Posted on 02/02/2025 2:56:38 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Many of the 2.3 million people working for the federal government have until Feb. 6 to decide whether to take a “deferred resignation” offer announced by the Trump administration, which its FAQ page says includes full pay and benefits until the end of September.
Since retiring from a career in professional poker, I’ve written books about how we can make better decisions, and I coach executives and others on the skill. I am not in the business of telling people what to decide, but in helping people with how to decide. That is what I did this week when two government workers (independently) sought me out for help.
I gave each of them a handful of prompts that required them to take into account their own values and goals as they considered the offer. They each reached a decision that feels best for them. (No, I will not share where they landed!) One appreciated the framework so much that he gave the gist of it to colleagues. After getting that feedback, I crafted a list of prompts here for anyone to use.
There are legal questions swirling around the program that could remain unanswered by the deadline. That’s why I recommend first working through these prompts imagining that the terms will be met in full. Then, I recommend running through them again imagining the terms aren’t fully met.
We need to create distance from the moment at hand when we’re faced with a tough choice so we prioritize long-term, not short-term, thinking, which can be in conflict. There’s a lot of evidence that when we do this mental time travel, we improve our decision quality. That’s why the best decision-making tools nudge us to think about the future. That’s what these decision prompts are...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Probably her friends. Not sure I would take career advice from a gambler. And yes, I know she's written books.
You gotta make the next offer for only 7 months pay, down from 8 months. Then they’ll start to pick up on the cost benefit analysis.
If you are a paper shuffler who does not want to show up at work, take the buy out.
I’ve got a fairly simple decision guide for the Federal workers:
1. Did you engage in anti-American activities while employed by the US government? If no, stay and take your chances. If yes, take the buyout and abscond to Belize.
2. Is your current position a no-work sinecure? If no, stay and take your chances. If yes, take the buyout and abscond to Belize.
3. Are you a rabid anti-MAGA partisan who has or will obstruct President Trump’s agenda? If no, stay and take your chances. If yes, take the buyout and abscond to Belize.
That should about cover all possibilities.
Paywall? No thanks.
“...these decision prompts are...” ???
[maybe one of those 12.io links?]
The offer on March 1st will offer full pay and benefits until the end of Ju!y, I am guessing. The April offer will cover until Memorial Day.
And the May first offer will be ‘you’re fired, pack your desk...’
1. Picture yourself a year from now under four scenarios, where you are either unhappy or happy.
2. Take a deeper dive by doing a “premortem," an exercise where you imagine a future where things have gone poorly and you explore how you got to there.
3. When trying to decide between two paths, it is helpful to consider which is more likely to expand your opportunities.
4. We have a tendency to discount the chances things will change. If you reject the offer, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will keep your job.
5. If you are leaning toward accepting the offer and you assumed the terms were met in full, I recommend running through the prompts again and assume they were not met in full.
6. One last thing: It is often helpful to get outside opinions.
The first offer is always the best offer
Thanks!
Best to get job hunting before the competition gets much greater!
Yes, because this is the easy way. Next step is your job will be defunded by Congress and you will not get such a good deal
There are scores of those in category 3 in government. Sitting around at their job hating orange man and hating Republicans. That is what this buy out is for, but they have to give a blanket offer.
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