Soap Opera with the furlough at FAA:
First, let's recap what happened with FAA- Last week employees started with their furloughs. Everybody was ordered to take a furlough day- it was to be one 8 hour day per pay period for every employee, for up to 11 pay periods, starting last week.
Fast forward to last Thrusday- After some disruptions began with airline service due to staffing issues with FAA employees, the Senate rammed through a bill on Thursday to allow DoT to move Airport Improvement Construction funds over to the Operations and Payroll side of the House. On Friday, the House followed suit, and the FAA announced on Saturday that furloughs would be suspended effective immediately.
(Mind you- the House on Friday ALTERED THE LANGUAGE OF THE SENATE BILL BY ONE LETTER- "ACCOUNT" CHANGED TO "ACCOUNTS"....AND THEREBY REQUIRED THE BILL TO GO BACK TO THE SENATE FOR ANOTHER ROUND).
Many employees- but not all, were out on Friday last week furloughed. But many others (Union negotiations were held in some bargaining groups for which days would be which employees, furloughed- some branches of FAA wanted everyone off the same day, other branches of FAA mgt insisited on rolling staffing, etc).
So SOME people were off on furlough- and others were not.
Some mamnagers are telling folks to put in a leave slip and they'll get paid for the whole time. Others are saying no, Don't put in a leave slip, it wasn't your fault, you should get excused absence. Others are saying...YOU CAN'T put in a leave slip, because you are furloughed, and therefore you can't take annual leave.
Come Monday- SOME senior execs said "Hey, Congress fixed it- so just put in a leave slip, and you'll be covered".
Others said "No- you were on Furlough- so you can't get leave".
FAA MGT at several levels pointed to Human Resources for answers- "What do we do?" they ask.
HR says...."Hey, our staff was all ready to come in last Saturday and cut SF-50s for eveyrone on Furlough, but since the furloughs were cancelled, our staff didn't come on Saturday- and no SF-50's were cut. We don't KNOW what to do."
And said they (HR) will ask Dept of Trans HR for guidance.
Dept of Trans HR says.... yesterday... "We don't know what to do. We'll ask OPM".
Meanwhile, HALF the employees were out last week for furlough (or more than half, actually) . The REST were NOT furloughed, so they will be getting full paychecks.
Now OPM says...today... "We don't know what to tell you- we're going to ask the White House for guidance".
Some people are on MAXIFLEX- and want to work the extra 8 hours this week to make up for the 8 hours lost last week. One manager tells them Sure- go do it. Another manager says NO- HR won't let anyone work more than 40 hours this week.
SOME employees will be paid for 80 hours next week.
SOME employees will be paid only for 72.
SOME employees are now asking if they should fill out a leave slip.
SOME employees are refusing to do a leave slip, because they didn't ask for the time off.
SOME employees are asking if they should file grievances because of "disparate treatment" that some employees got furloughed while others did not.
So...here we are- a WEEK after the furloughs knocked half the work force out- .
and NOBODY knows :
1.what to do-
2. what people will be paid,
3. what people can and can't do for work...
4. and /or leave, and
5. whether or not people will be paid for 72 hours work this pay period, or
6. 80 hours.
It's a heck of a way to run a railroad, isn't it?
(sigh)
That "Light at the end of the tunnel" we thought we saw yesterday?
I'm pretty sure now that that is just a train bearing down on us.
Where did I say I don't appreciate my job? I'm not hungry so stop putting words in my mouth please. At this rate I wouldn't have to volunteer, sounds like you'd do the honor of putting my request in for me; so kind! :laugh:
