Federal Diary Live

The Post's Stephen Barr is the author of The Federal Diary, which runs Monday through Friday in the Business news section. Steve has been a reporter and editor at The Post since 1979, including stints as Federal Page editor, congressional editor and a National staff writer covering federal management and workplace issues. He began writing the column in May 2000, and takes the column live to answer your questions Wednesdays at noon ET.

The transcript follows.

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Stephen Barr: Thanks to all joining this discussion today. Congress is back, and we'll be watching to see what, if any, changes are in the works. House Democrats are working on their promised first 100 hours of agenda change, and one provision tackles a long-standing sore point with unions--the ban on collective bargaining for TSA airport screeners. This and other legislative proposals by the House require Senate approval, and we are likely weeks from knowing what Congress has in mind for federal employees this year. With that, on to your questions and comments.

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Atlanta, Ga.: Stephen, Just a report from the field regarding your Jan 2nd column. At my agency, travel is way down, just like your column predicts. However, our training budget actually has money in it, so I can do some limited travel. I'm fortunate enough to work for a team leader who saw the situation brewing months ago and started planning for it and reallocating our priorities back then.

The agency is also posting jobs and going through the motions necessary to replace retirees, though I am not aware of any recent hires.

On a different note, I find that reading Amy Joyce's "Life at Work" columns and discussions makes me less likely to criticize the federal system. My pay may not be as high as it could be in the private sector, but I have never experienced any of the problems Ms. Joyce regularly covers -- the government has never played games with my TSP contributions and their matches, my raises have always happened when they were promised, my travel expenses have always been reimbursed somewhat promptly, etc.

washingtonpost.com: New Leaders' Decisions Could Significantly Affect the Government Workforce, ( Post, Jan. 2)

Stephen Barr: Hello, Atlanta. Your comments are on point--most federal benefits are safeguard by laws passed by Congress and that prevents the kind of tampering that you see in the private sector. When you're young, those protections are sort of taken for granted, but when it comes time to look toward retirement, etc., an appreciation for the federal system grows.

Good luck navigating the shoals of the CR this year! Sounds like your managers were planning as best they could.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Stephen,

I've been working for USAID for seven years as a PSC (Personal Service Contractor) and I've spent time in Kosovo, Iraq, Sudan and many other places but I'm not recognized as an employee of the USG although I put my life on hold to serve the USG which I'm happy to do. My only issue is that I have absolutely nothing to show for it after 7 years (since the government doesn't recognize PSCs) and I'm curious if this will ever change. I knew what I was getting into when I first started working for USAID, but after 7 years I've started a family and I want more. Why won't the USG recognize me? I love my job and I love serving my country but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave for the private sector in order to get decent benefits, etc..... Why does the USG allow this. I've been in same position for 7 years and a if a PSC is in the same position for 7 years than there's a problem. Thank you.

Stephen Barr: You raise a good point. I'm not expert on the contract workforce, but unfortunately personal services contracts do not carry the same job protections, benefits and other advantages of full-time, permanent civil service employment.

Having said that, you are right to point out that something is wrong in a system that keeps a person on contract for seven years. That sounds like a way of getting around personnel ceilings or other budgetary restrictions.

But, with all your experience, I would look for a civil service job at the State and Defense departments. Or, as you say, try to find a private-sector company that would at least give you a benefit structure for your family obligations. Best of luck!

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Washington, D.C.: All you whiners out there about the federal pay raise should just shut up. Government jobs are the best on earth, and I can prove it. I'm a 36 year old high school graduate working as a GS-9 secretary.

As of now, I'm making nearly $60,000 a year. I have 26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid holidays and am off every other Friday because I work a compressed work schedule. Assuming I take all my sick days (which I don't; I have a substantial reservoir), I work 185 days a year, or 35 40-hour workweeks. Plus I have very little to do, so can read good books, surf the 'Net or whatever for much of the day.

Friends tell me I'm wasting my talents and should try to move on. I think they're jealous.

Stephen Barr: Interesting. Folks, what do you have to say about this?

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Winchester: Hi Mr. Barr,

Did Federal employees have to use personal leave last Tuesday for ex President Gerald Ford? If not, how much money did this cost the taxpayers in unproductive man hours?

Thanks.

Stephen Barr: President Bush declared a national day of mourning and closed the federal government, except for offices that provide essential services. The employees did not have to take personal leave. I don't have a government-wide estimate, but the federal employee payroll in the Washington-Baltimore area runs about $76 million per work day.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Last week you answered my question on the possible repeal of the WEP. I would now like to ask how does one follow the progress of this and other legislation on Social Security.

Thanks.

Stephen Barr: Your best bet is the "Thomas" web site at the Library of Congress.

