I am a DoD employee and I WELCOME SEQUESTRATION but doubt they have the intestinal fortitude to actually let it happen. I just want to see someone stand up to these clowns and say the spending must stop and the cuts must begin. It will be tough to lose 20% of pay for the next 6 months but not as bad for me as for others who have bigger families or more bills. And I consider myself fortunate to have a job the past few years when many did not.
But why are these myths about federal employee salaries and retirement perpetuated? We are just like everyone else but happen to be employed by the government. A mixture of society which, in my experience (at least in DoD), appears to be more conservative as a percentage, than the general population. Many of us support sequestration and spending cuts, and are ready to make the personal sacrifice.
Federal employees have not received a cost-of-living raise in the past 3 or 4 years. Federal employees salaries are supposed to be similar to private sector jobs but we continually lag behind for comparable positions and responsibilities. And we must try to pay competitively to attract some of the best and brightest. Otherwise we end up with more of the not so best and brightest. Many employees work 50-60 hours a week without complaint or extra pay. The DoD mission is self-rewarding - supporting all the brave young men and women defending this country and serving far from home fighting our enemies. There are other federal employees in other agencies working just as hard. Not all of course, and yes, it is difficult to get rid of the slackers. Is the federal government bloated? ABSOLUTELY. Much can be cut, including people, but it has to be done correctly (and start quickly). Sequestration is only for show - few in power in Washington want to cut spending, regardless of party.
By the way, ANY federal employee hired after 1984 is covered by a 401K and Social Security, with a small defined retirement benefit (the govt. contributes 1% of pay to an account). So, any federal employee that started after 1984 gets a small pension based on years of service and salary, draws from their 401K and gets social security. That’s it! Not bad but dependent on how well your 401K performs and whether social security survives, pretty much like everyone else these days. Those who were here before 1984 (fewer and fewer) still have a pretty sweet retirement but it will eventually go away all together.
Let the cuts begin!
I admire your attitude and work ethic Jim-x.
Here's to hoping you all make it through the tough times without too much personal harm. I'm all about reducing gov spending, at the same time it pains me to see good men and women suffering.
I'm in the private sector - construction/engineering and the last 5 years have completely sucked! I've dealt with the reduced work weeks, no vacation or sick pay, etc.
It would be really easy for me to look down on Fed employees that maybe haven't suffered as much but that would be an easy escape and one that is totally undeserved in my opinion.
Yes we need to reduce Gov spending, my opinion is that you and folks like you that actually work for us should be the last to see cuts. There are plenty of welfare cases that do nothing that can be reduced before your ticket comes up.
Please know that there are plenty of us that appreciate your work and it pains us to see you suffering just as I know it pains you to see us in the private sector suffering.
This is all totally unnecessary and we here are all on the same side as far as politically correcting the situation we are currently in.
Government Workers Earn More Than Their Private-Sector Counterparts
The CBO study shows that federal employees earned an average 16% more in total compensation, meaning pay and benefits, versus workers at private companies. . . .
The CBO study compared workers of similar characteristics, including length of employment, level of education and occupation, based on government household data for 2005 through 2010.
Health and retirement benefits were on average 46% higher for federal workers with a bachelor’s degree; 71% higher for federal workers with some college; 36% for federal employees with a master’s degree; and 72% higher on average for federal employees with a high school degree.
Driving the big 16% swing higher in average total compensation for federal workers are the retiree benefits government workers get. Specifically, the CBO says that federal workers can get “both a defined-benefit pension and a defined contribution plan,” or 401(k), whereas private sector workers tend to only have 401(k) plans. Workers must contribute a percentage of their own salaries to participate in 401(k) plans while workers do not have to contribute to pension plans. . . .
A USA Today analysis of the federal “job for life” issue in July 2011 found that in 2010, federal workers enjoyed a 99.43% job security rate, and in many agencies, employees were more likely to die of natural causes than get laid off or fired by the federal government.
The paper also says the federal government fired just 0.55% of its workers in the budget year ending September 2010, versus a rate of firings in the private sector that was about six times higher, at around 3%.
In the private sector the spigots got turned off years ago. If you watch corporate earnings reports you constantly see street beats on earnings, but shortfalls in revenues. This means the companies are becoming more efficient.
You cannot say the same about government.
Well, the shareholders are getting restless.