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Government employees, what's it like at your job?
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:20 am
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:20 am
Most people think government employees sit around and do very little work. What has you experience been? Could the job get done with fewer employees?
I worked at a fed and state agency in the past, there was little motivation and a lot of doing nothing. But, tasks did get accomplished. About half of the people took it seriously imo.
I worked at a fed and state agency in the past, there was little motivation and a lot of doing nothing. But, tasks did get accomplished. About half of the people took it seriously imo.
19
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:24 am to theliontamer
playing call of duty all day.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:26 am to theliontamer
In my experience, most who can’t cut it at a real corporation try and go be consultants. Most of them fail at that as well, so they go get middle manager positions with the government or get into politics.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:36 am to theliontamer
I have some family members that work for the State of LA and US gov. They are in the minority of people that work hard and get shite done. But they will tell you that it's not a meritocracy, longevity means seniority regardless of ability, and there's no real motivators to hustle and go the extra mile. They have moved up the ranks by making sure the right people know they are the hard workers and building relationships with the people that decide promotions and raises. They also parlay all that into small moves among departments and offices that will allow for vertical movement.
They know they can double their salaries by Monday if they move to the private sector but it's good job for people with kids that need time away from work to handle personal shite and they know their retirement is guaranteed. They wear out every govt employee discount they can find....Govx.com FTW
They know they can double their salaries by Monday if they move to the private sector but it's good job for people with kids that need time away from work to handle personal shite and they know their retirement is guaranteed. They wear out every govt employee discount they can find....Govx.com FTW
This post was edited on 7/1/25 at 10:39 am
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:37 am to BabyTac
I’m a MS state worker, but it’s a couple hours work and then rest of the day screwing around. Leave and benefits are great. I can take off pretty much when I want. 14 hours of PTO each month and it rolls over. Retirement A+. Pay is of course less than what you could do privately, but much less stress.
This post was edited on 7/1/25 at 10:41 am
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:40 am to theliontamer
quote:
Could the job get done with fewer employees?
Yes.
quote:
I worked at a fed and state agency in the past, there was little motivation and a lot of doing nothing. But, tasks did get accomplished. About half of the people took it seriously imo.
This is especially true with things like janitorial and “back office” paper pushers. I have 800 data closets, some that janitors have found ways to access (god damned key control dept), usually they set up little places to “hide” when they should be sweeping and mopping. The back office paper pushers women spend half their day “getting their steps in” or eating cake to celebrate something.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:48 am to BabyTac
quote:
In my experience, most who can’t cut it at a real corporation try and go be consultants.
In my field, consulting pays more and affords more flexibility
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:48 am to theliontamer
quote:
Could the job get done with fewer employees?
Yes but you’d work them to death and they wouldn’t get paid as much as private. There is also no incentive to do more bc of no bonuses or merit increases.
I’m not sure why everyone wants everyone to be miserable working their entire life. As long as someone is doing their job within an allotted time, why does it matter if there is some free time? People need breaks. I use my free time to study or research in my field to better understand my work.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:50 am to BabyTac
quote:
most who can’t cut it at a real corporation try and go be consultants. Most of them fail at that as well, so they go get middle manager positions with the government or get into politics.
There are brilliant engineers that left private to be at state level bc the private firm made them work OT or weekends too often and they wanted a family.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:22 am to theliontamer
I work for the state of LA in IT. People always want their computer working. It doesn't matter if you are public or private sector. The IT people always get called when the computers are not working properly.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:30 am to theliontamer
I work for the federal govt. I manage 3 offices and make the same as if I managed 1 office. One of the offices has had no office employees so I have had to do that job as well. I am backed up at least a half a year on work and I have turned in over 20 hours of leave each of the last 3 years that I couldn’t take. For 4 years under the last administration i was called a racist and now I’m called a leach and parasite. I could say the hell with it and be sorry and just not do the work but I’m not wired that way. I enjoy helping people that need it.It’s a living hell but I have been in to long to change careers. Ask me anything
This post was edited on 7/1/25 at 11:32 am
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:45 am to Lugnut
So you manage an office that has no in house employees and you just do their jobs?
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:46 am to theliontamer
quote:The slackers are going to spend all day chit chatting, socializing, and looking at their phones. They won't be disciplined because they hit the bare minimum of their responsibilities and because of all of the work they put in socializing and kissing the right asses.
Most people think government employees sit around and do very little work
So... not much different than the private industry, except the people who are hard workers and carry the load don't have much to show for it as there are no production based bonuses or incentives.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:46 am to theliontamer
I work in the private sector, but closely with government employees. I am hired privately to consult for various entities on how to operate a federal program that is administered/monitored by state governments.
All I can say is I've seen several of their people (state employees) cross over to my side (private consulting) for more money, more flexibility, and more autonomy. I've seen exactly zero people cross from my side to theirs.
All I can say is I've seen several of their people (state employees) cross over to my side (private consulting) for more money, more flexibility, and more autonomy. I've seen exactly zero people cross from my side to theirs.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:47 am to theliontamer
It’s a constant headache dealing with upper management that doesn’t know shite and citizens complaining because they don’t know shite.
I don’t know if it’s possible to have less people in my department because it’s only a couple of us.
I’m in an essential department yet we are constantly told that we can’t buy stuff because we ‘have no money’ yet they will open up the bank for stupid shite that will be used once.
I don’t know if it’s possible to have less people in my department because it’s only a couple of us.
I’m in an essential department yet we are constantly told that we can’t buy stuff because we ‘have no money’ yet they will open up the bank for stupid shite that will be used once.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:49 am to theliontamer
Yes
Posted on 7/1/25 at 11:57 am to Hu_Flung_Pu
quote:
There is also no incentive to do more bc of no bonuses or merit increases.
This. I work between 2 departments. When I moved to my current position I was "promised" that I would get the pay raise that came with my position plus a 3-5% raise on top of that because I would be working both departments.
I never got the 3-5% bump yet management is trying to get 2 new guys raises yet they don’t know their job much less my job.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 12:34 pm to chryso
hey what happened to our network yesterday? :D it was down! (iberville building)
Posted on 7/1/25 at 12:36 pm to theliontamer
quote:
Government employees, what's it like at your job?
Lots of free time.
High pay, higher pensions and little responsiblity.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 12:37 pm to Duckhammer_77
quote:
I have some family members that work for the State of LA and US gov. They are in the minority of people that work hard and get shite done. But they will tell you that it's not a meritocracy, longevity means seniority regardless of ability, and there's no real motivators to hustle and go the extra mile. They have moved up the ranks by making sure the right people know they are the hard workers and building relationships with the people that decide promotions and raises. They also parlay all that into small moves among departments and offices that will allow for vertical movement.
They know they can double their salaries by Monday if they move to the private sector but it's good job for people with kids that need time away from work to handle personal shite and they know their retirement is guaranteed.
This. I've worked in both private and public sectors and have run into brilliance and ineptitude in both. I've found that government will do far more "feel good" things (like hiring the developmentally disabled, then put them in a corner and never get rid of them because it meets some unnamed quota) and tolerate expensive dumbassery more often because of the lack of a profit motive, but it's not nearly as bad as many make it out to be (for the real issues, like endless and expensive studies on bridge placement, that requires the upper echelon of management).
The real draw of the public sector (at least here) is the pension and the amount of time off you can accumulate.
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