At that site, you'll see a bill search feature. One bill that has been introduced is H.R. 82, by Rep. Howard Berman of California. Search for that bill and you will come to a "bill status" link that shows where the legislation is in the congressional system. Hope that helps!

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Washington, D.C.: For the 36-year-old GS-9 Secretary -- I would not go around and tell too many folks about what you just posted. Having little to do, surfing the net all day, etc. on a $60,000 salary is the reason why the last Congress was on a roll to outsource us Feds. I have plenty to do and most often can not keep up with the workload. Most of my colleagues were outsourced -- once they left my agency and I am only one of a handful of Federal Workers in my IT Department. What you posted is a scary thing to brag about because you find yourself out of a job if you have little to do.

Stephen Barr: Well said, D.C.

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kudos on the happy government employee: First time I've heard any federal employee on this chat do something besides whine. Some of us who have been trying for years to get federal jobs would trade places with these people in a heartbeat...

Stephen Barr: Best of luck!

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Re: Unproductive man hours: For the poster from Winchester who commented on the day of mourning for President Ford -- the deadlines did not change, even though there was one fewer workday on Jan 2. So employees catch up by working harder/longer on subsequent days in order to keep to the deadlines.

Stephen Barr: Good point!

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Washington, DC: I can sympathize with the person who thinks Federal employees have it good, as that's what I think every time I compare leave time with a private-sector person. But it's just the unfairnesses that irk -- people paid to work out of their homes in Miami, people given Presidential awards of merit who spent most of their time in iron lungs or oxygen tents. It really hurts.

Stephen Barr: Iron lungs?

I could say something about the quality of federal management, but I won't . . .

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Rest-of-U.S. GS-er: I am a Federal employee and if I were the GS-9 secretary with very little to do, frankly I'd be embarrassed. Why not volunteer for more work? Why not take training so you can learn more skills? Why not take college courses? If you really have so much time on your hands, I doubt if your coworkers respect you for being idle during the workday. And if the time comes for RIFs, I'd be worried. (I worked in an agency that had RIFs previously. You can guess who went first -- those who were expendable.)

I think the Federal employees who complain are those who are stuck in career paths that top out at salaries below what they could make in the private sector, not those who admit they are overpaid for the work they do.

By the way -- she must work in a different locality than I do because the GS-9 secretaries in my agency make in the $40s/$50s (the pay scale here does not go into the $60s at a GS-9) and all GS-9 secretaries are high-level secretaries. They work for the assistant directors and are very busy.

Stephen Barr: A set of good points. Thanks!

Anyone out there think the original poster engaged in some creative license to rile us up?

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Re: Washington, DC: I note that this chatter didn't mention which agency he/she works for. Unfortunately, I have witnessed similar under-utilization of civilian administration employees during my 26 years in the military, especially at the Washington headquarters office where the military members come and go frequently. Seen worse cases, actually. Most don't want to take on the time-consuming and unpleasant task of dealing with such employees esp. since they possess a lot of corporate knowledge, which the new military member comes to rely on. It's wrong, I know, but it happens.

Stephen Barr: Thank you.

Well, maybe it wasn't made up.

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SSAer in Md.: Any word on Congress addressing the shortfall in SSAs appropriations if there turns out to be a CR for the entire year to avoid furloughs.

Stephen Barr: Hi, Maryland. I've not seen anything in writing, but promises are being made to help agencies avoid furloughs and layoffs. We should know more next month.

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Arlington, VA: I'm a government employee fairly happy with my pay and extremely happy with my benefits, but I think a federal employee with little to do is rarer than than an increase in the minimum wage. Everyone I know and work with is heavily overworked. I love my work, but I just have too much of it.

So please take happy-employee's version of the federal workplace as one where we read and surf the 'Net all day as a fantasy.

Stephen Barr: Thanks, Arlington. With the spread of blackberries and other devices, I think we're all busy all the time now.

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shortfall in SSA if CR?: For the non-feds here, what is he talking about?

Stephen Barr: CR stands for Continuing Resolution, an interim funding bill used by the Congress since Oct. 1 because most federal agencies have not received their fiscal year 2007 budgets. Under the CR, agencies are funded at the lowest possible level--their 2006 budget, a House proposed budget or a Senate proposed budget. Regardless, the agencies are not keeping up with their overhead costs--pay raises and operating expenses--and have to tighten up their belts, usually by cutting back on travel and hiring.

For agencies where 80 percent and 90 percent of the budget involves people, these restrictions can force agencies to cancel work days as a way to reduce costs. It almost never happens, but many employees remember the 1995-96 government shutdowns because of budget impasses.

Hope that helps.

