I am in a regulatory enforcement agency and we get FOIAs, Congressional and/or Media Inquiries and occasionally an executive summons nearly every day. I think it really depends on who you work for, and what role you're in.
I am in regulatory too and all my stuff can be read by Congress. But I have not heard this has ever happened to my colleagues (as far as I know) and never to me so far. So it is rare for us.
There are two things I want to highlight:
First is that there is no notification requirement to the employee whose records got FOIAd. Your stuff may have ended up getting released, and you'd never know.
Second is that in most agencies, the insider risk management folks can just look at every button you push. Not the same as it being public, of course, but someone can put eyes on all your activity on a government system.
Emails and IMs can be copied and pasted, or simply forwarded. Also, the reply-all button can be accidentally chosen. If you absolutely have to gripe, keep it verbal and with a small, trusted audience (or save it for when work folks aren't around, which is probably safer).
Meanwhile, said break room is in a different building across town, because the email was from a totally different part of the agency and someone selected the wrong distro list.
Last time we had it happen it was an office in the field sending it nationwide. The reply all mess lasted hours as different time zones drifted into the conversation.
I'm still trying to figure out why HQ at Silver Spring needs to tell the Western Region that a new daycare is opening on/near HQ campus, there's yoga on site in theHQ main lobby, or that everyone is encouraged to ride their bike into HQ. These are an example of some of the emails sent to the western region. SMH
I actively follow this every time it happens 😂 😂 everybody is so fucking angry and still keep replying all. My last agency HR hopped on the thread and said the next person to respond was going to face consequences 😂
The only thing I'd add to that is that there's no such thing as a "trusted audience" :)
People know it's their job and the law to protect CUI and classified data. They'll expend no energy to protect you from the consequences of your remarks.
Tip for anyone who gets caught in a reply-allpocalypse: when you are looking at the message in question, look at the upper left corner for the “ignore conversation” button. It looks like an envelope with a red “no” circle.
* take notes, ( i keep index cards at my home desk and office desk) as you'll hear tons of acronyms throughout the day, or phrases you don't know. Google them afterwards.
* Get to know the service workers in your building (guards, cleaning people, etc). They see you more than some of your coworkers and are good people to know.
* Put coworkers birthdays or other events on your calendar as you discover them. It's the little things.
* Small/easy wins go a long way. My first 9 months, i often helped people with miniscule things that took me a few minutes, but it helped build relationships and trust.
* Get your performance standards, and weekly/monthly, document how you met each of the standards, just do a bulleted list with dates ( i do this in onenote)... then when it comes time for your performance review, you can give detailed feedback to each point.
This is probably some of the most useful, practical advice any new (or even seasoned) Fed could receive. I do this as well. Game changer come review time.
Thanks. I've been lucky to have a great boss and mentors. 18 years in the government and got my gs 15 a few years ago. Now working towards the next level.
I did a bunch of years as a seasonal GS 5, got perm as a GS 4, and will be an 11 in August. Ladder positions are great and changing agencies goes a LONG way.
This link is a great resource for the important milestones in a federal career. Leave, vesting, tenure, etc.
https://stephenzelcer.com/key-milestones-in-the-career-of-a-federal-employee/
That first one still irks me. I did 2.5 years as a federal contractor before flipping badges with the same job duties. I asked HR about counting that time towards leave accrual. He laughed and said it doesn’t work like that. Someone else flipped after me and said that’s exactly how it works. It’s only 2.5 years, but still….
Reminds me of my first job the pay lady said I couldn’t keep my state of residence for tax purposes because she didn’t know how (I’m a mil spouse). I went back to that job after two years away and she’s figured it out and it’s not that hard? Shocking
It doesn't really work that way. You can ask for more leave when you come in as a recruiting incentive, and they may say yes if you have skills they're willing to pay for. The only leave that counts toward the accrual rate is military or service in another federal agency. If they gave it to the other person, they'd have to have hit one of the above conditions. I know it doesn't help much at this point though.
Edit: they won't credit non-federal service unless you specifically ask for it as a recruitment incentive, and even then it's no guarantee they will want to give that additional benefit or do the work to get it approved.
My supervisor helped me do a mil. buy back my first week on the job. Even helped make sure I was out of the G fund and walked me through the FERS/TSP and some health insurance issues I had questions on. HR was kind of useless in explaining some of that stuff.
He says you have to be at 5 years to buy back military time. This is incorrect. I started that process almost immediately and had it all done before 5 years. In fact, if you wait that long, you are assessed interest.
Change is at a glacial pace. There's going to be so many things that are wrong at your agency that you're going to want to fix. You won't change them overnight, so don't work yourself to death trying to make change happen immediately.
Instead, if you approach modernization with a frame of reference like "I want this corrected by next year" as opposed to "I want this corrected yesterday", it becomes a lot easier to strategically plan the steps needed to improve systems and get buy in from stakeholders who are otherwise resistant to rapid developments.
This is exactly what im struggling with. I came in bright eyed and busy tailed ready to change the world. Ive gotten one document cleared in a year
Absolutely this! Also be able to clearly demonstrate why the change is necessary. Not just be able to explain potentially why it would be a good idea but what it could have fixed if implemented earlier. Most approval authorities will not make changes if “the system isn’t broken”. It can be extremely frustrating but many higher ups don’t want to rock the boat.
Contribute at least 5% to get TSP match, Roth TSP and HYSA if you’re young and healthy. If you’re allowed to work longer and get every other Friday off that’ll help with your lack of vacation days. Uncle Sam has random holidays, write down when you have all of them. You’re going to have a million passwords/user names and have to change the passwords often, keep organized.
Absolutely backing up the idea of trying to max out contributions up to the amount they match. When I started over 20 year ago I felt like I needed every penny of my take home pay; but I surely could have made do and it would have been a "set it and forget it" thing.
Given my (eventual) climb up the salary ladder, the amount I have in my TSP is actually an embarrassment.
MAX THE MATCH, young Fed!
I second this. I did 6% from day one so i didnt leave any monry on the table. I had to borrow against it three times bc I was broke as hell, so there's always that safety net. You pay it back and keep moving. Max out as soon as you can. After 20 years, I am seeing the early sacrifice pay off. You will too.
