Posted on 01/09/2017 10:00:45 AM PST by RightGeek
When James McHugh typed up a batch of letters the other day, his boss sent them back. ''They were red-penciled,'' said Mr. McHugh unhappily. ''I had to do them over again.'' As a secretary, McHugh, who once directed a staff of 10 people and administered $27 million in Federal grants, does not know his carbon paper from his Ko-Rec-Type. Yet the Federal Government is paying him $46,000 a year to type.
...
In a bizarre twist, the Federal use of the "reduction in force," or RIF, has turned thousands of highly paid specialists like Mr. McHugh into secretaries, file clerks and even animal handlers. A sampling:
- At the National Institute on Drug Abuse, H. Noble Jones, a $47,000-a-year public health adviser, has been demoted nine civil service grades to a job typing letters and photocopying reports.
...
- At the Education Department, a $33,000-a-year graphic artist who once designed artwork for departmental publications has been reassigned as a clerk-typist.
....
The system works like this: A ''riffed'' worker, depending on seniority or veteran status, is entitled to bump a less-senior or nonveteran employee and take the job. The senior employee can remain in the lower job, without loss of pay, for two years.
In theory, the system protects Federal workers from events beyond their control, such as the Reagan budget cuts. In effect, it gives them two years to find another job. In practice, it is humiliating.
As it turns out, the Federal work force has been cut, through RIF's and attrition, by nearly 50,000 employees since President Reagan took office.
...
In other cases, while some agencies are dismissing employees, others are hiring. At the Defense Department, for instance, nearly 35,000 new positions were created between January 1981 and the end of January 1982.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Exactly. When dimoKKKRATS are being fired it is all boo-hoo from the msm. When it is Republicans being let go that is a good thing according to the msm.
thanks for posting this. I have been worried about how he is going to get rid of so many union worker who are protected in the govt.
The story of the workers who stole like 400k from the VA and still have their jobs just blows my mind.
Wilbur Ross & Carl Ichan will be ruthless in draining the swamp
we can expect 800,000 non-essential federals to be gone by 2021
If they are non-essential why are they employed in the first place?
In the end though we will all suffer a bit or more than a bit. I am not pained by draining the swamp. Not one iota.
I am concerned though that it will be done without redution in cost.
Screw union workers.
Typically the RIF-ees get escorted to the door and maybe join their fellow newly-unemployed for a last drink at the cheap bar down the street.
Getting rid of the Federal unionized workforce requirement should be job #1, then let the wailing, gnashing of teeth and rending of garments commence!
Perhaps the NYT should consider that the fedgov does not NEED 250,,000 “highly trained specialists” and is NOT a jobs program. These highly trained specialists can probably find much better gigs in the service or fast food industries.
during the big budget battles a couple of years ago, 800,000 were deemed non-essential
:)
Amen to that! There should be a constitutional amendment that makes it illegal for ANY government employee to unionize — federal, state or local!!!
I survived the Reagan stuff. I was just out of college and I recall explaining to my kids how tough it was to find a job. I worked at the grocery store for six months before I found a “real” job. I should have stayed at the grocery store!
I recently came through this “recession” having closed my business and attempted to find a job in my old field. Finally after two and a half years I took a job similar to that which I got in 1985.
One day, when I did something for my current box rather quickly, I explained to him: Many years ago, in this situation, I was your boss’ boss. I don’t think he really read my resume! It was funny.
I am happy and I am productive. I am helping my boss got through a merger and they are cutting his responsibilities in half. I used to be the M&A guy for my field in my old life.
I am grateful to have this opportunity, but it ain’t easy out there for mid-50+ white guys looking for executive positions.
“If they are non-essential why are they employed in the first place? “
There is a difference between the minimum number of people required to keep the lights on and do the barest of job functions, and the number which represents fully and efficiently staffed. Granted, there is a lot of bloat, and associated deadwood that can be cut. Prepare for there to be a lot of howling, especially if they cut non-merit-based hires.
Won’t hurt some of the overpaid political asskisser hacks to learn how to do some useful work for a change - typing might be something they might be able to learn
But, under Obama logic, “You will have more FAMILY TIME”!
Kind of the Peter principle in reverse. Too sweet.
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