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Washington, D.C.: That GS-9 employee is disgusting! To sit there and brag about not working is exactly what the taxpayers and private-sector employees think when they think of government workers. Most of us are hardworking, conscientious employees who never would read books on our government time. Right now I am working on a project while I eat my lunch. I tune in to federal diary because it applies to my workday, but I rarely get my own time at lunch. GS-9er, watch out because secretarial positions are becoming less and less needed in the government. A good Federal manager can find a way to have you fired. I know because I've done it! Please don't forget that you can be terminated!

Stephen Barr: Thanks, D.C.

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New fed, D.C.: When you say "cancel work days," what do you mean exactly? Leave without pay?

Stephen Barr: Yes. They are called furloughs in most parts of the government. SSA has said it will have to tell employees to stay home without pay if Congress does not resolve a pending budget shortfall.

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Clifton, Va.: My bro works for one of the big three accounting firms and earns more annual leave than I do per pay period and I earn the max of eight hours. He also can work from home if the weather is bad or his car is in the shop. No need to take annual leave. I am a Level III OSD employee and my bonus -- the last one I will ever see with NSPS now in effect -- was approximately $3k; his was $12k. He also makes approximately $120k compared to my $90k. So anyone who says Feds have it better needs a reality pill. He also has unlimited sick leave. So swallow your pill.

Stephen Barr: Thanks, Clifton. In sifting through data, I've found it is really hard to compare compensation between the federal and private sectors. For example, many readers regularly remind me that they get "step" increases, which are not used in the private sector. On the other hand, high-performing federal employees don't get stock options, either.

I think most of us are in the game to do work we find interesting, and that's a good game for many federal employees.

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IT Supervisor Fed: Within my agency, the workloads are ever-increasing with shortened timeframes. The demands on my time and that of my staff just continue to grow. Our administrative assistants keep dwindling in number and there is no free time for them. I'm sure they'd love to have the person with nothing to do come work with us so she can see from a truer perspective what it's like to work for the government in 2007

Stephen Barr: Thanks much!

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Woodbridge, Va.: Have there been any changes on the rules concerning the rehiring federal retirees? Can they return to work and keep their pensions just like their military counterparts?

Stephen Barr: Some agencies, like Defense, can bring back retirees under certain circumstances, without the offset. Other agencies need approval from OPM.

Hearings were held last year on this issue and it appears that there is interest in Congress and at OPM in loosening the rules. We shall see.

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Baltimore, Md.: Another SSAer -- during the last furlough, I worked in a position determined to be essential, and therefore I worked while many others stayed home. Now that I am in a position deemed "non-essential", I wouldn't mind a few days off without having to use my leave. Just another perspective.

Stephen Barr: Thanks for that perspective.

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Cupertino, Calif.: Why don't Federal Agencies use more Macs?

Stephen Barr: This is a query for the IT experts, but I suspect that most agencies went with Windows-based systems because it provided a standard, off-the-shelf product that could be administered easily in large organizations.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Just a comment on the GS9 with very little to do -- I've seen this in my career with the federal government. The employee should look for a more challenging position. Keep in mind that it is management that assigns work to the employees. She just may have a lazy boss or one not willing to delegate.

Stephen Barr: Thanks, Woodbridge.

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Silver Spring, Md.: In my agency secretaries were one of the first groups to go through A-76 and many grades were reduced and positions eliminated in order for the government to win the bid. Many employees here work week-ends and holidays to make their deadlines and constantly have to worry if they will be next on the A-76 chopping block.

Have some pride in your service to this country and look for more work to do and earn your $60k. If you need work, please come and see me -- I have plenty.

Stephen Barr: Good point, Silver Spring.

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Fairfax, Va.: I am a retired military officer who had two tours of duty in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. I worked side-by-side with many GS employees who worked hours a week during routine times and more during crises -- with no overtime. Admittedly, I met one or two folks who were like the GS-9 secretary above, but the majority were overworked and underpaid. I salute them.

Stephen Barr: Thank you.

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Washington, D.C.: I am an IT person with the Feds. When PCs first became available to the workforce years ago, Macs mainly were used for desktop publishing and Windows-based PCs were more for running dBase programs that were largely used in the '80s. Now the Macs are as much or more versatile than Windows-based workstations. However the Macs are still more costly and require different protocols to connect over Government Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks. I think it may be because of an old-school mentality and the cost that keeps Macs little-used in the Federal Workforce. Just my take on this.

Stephen Barr: All good points. Thanks for your insights.

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Manassas, Va.: For the GS-9 -- try to apply yourself. You'll be a GS-15 with nothing to do...

Stephen Barr: You got the last word, Manassas. Thanks for the chuckle.

Once again, we've run out of time. Thanks for your participation and for taking the time to read this transcript. We'll be back here at noon next Wednesday!

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