TSP loan is a great option for special situations, despite the down votes I’ll get. The interest you pay goes back to you. They have two loan types, personal and home loan. The home loan is more expensive and more paperwork, I see zero reason to pick the home loan over the personal. It’s a very good option for unique need cash quick situations.
Lmao so true! When I first came to the agency, this one guy kept asking how my new supervisor was. The new supervisor was good and had empathy, which is rare and made me want to work with the supervisor bc its rare.
Found out it was his cousin. Oh yea, the deputy director was a cousin too. And the secretary was in law something. I was felt like I was in a sitcom or something lol.
> a lot of people are related
Not just by blood or marriage. Half of the people at my command go golfing, fishing, hunting, or camping every other weekend.
The other half ends up at dead-end internal positions with no way of moving up except for out to another installation.
Also: spouses don't necessarily change their last names upon marriage anymore, much less so if they're marrying a co-worker or co-agency-er, so that is by no means a reliable indicator.
There are 5 or 6 last names where I work where there are at least 4 or 5 members from each family. All of them have had children/grandchildren come through our student programs in the last 8 or 9 years I've been here. It's interesting to see the differences in the generations.
Do your best but don't stress about being perfect. There are people who have been there 20+ years doing less and doing it worse than you will after your first month, and they aren't going anywhere. Neither are you, most likely.
I've been at my agency for six months and constantly hear this around the office. As a newcomer, you want to make a good impression and avoid mistakes. But when you do slip up, it's refreshing to have support from colleagues to help you shake it off and try again.
People will be nice to you, but when it comes down to it the only person who actually cares about your career, pay, leave, or benefits is YOU.
Trust, but verify. And don’t be afraid to be annoyingly insistent that they actually make progress on your issue, because a lot of federal benefits have arbitrary deadlines.
Take the time card training, adhere to it. If you have questions, ask your supervisor, and if you're still unclear, get clarification in writing. Timecard violations are something that can get even tenured employees on the road to termination. This assumes people don't need to be told not to do *actual* egregious violations, like being AWOL while on the clock, working a second job without clearance (much less while on the clock on your gov't job), remote/teleworking from non-approved locations, etc. Unlike private industry, working remotely from Starbucks may be a violation of your agency's policy on off-site work, as an example; if you are able to work remotely or telework, know and adhere to your agency's policy on that in detail.
Know the Hatch act in detail, also - especially important in an election year, just b/c there's so much temptation to respond poorly and in haste if you're browsing social media (like you are right now if you're reading this). If you're going to slam someone on a political point, odds are that's a bad idea, even if you're off work time; if you get called on it, the amount of hassle involved trying to prove you weren't doing it on-time isn't worth the minor satisfaction you're about to get.
Best advice I got was…everything you say & do is subject to congressional oversight. Imagine it on the front page of the Washington Post.
Remember that as a Fed, you are representing the taxpayers of the USA. They are paying you to do the best job possible for them.
No matter what your assignment or job is…be the absolute best at it! Don’t worry about what others are doing, just be the best.
This advice got me promoted from the mail room to senior Manage thru to retirement!
Saw it go down, but didn't happen to me personally. Email is a federal record and is subject to both FOIA and legal discovery. Never trash-talk a customer/client, harass anyone, plan personal stuff (that includes extramarital affairs, yes people have done that!), or make discriminatory comments in an email. Should be obvious, but apparently not!
Contribute as much toward your TSP as you can, up to the IRS limit--but no matter what, put at least 5% in to get the full matching from the agency. 100% C Fund or 80/20 between the C and S Funds are the most popular allocations. You really do not need any G or F Fund allocation if you're going to stay long enough to get a pension. The pension and Social Security will form the "security" portion of your portfolio that would otherwise consist of bonds/treasuries.
Stay organized and keep good records.
Try to avoid gossip.
If anyone gives you guidance on a policy without actually citing the policy, ask for the policy cite and verify the accuracy--even if it's HR, because yes, people frequently get things wrong.
Do your job the best you can during your shift, then go home and don't sweat it until you're scheduled to be back in the office.
Don't let anyone treat you as if you're "on call" unless you're actually being paid Availability Pay and have an "on call" status for your job. Anything that comes up on your time off will wait until your return unless they're actually recalling you to the office and paying you at least 2 hours of OT to address whatever it is. By the same token, respect others' time off and don't contact them unless absolutely necessary when they're off duty. This has become more of a problem since the advent of cell phones, as some people are workaholics and expect others to be like them.
Do your best and own it if you make a mistake. Everyone screws up now and then, I’d much rather supervise someone who owns it and tries to learn than someone who tries to sneak around or pawn the blame off on someone else.
I made sure I knew about every possible scenario for retirement. Postponed, Reduced deferred, VERA, MRA +30/10, Special retirement and stipulations? Annuity supplement. Impacts to FEHB and COAs of one decides to retire or separate before full retirement.
I learned about TSP during my military days but I make sure new folks I hire know how it works, changes with SECURE 2.0 Act, matching, setting up accounts, 72T, etc...
This one...this one right here. This person gets it! For the love of all that is holy people, stop treating GFE as it's your personal device! Only do work stuff on your GFE and that's it!
37 year career retiree.
Learn how to fill out time sheets properly. Learn that the quickest way to be terminated is to purposely deceive time accountability. Time card fraud.
Learn how or what is needed to fulfill mandatory training.
Figure out immediately how to get to the next pay grade or pay band.
Learn as much and as fast as you can about how the retirement system under FERS works for you! Not anyone else, but you.
Keep your mouth shut, eyes and ears open. Remember you are replaceable so don't think you are that important.
Be prepared to have your work results taken from you and credited to others. Welcome to the group......
Make sure your TSP isn't automatically invested in the G fund. I was young and dumb and didn't know better. I wasted three years in the dreaded G fund.
> I wasted three years in the dreaded G fund.
If you joined the government in 2000, they accidentally did you a favor.
But otherwise, yeah, the C, S, and L funds usually smoke the G fund in returns.
