There are some like your Dad and unfortunately they are the exception rather than the rule. I retired from the Fed and experienced the effect the flotsam has on the operation of our government.
Within the V.A. system the rule was “F-— up and move up”. I saw it far too frequently. Someone who desperately needed to be fired got transferred, sometimes with a promotion, to another facility. Shootings, rape, employees having sex in closets, nursing home staff charging patients for sexual favors; man, you only have to name it.
I’m glad your Dad is hanging in there to pass on his knowledge. A friend at Redstone said the Fed is on the verge of losing a massive amount of brain power through looming retirements.
FrogDad is my hubby of 47+ years.
I, too, have seen the promote-them-to-get-them-the-hell-out-of-here mentality.
I also believe it’s true that 20% of the people do 80% of the work in government agencies.
Let’s give credit to the 20%. Not ALL civil servants are leeches.
unfortunately, the VA is not the only gov't system where this exists. Buddy of mine is a manager for my local city. He inherited an employee that was a total screw up. Completely without any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
After giving the guy far too many chances, my buddy went to his manager and said "I know I'm new here, but what am I going to do with this guy?"
Manager told him, approximately, that it would be faster to go down to the problem employee's cubicle, shoot him, do the time, and come back to work....than to try to navigate the firing process.
So, my buddy did exactly what happened to him....when the next sucker, erm new manager, came in...the problem employee was foisted off onto the new guy.
My tax dollars at work.