understanding shouldn’t be driving the bus - but here we are. lol. Good Luck! You’re going to need it!