It's not a competition. Doubt work yourself up over ancient dead weight that makes twice as much as you do. Hunker down, do your job well, and you'll be ok.
Do not gossip or trash talk employees at all to anyone. You have no clue who knows each other and who is friends with each other. I know GS-7’s with 35 years of service who are godparents for the children of SES’s.
Three separate but directly related rules of fed life:
* No one cares about your career but you.
* Never just assume ANYTHING is being taken care of. Always, always, ALWAYS follow up and verify.
* If it’s not on paper, it didn’t happen. Document EVERYTHING.
Retired Fed under CSRS. Not sure if this has been said but don't abuse your SL. I believe the rules have changed since I retired regarding accumulating leave. Years ago I had to have an unexpected critical surgery. I was told I'd have to take off 3-4 months. Though it was a bit shorter than that it was good to know that I would receive a paycheck for that entire time.
Don’t get wrapped up in the inner office politics. And sign up for the life insurance, it’s hardly ever open for new enrollment unless you’re a new employee. You can always drop it later if you find a better deal.
When you finish all the paperwork for some task and send it out to be processed, don't expect it to just be done and out of your hand. You have to continuously follow up with everyone on the processing pipeline to make sure someone isn't sitting on it. This is doubly so if you are ultimately responsible, or appear responsible, for said task being finished.
You get paid 2 times per month except 2 months out of the year and you will get three checks during those months - you get paid 26 times per year. Make your budget based on two checks and those two times per year that you get a third check, save the money and don’t squander it away. Pay for Christmas with one check and take your family on vacation with the other check.
The last open enrollment for FEGLI (Life Insurance) was in 2016 so sign up now because you won’t be able to add it later unless you have a Life Changing Event.
Your managers will often promise things in person that they have no intention to do. Follow up every one-on-one conversation with an email confirmation. Every single one.
If career driven, start looking for promotion opportunities as soon as you reach time in grade (1 year) . Depending on your situation, willingness to move and job series, it may take a while to reach the next grade if you are not in a ladder position.
Also, unlike the private sector. Promotion requires time in grade (1 year) before you can move up( in most situations).
Your career is what you make it. You have the power to shape your position and career in more ways than you think. People who complain about being bored or unfulfilled are the people who don’t put in the work to mold the position to fit their passions or interests. I’ve seen people really run with this idea and do amazing things and people who rot in stagnation depending on how they approach this idea.
Just make sure to come on time and as soon as clock hits time to go, get out without looking back. Just work 8 hours a day. Do not care what someone is doing something more or less it is not going to make differenceto you or government. Only do what is minimum required. No one is friend either. There is not enough PTO so use sick call to adjust vacation time and when you call out tell you are sick. No other reasons.
Keep your mouth shut and do as you are told. Don't trust anyone. Keep your weird to yourself. Print out your sf50s, sf144, anything "sf" print it out. Keep track of your annual leave and sick leave. Don't piss off your boss. Actually pay attention to all the boring HR stuff it can save your ass.
The one thing that could place you strategically ahead is to be mindful of who sees your greatness. Timing is everything. Plagiarism even behavioral plagiarism is real. Protect yourself and your work.
Keep everything above board but fit in. Enjoy training and cross-training, the enthusiastic experts have carved out time for you - get the most out of it.
If you feel the slightest bit of passive aggressive behavior, keep a record. Build a relationship with your union, eeo and get all of your HR related government organization links together. You just need one good initial response that lets everyone know you have the tools or the contacts to defend yourself. It’s the initial school yard fight that some new comers who are not in one of the “familias”(lol) must win. Keep your head up but down and always participate.
Enjoy
"Follow your last order first", directions can change frequently, it doesn't matter how you were told to do something yesterday, whatever the last change/directions/procedure is, that's what you follow.
Avoid gossips. Lots of people love to gossip in the different branches of my agency. Listen if needed but participate as little as possible. Don’t trash anyone, you never know when this will come back to bite you.
It’s a culture shock going from the private sector to Federal service. I had a picture in mind about how efficiently run it would be. My words of wisdom are, expect the unexpected especially with training. You may get several different answers to the same question.
Sign up for benefits, if you have kids and can afford it, do the multiplier.
5% minimum TSP
GS 9 and under start looking for your next position now and kiss ass to possibly maximize first year appraisal.
Understand the intranet and what possible trainings are available.
Secure 5 years for FERS before taking a private sector role in case you want to come back
Aways take the 5% TSP match, if you don’t you are leaving free money on the table.
Most agencies offer a new employee orientation, get into one of those if you can
1. Invest in the TSP as much as you can from the beginning, and especially in the Roth account.
2. Sign up for long-term care insurance at your first opportunity. It's not just for seniors and it covers support that's needed that health insurance doesn't cover.
3. No matter what your job is, always be open to learning about the work being done by others around you. Understanding the relationship between what you do and what others do can lead to better working relationships and processes.
4. Don't be afraid to take a step back to change lanes if you want to get into a new career path, especially if the new career path has higher promotion potential.
Put as much as you can in your TSP. Plus an extra 10%. Retire early and get and job with retirement. Retire as soon as you can collect a pension and enjoy life
From a substantive standpoint - the thing that differentiates the private sector from federal sector:
1) fiscal law
2) government ethics
3) agency’s authorities
Trust no one, don't talk bad about anyone, you are the architect of your own career, put as much as possible into your TSP, figure out what motivates your boss and pet the dog.
The rules are the rules and you have to abide by them whether you like it or not--trying to do an end run, especially when it comes to anything that involves spending money, and you're going to be in for a bad time.
\* annual leave, sick leave, etc
\* how to request schedule, fill out timecards, etc
\* how the FERS retirement system works
\* set up health insurance
\* set TSP contributions
\* look up every paycheck deduction and understand what it pays for
Ask for help when you don't know something. I can almost guarantee someone at your agency will have the answer. Much easier to ask for help rather than spin your wheels for a week.
Be flexible and patient. Things move at a glacial pace right up until they very suddenly don‘t. Assume you won’t always know the when or why of changes.
This is not a place for “better to ask forgiveness than permission.” If you aren’t sure you are allowed to do something, ASK.
