Re: NEPOTISM

We have a similar problem here with senior military officers and NCO's retiring and floating straight into a high-GS Fed job. They bring their Army attitude with them, and can't seem to get their minds around the fact that there are people on this earth who are not soldiers. Forget about constructive criticism; the response is always "Hey guy, I was a Sergeant-Major!" I swear, if they thought they could get away with making us do pushups and stand at attention, they wouldn't hesitate.

We need to reinstate the 1-year cooling off period for these jokers.

Re: Very Good Article

i second emotion this i have seen this go on for years of light duty, and the people who work get penalised when they say something.

Re: Bad is not the word!

Speak up or stand out--that's the ? that almost all feds confront when they have a bad-supvr situation. Do you speak up about it through avenues of redress (grievance, complaint, ULP, et al)? Or do you shut up and eat it?

My theory is, it's happening to you anyway, so you may as well speak up. If that supvr is gunning for you, you're not promotable anyway, so say something about it.

Having been through this more than once--and I'm an outstanding worker, BTW, w/awards and recognition to show for it until encountering these misfits--the greatest lesson I've learned is that there's more than 1 way to win.

I went through 1 appeal and lost--but got everything I asked for: that's a victory. I went through another and lost--but the bad supvr left: that's winning.

I've long since lost my promotability, but I now represent other workers, something I find very fulfilling and interesting--AND I also stay on top of my job. So virtue is its own reward, I guess.

Re: Bad is not the word!

Fed- DoDE....I loved that comment about using the system to file a formal complaint. I watched as a military type that was my wife's supervisor do eveything he could to destroy my wife's career. When she finally stood up and went to the union, she was told that she might as well just put up with it till she could find a new job. As far as the union reps here at Mac Dill were concerned, they would always side with the employer.

Re: Bad is not the word!

DoD/WG--I'm sorry to hear about your wife's bad experience. But just as there are good/bad wkrs and supvrs, there are good and bad unions.

I hope your wife got through it OK, but I too learned that lesson the hard way. Things finally changed when I encountered union people who knew what they were doing and who cared. That so motivated me that I became a steward and, later on, an officer.

Most feds don't learn about their appeal rights and how to use them til it's too late, the problem has escalated--and then they don't know if their reps know what they're doing. Not knowing your wife's situation, I don't know what she could've done. But I do know that to fight the system, you have to go through and use that system--IF the aggrieved indeed has valid grounds for fighting.

I hope your wife has since landed on her feet, b/c I know how traumatic that experience can be.

Re: Jealousy

Right on! The only individuals who can stand up to the noxious female supervisors are female employees. In our politically correct work environment, a man will be blown out of the water, but you can file the hostile working conditions and the harassment charges, or the health and safety violations. Think of the other women coming behind you. Of course, it helps to do it during your last week on duty before you transfer out, right before you turn off the light switch in your office. That way you can avoid "Cruella's" predictable reprisals.

Re: Jealousy

And we're glad to have you.