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Why aren't more gov. employees enjoying Furlough Fridays

Discussion in 'Tilted Philosophy, Politics, and Economics' started by ASU2003, Jul 12, 2013.

  1. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    Furloughed federal employees lash out--and find solidarity--online - Yahoo! News

    I'm sorry, but if I had Fridays off for the Summer, I would be out having fun and getting stuff done around the house. I would actually be less burnt out and feel better about the whole work-life balance thing too.

    I wonder how busy the golf courses, water parks, and lakes were today, compared to the people who are complaining on-line.

    Here is a guy who gets it.

    [​IMG]

    So, would you take a 5% pay cut in order to have three/four day weekends all Summer long? Or are you going to bank up those days and retire a little bit earlier when you are in your 60s?
     
  2. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Mmm, dunno about the recent furloughs but I live outside DC and the 10-hour workers already take either Monday or Friday off. It's noticeable. Traffic on those days is a helluva lot lighter than the rest of the week.

    ...

    Although I'm seriously "Fuck Everybody!" Lucky in the work schedule department, I'd prefer a 3 day weekend every weekend. 10 hour days ain't no thang and the advantage would be skipping rush hour traffic.

    ...

    Regarding the picture:

    I think Douglas Wilson is also doing that thing where he posts stuff on FaceySpace that could make his employer question his employability. Please don't post stupid shit next to your real name, people.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2013
  3. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    It may be 5% annual, but a lot of the civilians I work with live paycheck to paycheck. It's a 20% pay cut for those paychecks, and I know the majority of them aren't very happy about it.
     
  4. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Too true, I used to love every other Friday off way back when I had it.

    But Spiritsoar is right, many can't afford the cut.
    I don't know about the rest of the nation, but D.C. isn't the cheapest place to live.
    What seems to be a great wage to elsewhere, is simply a fair rate in that area...especially if you have a family, or even worse you're the sole source.

    The true reason to live there for many is the money doesn't fall far from the well (of DC)
    So there's always jobs and projects available...until now, the more that well dries up...the more beasties drinking from the same lowering pond.
     
  5. Daniel_

    Daniel_ The devil made me do it...

    One job I used to do had a reasonable compromise, and that was 4 long days, and friday ended at lunchtime.

    I'd love my current job to let me pull 4 long days and bank the hours for Fridays off, but I can't see it happening - it's only JUST happened that people are allowed to off set being ten minutes late by leaving later - even the people who habitually worked past the official end time had a hard time in some unenlightened quarters if traffic made them a few minutes late...

    Maybe in another few decades.
     
  6. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I'd take it. Life is short and there's only so many summertime Fridays. If it means I have to go without a little sumpthin' when I'm 70, so be it.

    In fact, I'd probably go for throwing in a few Mondays as well to get a couple of 4 day weekends. Then again, I'm a hedonist at heart.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Having the option of taking an extra day off at will is much different than being forced to take a 20% pay cut and getting an extra day off.

    I'd love the option to get a few extra days when I wanted them for a small reduction in pay. I wouldn't be happy about it being forced on me.
     
  8. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I agree. It should only ever be on a voluntary basis.

    Unfortunately, government workers as well as those in the private sector are at the whims of their employers when it comes to cutting hours, salaries and benefits.

    Hence, the need for unions.
     
  9. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    We did have to negotiate with our local federal employees' union in regards to how the implementation of the furlough was carried out, but the fact that it happened wasn't negotiable, nor was the amount of time. I work in a hospital, and very few exemptions were made. Only for very critical staff that would otherwise shut down emergency care.
     
  10. MSD

    MSD Very Tilted

    Location:
    CT
    Hmm, take a few Fridays off but lose 5% of my pay, my contribution to my retirement plan for that time, my employer's matching for my contribution for that time, and the compound interest on all of that?

    Maybe I'm cynical, but having had to take furlough days, what looks like a few thousand dollars on the annual budget ends up fucking me out of tens of thousands of dollars down the line. I've been hit with a 5% pay cut in the form of furlough days and after essential expenses, the water parks and golf courses are the easy things to cut out of the budget. Those furlough days were spent around the house doing nothing that cost money.
     
  11. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    Are you management?

    Whether you are or not, I would be expecting the employee's union to negotiate with management on the members' behalf. If I was an employee and a member of the union, I'd be kicking up a stink if I found out the union hadn't put up a fight over this.

    I can imagine there would be certain times where it might be necessary but an across the board cut in hours (furlough) for ever and ever, amen seems ripe for union interference. If there was none, I'd say that having that union is no more or less effective than not having it.

    "Not negotiable" is not a term one would expect to hear in a unionized organization. The Federal Employee's Union in this case is either cozy as hell with the government management or so ineffective as to be undeserving of membership and the dues it receives.
    --- merged: Jul 13, 2013 at 9:42 PM ---
    You're probably younger than me. At 60, I've about had it with working for a living. I'm def ready for retirement and whatever extra I can glean over the next couple of years ain't enough for me to worry about (I'll either be dead before I can use or too old to enjoy it)

    Everything is relative, MSD and when you get my age you might also conclude that the days off are worth more than the money.

    When I was in my 30's and 40's, I'd have raised holy hell.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 20, 2013
  12. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    I am, in that I supervise civilian employees. I wouldn't be a member of the union even if I weren't being military and all.
    The previous being said, I've very low level management, and all I know that there were union negotiations going on. I used the term not negotiable, and as far as I understand, that's how it went. We're only one agency across the DoD that are going through this whole process. As far as I understand, the government said that 11 furlough days will happen (down from the original 22), and all our organization was able to negotiate was implementation. I know AFGE unions throughout the country tried to stop it from happening, but since we just had our first round of furlough days last week, I'm assuming they were unsuccessful.
     
  13. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I guess I can see this happening. Unions for government employees have never been as effective as those formed around private industry. Then again, it's an apples and oranges environment. If Congress signs off on budget cuts, there isn't a whole lot the individual agencies can do about it in the US. I believe they have a bit more power here in the UK but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that their influence is dwindling here as well. Tough times.
     
  14. MSD

    MSD Very Tilted

    Location:
    CT
    Yeah, I'm 29 and supporting myself as well as my mom and my brother until they find full time jobs. Luxuries are occasional, savings are pretty much non-existent, and pennies count. It's not so bad at the moment since my mom has a summer job at a local theater company, but if not for that a 5% cut would have us back to rotating which bill to pay a month late.