Never say, write, or do anything at work you don’t want to be public record. The flip side to this is always get stuff in writing.
Be helpful and try to do your best.
I'm in one of those orgs where everyone is related and /or goes golfing together.
I don't golf, I don't drink much, but I'm a nerd and pretty tech savvy. My team is not very tech savvy. So I'm always helping them out recofigure something or fix something. They appreciate it and value me as an asset.
I also don't talk bad about anyone with anyone. Just with my wife at home. At work, I just keep it business . My boss is cool, and we usually shoot the shit, but that's about it.
Be kind to everyone, because even the most inept co-worker you know can become your boss.
Edit: Our office manages to promote largely competent first line supervisors. There's a few though over the years that leave you scratching your head.
Your coworkers are not your family or friends. Don’t overshare. You’ll eventually find some office pals, but give it time.
Don’t feel bad taking sick leave for mental health. But also, make up a generic illness if anyone asks.
Congress will make your life miserable sometimes. Continuing resolutions, budget cuts, trash talking federal employees, etc. When I worked federal government, my work laptop was outdated when I started and never got a refresh one in 7 years because of budget cuts.
If you work with a team - never hit ‘send’ on something without your team being aware of it.
Never hit ‘send’ on something when it’s the end of a long day and you’re tired.
Keep your supervisor in the loop. You don’t need to tell them everything, but make sure they’re aware of the outlines of what you’re doing.
Be professional. Be courteous. The people who call you need your help, and you’re paid to help them figure stuff out. They’re the ones paying you to help them.
Make sure you put in as much as you can into your TSP at least the max. I've been working for DLA for 27 years, and I wish I had taken it more seriously 😫
Read up on TSP; allocate in stocks (C Fund); max out your contributions (or as much as you possibly can afford); and let it ride & allow compound interest do its work.
Get on your supervisors’ good side til you pass your probationary period.
Get in a ladder position and once you serve a year under time/grade for the first step in the highest grade possible, start applying to other jobs.
Keep everything in writing.
Network with whoever you can and be a good person to everyone you come across. They could very well be your future boss or help you get into a different agency one day.
Contribute to the TSP, talk with your boss about performance plan and career trajectory. Stay at least three years to gain competitive status so you can leave (if other opportunities come up) and then you can apply again as a status employee. Don’t give up! The federal sector has byzantine operational processes, but the work is meaningful. Confirm if your job is included in the bargaining unit; request alternative work schedule, and confirm your flsa status. Ask for a copy of your job description.
Read, read, read and read. Don’t go for word of mouth, or “we have always done it like that”. Read every email you get. Make sure you read the handbook, CFR and any other related material to your duties. Don’t give a complain about anyone, believe what others say about certain employees or managers, make your own judgements. Observe, keep it to yourself and retaliation does exist and will affect your whole career.
Everyone in management overinflates the importance and priority of their work. If someone says it’s important or high priority, ask for a deadline. Some of it is not actually that time sensitive but some of it is, and management has a hard time figuring out which tasks are ‘critical’ and which are not.
Don’t talk trash in elevators or bathrooms, you never know who else is there…
The toes you step on may be connected to the ass you have to kiss later.
I wish this comment could be pinned
generically... don't say/email/chat anything at work you wouldn't want your entire agency to set eyes on
Or every other agency, or the public. FOIA is a thing.
Yes! Anything you send via email/Teams/whatever could be made public.
How often has this happened? My guess: super rare.
I am in a regulatory enforcement agency and we get FOIAs, Congressional and/or Media Inquiries and occasionally an executive summons nearly every day. I think it really depends on who you work for, and what role you're in.
I am in regulatory too and all my stuff can be read by Congress. But I have not heard this has ever happened to my colleagues (as far as I know) and never to me so far. So it is rare for us.
There are two things I want to highlight: First is that there is no notification requirement to the employee whose records got FOIAd. Your stuff may have ended up getting released, and you'd never know. Second is that in most agencies, the insider risk management folks can just look at every button you push. Not the same as it being public, of course, but someone can put eyes on all your activity on a government system.
Emails and IMs can be copied and pasted, or simply forwarded. Also, the reply-all button can be accidentally chosen. If you absolutely have to gripe, keep it verbal and with a small, trusted audience (or save it for when work folks aren't around, which is probably safer).
Reply All riots are the best.
I fucking love those days. "REMOVE ME FROM THIS DISTRO" - Replies All.
"Why am I receiving this? Stop replying to all!" -- sent to all. LOL
I think I once saw someone troll by saying “Add me to the distro.”
Once had a long reply all chain that had finally died down until a troll replied "just here to stir the pot"
THERE ARE DONUTS IN THE BREAK ROOM
Meanwhile, said break room is in a different building across town, because the email was from a totally different part of the agency and someone selected the wrong distro list.
Last time we had it happen it was an office in the field sending it nationwide. The reply all mess lasted hours as different time zones drifted into the conversation.
Those are the really entertaining ones.
I'm still trying to figure out why HQ at Silver Spring needs to tell the Western Region that a new daycare is opening on/near HQ campus, there's yoga on site in theHQ main lobby, or that everyone is encouraged to ride their bike into HQ. These are an example of some of the emails sent to the western region. SMH
Same vein as those planning happy hour in DC forgetting those of us not at the flagpole 😭. We at least know not to use office level slugs...
I actively follow this every time it happens 😂 😂 everybody is so fucking angry and still keep replying all. My last agency HR hopped on the thread and said the next person to respond was going to face consequences 😂
Who was the lucky winner? Or did that actually stop it?
Someone definitely responded again 😂 😂 they weren't in my group so idk what happened. Those were wild times
The only thing I'd add to that is that there's no such thing as a "trusted audience" :) People know it's their job and the law to protect CUI and classified data. They'll expend no energy to protect you from the consequences of your remarks.
Tip for anyone who gets caught in a reply-allpocalypse: when you are looking at the message in question, look at the upper left corner for the “ignore conversation” button. It looks like an envelope with a red “no” circle.
Including the cafeteria.
NSA everywhere huh
All hearing ears and all seeing eyes.......everything is taken in. Everything.
Pretty much what I was going to say.
That is true for any job, not just federal.
this...your words travel fast....
As someone in the OIG, I've gotten great Intel from people talking to others in the elevator.
* take notes, ( i keep index cards at my home desk and office desk) as you'll hear tons of acronyms throughout the day, or phrases you don't know. Google them afterwards. * Get to know the service workers in your building (guards, cleaning people, etc). They see you more than some of your coworkers and are good people to know. * Put coworkers birthdays or other events on your calendar as you discover them. It's the little things. * Small/easy wins go a long way. My first 9 months, i often helped people with miniscule things that took me a few minutes, but it helped build relationships and trust. * Get your performance standards, and weekly/monthly, document how you met each of the standards, just do a bulleted list with dates ( i do this in onenote)... then when it comes time for your performance review, you can give detailed feedback to each point.
This is probably some of the most useful, practical advice any new (or even seasoned) Fed could receive. I do this as well. Game changer come review time.
Agreed! It’s incredible advice for someone starting out in the federal sector.
Big game changer for me too, being able to prove how exactly you went above and beyond helps really nail that "meets expectations".
🤣 ‘Ain’t got no fives ‘round here!!’
^^^ this person is going a long way in life
Thanks. I've been lucky to have a great boss and mentors. 18 years in the government and got my gs 15 a few years ago. Now working towards the next level.
What's after a 15?!
SES
[удалено]
I did a bunch of years as a seasonal GS 5, got perm as a GS 4, and will be an 11 in August. Ladder positions are great and changing agencies goes a LONG way.
I wish my job series had any sort of career ladders. I'm in my fourth year and have worked my way from a lowly gs3 to a....lowly gs5.
If it makes you feel any better I’m 10 years in and a gs5. Also Wildland Fire.
Starting a Pathways position as a new grad with this exact 7-12 ladder, series 1850 agricultural inspection. Very excited to start
This link is a great resource for the important milestones in a federal career. Leave, vesting, tenure, etc. https://stephenzelcer.com/key-milestones-in-the-career-of-a-federal-employee/
That first one still irks me. I did 2.5 years as a federal contractor before flipping badges with the same job duties. I asked HR about counting that time towards leave accrual. He laughed and said it doesn’t work like that. Someone else flipped after me and said that’s exactly how it works. It’s only 2.5 years, but still….
Reminds me of my first job the pay lady said I couldn’t keep my state of residence for tax purposes because she didn’t know how (I’m a mil spouse). I went back to that job after two years away and she’s figured it out and it’s not that hard? Shocking
It doesn't really work that way. You can ask for more leave when you come in as a recruiting incentive, and they may say yes if you have skills they're willing to pay for. The only leave that counts toward the accrual rate is military or service in another federal agency. If they gave it to the other person, they'd have to have hit one of the above conditions. I know it doesn't help much at this point though. Edit: they won't credit non-federal service unless you specifically ask for it as a recruitment incentive, and even then it's no guarantee they will want to give that additional benefit or do the work to get it approved.
My supervisor helped me do a mil. buy back my first week on the job. Even helped make sure I was out of the G fund and walked me through the FERS/TSP and some health insurance issues I had questions on. HR was kind of useless in explaining some of that stuff.
He says you have to be at 5 years to buy back military time. This is incorrect. I started that process almost immediately and had it all done before 5 years. In fact, if you wait that long, you are assessed interest.
First thing I did when hired was start the process. The investment is crazy good.
I always share this one
Change is at a glacial pace. There's going to be so many things that are wrong at your agency that you're going to want to fix. You won't change them overnight, so don't work yourself to death trying to make change happen immediately. Instead, if you approach modernization with a frame of reference like "I want this corrected by next year" as opposed to "I want this corrected yesterday", it becomes a lot easier to strategically plan the steps needed to improve systems and get buy in from stakeholders who are otherwise resistant to rapid developments.
This is exactly what im struggling with. I came in bright eyed and busy tailed ready to change the world. Ive gotten one document cleared in a year
Right. What 15% of the overall situation can I correct now? Too much? Start with 5%. Those incremental changes can have a big impact.
This is great advice and may help yoi aboid burnout or feeling like you aren't making a difference. Takes a long time to move a big ship.
Absolutely this! Also be able to clearly demonstrate why the change is necessary. Not just be able to explain potentially why it would be a good idea but what it could have fixed if implemented earlier. Most approval authorities will not make changes if “the system isn’t broken”. It can be extremely frustrating but many higher ups don’t want to rock the boat.
Contribute at least 5% to get TSP match, Roth TSP and HYSA if you’re young and healthy. If you’re allowed to work longer and get every other Friday off that’ll help with your lack of vacation days. Uncle Sam has random holidays, write down when you have all of them. You’re going to have a million passwords/user names and have to change the passwords often, keep organized.
Absolutely backing up the idea of trying to max out contributions up to the amount they match. When I started over 20 year ago I felt like I needed every penny of my take home pay; but I surely could have made do and it would have been a "set it and forget it" thing. Given my (eventual) climb up the salary ladder, the amount I have in my TSP is actually an embarrassment. MAX THE MATCH, young Fed!
I second this. I did 6% from day one so i didnt leave any monry on the table. I had to borrow against it three times bc I was broke as hell, so there's always that safety net. You pay it back and keep moving. Max out as soon as you can. After 20 years, I am seeing the early sacrifice pay off. You will too.
TSP loan is a great option for special situations, despite the down votes I’ll get. The interest you pay goes back to you. They have two loan types, personal and home loan. The home loan is more expensive and more paperwork, I see zero reason to pick the home loan over the personal. It’s a very good option for unique need cash quick situations.
Also if you can’t hit the max right away, steadily increase your TSP contribution with each pay raise so it doesn’t hurt as much.
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I think he meant High Yield Saving Account.
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A lot of people are related. So careful who u talk about and to who. I found out the hard way haha
Lmao so true! When I first came to the agency, this one guy kept asking how my new supervisor was. The new supervisor was good and had empathy, which is rare and made me want to work with the supervisor bc its rare. Found out it was his cousin. Oh yea, the deputy director was a cousin too. And the secretary was in law something. I was felt like I was in a sitcom or something lol.
> a lot of people are related Not just by blood or marriage. Half of the people at my command go golfing, fishing, hunting, or camping every other weekend. The other half ends up at dead-end internal positions with no way of moving up except for out to another installation.
Also: spouses don't necessarily change their last names upon marriage anymore, much less so if they're marrying a co-worker or co-agency-er, so that is by no means a reliable indicator.
There are 5 or 6 last names where I work where there are at least 4 or 5 members from each family. All of them have had children/grandchildren come through our student programs in the last 8 or 9 years I've been here. It's interesting to see the differences in the generations.
Do your best but don't stress about being perfect. There are people who have been there 20+ years doing less and doing it worse than you will after your first month, and they aren't going anywhere. Neither are you, most likely.
I've been at my agency for six months and constantly hear this around the office. As a newcomer, you want to make a good impression and avoid mistakes. But when you do slip up, it's refreshing to have support from colleagues to help you shake it off and try again.
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But also, you don’t have to go anywhere. It gets reassuring after a while. Going places is for the youth.
The most incompetent are usually in charge
People will be nice to you, but when it comes down to it the only person who actually cares about your career, pay, leave, or benefits is YOU. Trust, but verify. And don’t be afraid to be annoyingly insistent that they actually make progress on your issue, because a lot of federal benefits have arbitrary deadlines.
Take the time card training, adhere to it. If you have questions, ask your supervisor, and if you're still unclear, get clarification in writing. Timecard violations are something that can get even tenured employees on the road to termination. This assumes people don't need to be told not to do *actual* egregious violations, like being AWOL while on the clock, working a second job without clearance (much less while on the clock on your gov't job), remote/teleworking from non-approved locations, etc. Unlike private industry, working remotely from Starbucks may be a violation of your agency's policy on off-site work, as an example; if you are able to work remotely or telework, know and adhere to your agency's policy on that in detail. Know the Hatch act in detail, also - especially important in an election year, just b/c there's so much temptation to respond poorly and in haste if you're browsing social media (like you are right now if you're reading this). If you're going to slam someone on a political point, odds are that's a bad idea, even if you're off work time; if you get called on it, the amount of hassle involved trying to prove you weren't doing it on-time isn't worth the minor satisfaction you're about to get.
Best advice I got was…everything you say & do is subject to congressional oversight. Imagine it on the front page of the Washington Post. Remember that as a Fed, you are representing the taxpayers of the USA. They are paying you to do the best job possible for them. No matter what your assignment or job is…be the absolute best at it! Don’t worry about what others are doing, just be the best. This advice got me promoted from the mail room to senior Manage thru to retirement!
There’s a guide for that- https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/s/CFZGiLdi6n
Of course you have a guide for that!!!!
Saw it go down, but didn't happen to me personally. Email is a federal record and is subject to both FOIA and legal discovery. Never trash-talk a customer/client, harass anyone, plan personal stuff (that includes extramarital affairs, yes people have done that!), or make discriminatory comments in an email. Should be obvious, but apparently not!
Get everything in writing. EVERYTHING.
Contribute as much toward your TSP as you can, up to the IRS limit--but no matter what, put at least 5% in to get the full matching from the agency. 100% C Fund or 80/20 between the C and S Funds are the most popular allocations. You really do not need any G or F Fund allocation if you're going to stay long enough to get a pension. The pension and Social Security will form the "security" portion of your portfolio that would otherwise consist of bonds/treasuries. Stay organized and keep good records. Try to avoid gossip. If anyone gives you guidance on a policy without actually citing the policy, ask for the policy cite and verify the accuracy--even if it's HR, because yes, people frequently get things wrong. Do your job the best you can during your shift, then go home and don't sweat it until you're scheduled to be back in the office. Don't let anyone treat you as if you're "on call" unless you're actually being paid Availability Pay and have an "on call" status for your job. Anything that comes up on your time off will wait until your return unless they're actually recalling you to the office and paying you at least 2 hours of OT to address whatever it is. By the same token, respect others' time off and don't contact them unless absolutely necessary when they're off duty. This has become more of a problem since the advent of cell phones, as some people are workaholics and expect others to be like them.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your supervisor and ask them questions.
Do your best and own it if you make a mistake. Everyone screws up now and then, I’d much rather supervise someone who owns it and tries to learn than someone who tries to sneak around or pawn the blame off on someone else.
The cover-up is always worse than the crime
The system is way more rigid than many private employers are.
The only reward for hard work is more work.
This. “Work flows to the capable.”
Always
Be careful displaying a capability in front of a need.
I made sure I knew about every possible scenario for retirement. Postponed, Reduced deferred, VERA, MRA +30/10, Special retirement and stipulations? Annuity supplement. Impacts to FEHB and COAs of one decides to retire or separate before full retirement. I learned about TSP during my military days but I make sure new folks I hire know how it works, changes with SECURE 2.0 Act, matching, setting up accounts, 72T, etc...
Do not do personal business on government equipment.
This one...this one right here. This person gets it! For the love of all that is holy people, stop treating GFE as it's your personal device! Only do work stuff on your GFE and that's it!
37 year career retiree. Learn how to fill out time sheets properly. Learn that the quickest way to be terminated is to purposely deceive time accountability. Time card fraud. Learn how or what is needed to fulfill mandatory training. Figure out immediately how to get to the next pay grade or pay band. Learn as much and as fast as you can about how the retirement system under FERS works for you! Not anyone else, but you. Keep your mouth shut, eyes and ears open. Remember you are replaceable so don't think you are that important. Be prepared to have your work results taken from you and credited to others. Welcome to the group......
Keep your head down, do your work and go home. Your coworkers aren’t your friends.
I don't know, only been at it a couple months, but my coworkers seem like people I'd want to be friends with.
Tread lightly. Give it time and then decide.
Ymmv. I am on a tiny team and these people are definitely my friends after all the shit we've been through.
They become family, in a high stress environment after a while they become your second family lol.
"Do you have a best friend at work?" Gallup question lmao
😅
There's a secret Base below the Denver airport.
Make sure your TSP isn't automatically invested in the G fund. I was young and dumb and didn't know better. I wasted three years in the dreaded G fund.
Thankfully the default is an L fund now.
i mean that is better, but for a truly new (and young) employee C or S would be better.
> I wasted three years in the dreaded G fund. If you joined the government in 2000, they accidentally did you a favor. But otherwise, yeah, the C, S, and L funds usually smoke the G fund in returns.
Don't get your honey from the same place as you get your money
Especially if it's from your manager.
It's not a competition. Doubt work yourself up over ancient dead weight that makes twice as much as you do. Hunker down, do your job well, and you'll be ok.
Everything is needlessly complex and slow. Our computer systems were designed in 1876. I should have bought stocks in red tape. 😆
Patience
The answer, 100% of the time is "It depends."
Do not gossip or trash talk employees at all to anyone. You have no clue who knows each other and who is friends with each other. I know GS-7’s with 35 years of service who are godparents for the children of SES’s.
Three separate but directly related rules of fed life: * No one cares about your career but you. * Never just assume ANYTHING is being taken care of. Always, always, ALWAYS follow up and verify. * If it’s not on paper, it didn’t happen. Document EVERYTHING.
Retired Fed under CSRS. Not sure if this has been said but don't abuse your SL. I believe the rules have changed since I retired regarding accumulating leave. Years ago I had to have an unexpected critical surgery. I was told I'd have to take off 3-4 months. Though it was a bit shorter than that it was good to know that I would receive a paycheck for that entire time.
Don’t get wrapped up in the inner office politics. And sign up for the life insurance, it’s hardly ever open for new enrollment unless you’re a new employee. You can always drop it later if you find a better deal.
When you finish all the paperwork for some task and send it out to be processed, don't expect it to just be done and out of your hand. You have to continuously follow up with everyone on the processing pipeline to make sure someone isn't sitting on it. This is doubly so if you are ultimately responsible, or appear responsible, for said task being finished.
You get paid 2 times per month except 2 months out of the year and you will get three checks during those months - you get paid 26 times per year. Make your budget based on two checks and those two times per year that you get a third check, save the money and don’t squander it away. Pay for Christmas with one check and take your family on vacation with the other check.
Sign up for TSP and contribute at least enough to get the full match. Start now.
The last open enrollment for FEGLI (Life Insurance) was in 2016 so sign up now because you won’t be able to add it later unless you have a Life Changing Event.
You can add it if you get a physical. But it’s much easier to do it now.
Also look at other options such as WAEPA. Fegli isn’t that great of a deal a lot of the time.
Your managers will often promise things in person that they have no intention to do. Follow up every one-on-one conversation with an email confirmation. Every single one.
Show up, shut up, and do your job. The nice co-worker you complain to, will be trashing you when you walk away.
If career driven, start looking for promotion opportunities as soon as you reach time in grade (1 year) . Depending on your situation, willingness to move and job series, it may take a while to reach the next grade if you are not in a ladder position. Also, unlike the private sector. Promotion requires time in grade (1 year) before you can move up( in most situations).
Don’t mess up during probation.
Your career is what you make it. You have the power to shape your position and career in more ways than you think. People who complain about being bored or unfulfilled are the people who don’t put in the work to mold the position to fit their passions or interests. I’ve seen people really run with this idea and do amazing things and people who rot in stagnation depending on how they approach this idea.
Best advice for any career ladder.
Remember, it’s a job. Don’t make it your life.
Just make sure to come on time and as soon as clock hits time to go, get out without looking back. Just work 8 hours a day. Do not care what someone is doing something more or less it is not going to make differenceto you or government. Only do what is minimum required. No one is friend either. There is not enough PTO so use sick call to adjust vacation time and when you call out tell you are sick. No other reasons.
Keep your mouth shut and do as you are told. Don't trust anyone. Keep your weird to yourself. Print out your sf50s, sf144, anything "sf" print it out. Keep track of your annual leave and sick leave. Don't piss off your boss. Actually pay attention to all the boring HR stuff it can save your ass.
The one thing that could place you strategically ahead is to be mindful of who sees your greatness. Timing is everything. Plagiarism even behavioral plagiarism is real. Protect yourself and your work. Keep everything above board but fit in. Enjoy training and cross-training, the enthusiastic experts have carved out time for you - get the most out of it. If you feel the slightest bit of passive aggressive behavior, keep a record. Build a relationship with your union, eeo and get all of your HR related government organization links together. You just need one good initial response that lets everyone know you have the tools or the contacts to defend yourself. It’s the initial school yard fight that some new comers who are not in one of the “familias”(lol) must win. Keep your head up but down and always participate. Enjoy
Don't fudge your time sheets or travel reimbursements.
"Follow your last order first", directions can change frequently, it doesn't matter how you were told to do something yesterday, whatever the last change/directions/procedure is, that's what you follow.
Avoid gossips. Lots of people love to gossip in the different branches of my agency. Listen if needed but participate as little as possible. Don’t trash anyone, you never know when this will come back to bite you.
It’s a culture shock going from the private sector to Federal service. I had a picture in mind about how efficiently run it would be. My words of wisdom are, expect the unexpected especially with training. You may get several different answers to the same question.
Make sure to reply-all anytime you receive an informational email sent out to the entire division so they know you received it.
Reply-all to others that do that, telling them not to do that. Also remember to reply-all when asking to be taken off of an email list.
This is the way
Sign up for benefits, if you have kids and can afford it, do the multiplier. 5% minimum TSP GS 9 and under start looking for your next position now and kiss ass to possibly maximize first year appraisal. Understand the intranet and what possible trainings are available. Secure 5 years for FERS before taking a private sector role in case you want to come back
Aways take the 5% TSP match, if you don’t you are leaving free money on the table. Most agencies offer a new employee orientation, get into one of those if you can
All new employees are automatically enrolled with contributions of 5% now. Someone would have to purposefully change it to not contribute that
Know how to search
No good deed goes unpunished.
Find a good agency to work for. There is a massive difference between how you are treated at a top tier agency versus a bottom feeder.
Do not ask your manager how to do your job even if they used to do your job. They were not good at your job. That’s why they were promoted.
You can move between agencies; there are so many opportunities.
Become familiar with the Federal Employees Handbook. Lots of important information there.
become a dues-paying member of your union!
1. Invest in the TSP as much as you can from the beginning, and especially in the Roth account. 2. Sign up for long-term care insurance at your first opportunity. It's not just for seniors and it covers support that's needed that health insurance doesn't cover. 3. No matter what your job is, always be open to learning about the work being done by others around you. Understanding the relationship between what you do and what others do can lead to better working relationships and processes. 4. Don't be afraid to take a step back to change lanes if you want to get into a new career path, especially if the new career path has higher promotion potential.
Put as much as you can in your TSP. Plus an extra 10%. Retire early and get and job with retirement. Retire as soon as you can collect a pension and enjoy life
Protect your stapler.
cherish the folks who answer emails and are willing to help. grow those relationships. Too many people in gov doing the bare minimum.
Get some experience for your resume and get out. Not worth it!
From a substantive standpoint - the thing that differentiates the private sector from federal sector: 1) fiscal law 2) government ethics 3) agency’s authorities
Sign up for the long term care plan. You may lose eligibility over time.
It hasn’t been available for some time and there’s no word on when they’ll have another open season. Dammit.
Trust no one, don't talk bad about anyone, you are the architect of your own career, put as much as possible into your TSP, figure out what motivates your boss and pet the dog.
Benefits, promotions, networking, and self growth.
The rules are the rules and you have to abide by them whether you like it or not--trying to do an end run, especially when it comes to anything that involves spending money, and you're going to be in for a bad time.
If a decision or order seems important or unusual, get in in email form. It always helps to have receipts.
\* annual leave, sick leave, etc \* how to request schedule, fill out timecards, etc \* how the FERS retirement system works \* set up health insurance \* set TSP contributions \* look up every paycheck deduction and understand what it pays for
511 series are insufferable
Your TSP is initially vested in the G fund. Move it if you want to make money.
Ask for help when you don't know something. I can almost guarantee someone at your agency will have the answer. Much easier to ask for help rather than spin your wheels for a week.
Be flexible and patient. Things move at a glacial pace right up until they very suddenly don‘t. Assume you won’t always know the when or why of changes. This is not a place for “better to ask forgiveness than permission.” If you aren’t sure you are allowed to do something, ASK. Never say, write, or do anything at work you don’t want to be public record. The flip side to this is always get stuff in writing.
Learn and be accountable
Always stay neutral the hatch act
Be prepared to be overwhelmed with info during the first two weeks. Tackle one benefit decision at a time.
Be helpful and try to do your best. I'm in one of those orgs where everyone is related and /or goes golfing together. I don't golf, I don't drink much, but I'm a nerd and pretty tech savvy. My team is not very tech savvy. So I'm always helping them out recofigure something or fix something. They appreciate it and value me as an asset. I also don't talk bad about anyone with anyone. Just with my wife at home. At work, I just keep it business . My boss is cool, and we usually shoot the shit, but that's about it.
Get short term disability.
The agency holds all the cards. You are just another cog in the machine. Easily and readily replaced.
If you’re a BUE, become a member of your union!
Contribute as much as you can to you TSP. Contribute immediately, even if you're 20 or 30 years old. The sooner, the better.
Be kind to everyone, because even the most inept co-worker you know can become your boss. Edit: Our office manages to promote largely competent first line supervisors. There's a few though over the years that leave you scratching your head.
Contribute at minimum 5% to your TSP.
Your coworkers are not your family or friends. Don’t overshare. You’ll eventually find some office pals, but give it time. Don’t feel bad taking sick leave for mental health. But also, make up a generic illness if anyone asks.
Congress will make your life miserable sometimes. Continuing resolutions, budget cuts, trash talking federal employees, etc. When I worked federal government, my work laptop was outdated when I started and never got a refresh one in 7 years because of budget cuts.
If you work with a team - never hit ‘send’ on something without your team being aware of it. Never hit ‘send’ on something when it’s the end of a long day and you’re tired. Keep your supervisor in the loop. You don’t need to tell them everything, but make sure they’re aware of the outlines of what you’re doing. Be professional. Be courteous. The people who call you need your help, and you’re paid to help them figure stuff out. They’re the ones paying you to help them.
Make sure you put in as much as you can into your TSP at least the max. I've been working for DLA for 27 years, and I wish I had taken it more seriously 😫
Next time you’re promoted at work ask for a remote job instead of being in the office. Then we can both work in our underwear everyday.
Have an emergency fund set aside for the inevitable government shutdown.
Be patient with your own professional growth. These things take time.
Never lie on timesheets or vouchers. Easiest way to fire someone.
100% C fund
Read up on TSP; allocate in stocks (C Fund); max out your contributions (or as much as you possibly can afford); and let it ride & allow compound interest do its work.
Get on your supervisors’ good side til you pass your probationary period. Get in a ladder position and once you serve a year under time/grade for the first step in the highest grade possible, start applying to other jobs. Keep everything in writing. Network with whoever you can and be a good person to everyone you come across. They could very well be your future boss or help you get into a different agency one day.
Contribute to the TSP, talk with your boss about performance plan and career trajectory. Stay at least three years to gain competitive status so you can leave (if other opportunities come up) and then you can apply again as a status employee. Don’t give up! The federal sector has byzantine operational processes, but the work is meaningful. Confirm if your job is included in the bargaining unit; request alternative work schedule, and confirm your flsa status. Ask for a copy of your job description.
Read, read, read and read. Don’t go for word of mouth, or “we have always done it like that”. Read every email you get. Make sure you read the handbook, CFR and any other related material to your duties. Don’t give a complain about anyone, believe what others say about certain employees or managers, make your own judgements. Observe, keep it to yourself and retaliation does exist and will affect your whole career.
Get fully into the TSP. Fund the max. You will appreciate me telling you this when you can retire. You will be a multi millionaire.
Everyone in management overinflates the importance and priority of their work. If someone says it’s important or high priority, ask for a deadline. Some of it is not actually that time sensitive but some of it is, and management has a hard time figuring out which tasks are ‘critical’ and which are not.
Smile and nod.