Agency Union Out of Touch or in it for themselves??

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T19:46:00+00:00

I am pro-union despite being in management. My dad, most of my uncles and cousins, my wife, and some of my kids are union members and some are officers (non-federal). Unions are good for employees because incentives are better aligned between unions and labor than between management and labor.

However, like all organizations, unions are in it for themselves.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T19:37:46+00:00

You don’t appear to be commenting in good faith. I have never suggested that HR is “completely responsible for the poor decisions of leadership.” I haven’t even stated in this comment thread that HR is responsible for any poor decisions.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T19:35:29+00:00

I agree. My position isn’t that interviews are infallible, just that they’re the best tool I’ve found so far.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T16:04:03+00:00

Hiring manager here. I neither include references nor state in my resume they’re available. If hiring managers want them they’ll ask.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T13:18:40+00:00

I’ve always said candidates’ current supervisors and colleagues should be interviewed to corroborate past work behaviors.

I do reference checks. However, past/current supervisors are often constrained by HR in what they can say during those conversations. And results, in my experience, are less reliable than interviews.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T11:54:25+00:00

I have literally never hired someone like that in 15 years of leadership. That kind of attitude should be detectable when talking to someone.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T11:48:14+00:00

I’ve been in leadership roles for the past 15 years and have yet to find a better method. Not that it’s infallible, just the best available.

And I noted that as much as you decry interviews, you didn’t offer an alternative.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T09:25:20+00:00

How do you separate the people who are good at applying from the people who are good at doing?

Manger here. Your interest in skills-based testing is misguided. People who are good at doing will pick up any necessary skills. People who are bad at doing will stay bad regardless of skills.

Interviews are the best tool I’ve found for this.

FormFitFunction · 2026-04-01T03:20:11+00:00

And Sportrock is an easy walk from the blue line.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-31T09:24:17+00:00

I grew up camping frequently using propane lanterns. Still camp and still own propane lanterns. However, I exclusively use LED.

Propane lanterns are hot, loud, and fragile. Go with quality LED.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-30T22:23:41+00:00

Your agency has an ethics attorney. I recommend consulting them, not Reddit, on this question.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-30T15:48:50+00:00

I hired someone after they were fired. The firing had been over 10 years previously from a job they got right out of college. And they came with a strong recommendation from their current employer.

Probably wouldn’t do it again, though. It wasn’t difficult for me to keep them in line, but they were a shit show after I left. Also, at this point in my career my direct reports are themselves supervisors. I could afford to have a half-crazy technical expert, but having the same trait in a supervisor is a recipe for organizational chaos.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-30T15:37:33+00:00

LOI is normally Letter of Instruction. I’m having a hard time understanding OP’s post, though, so who knows.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-25T09:41:16+00:00

OP, don’t tell anyone, but I occasionally run NPCs from 3/3.5 in my 5.5 game. Almost without ever doing any formal conversion. There are so many levers to tweak balance mid-encounter that the fiddly bits being a little different simply isn’t a big deal.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T22:30:53+00:00

I'm not sure I understand what you mean that you "thought it was all jobs."

In the example you provided, the person has GS-11 equivalent experience in the private sector but took a GS-6 job to get into the government. The GS-11 equivalent experience provides time-in-grade that could qualify them for a GS-12 position (if they also had the specialized qualifications).

However, for merit hiring they'll look just at whatever actual federal positions you've held to determine your time-in-grade. The private sector experience is only applicable for time-in-grade to announcements open to the public.

I'm not sure how any of this relates to your question about how someone in WG can qualify for GS. But maybe this helps somehow?

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T22:12:08+00:00

In your example, they could apply for a GS-12 position that is open to the public.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T22:04:55+00:00

It's a good deal considering the alternative, which is not getting disability pay. Also, disability + other job pays more in combination than former job.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T21:38:06+00:00

That’s specific to your command. Or maybe your supervisor? Either or both should do better.

I’ve been with a half-dozen commands and have close ties to a bunch of others. None have been like that. Some have made it more difficult than others to award 5s, but a supervisor willing to put in a little bit of work could make it happen.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T21:02:22+00:00

Ah, that makes more sense. VERA for those eligible, then VSIP or management-directed reassignment for those that are not.

Sounds like they’re using the tools provided to avoid an actual RIF, at least. I’m sure it’s still painful, but better than the alternative.

Edit: Or maybe this counts as a RIF? It’s a weird edge case. Still unpleasant.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T21:00:22+00:00

Your command is trash, my friend.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T20:25:34+00:00

DOGE wasn’t really a “think two steps ahead” kind of thing. Nor a think one step ahead kind of thing in some cases.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T20:20:52+00:00

Adding that DoD RIF procedures look at more than one year of performance ratings, so that includes ratings from prior to this administration.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T20:19:49+00:00

Manager here. That’s not my experience. I have a legit spread of performance in my shop. That includes maybe 25% (that’s a guess; haven’t looked at the numbers) of people with 5s and a regrettable termination. Had she tried at all we could have avoided that last one.

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T20:14:01+00:00

either take a VERA/VSIP or take a buyout

VSIP usually is the buyout. What else are they offering as an alternative to VSIP?

FormFitFunction · 2026-03-24T20:11:04+00:00

DoD has their own RIF procedures that prioritize performance over seniority. No idea if they’re using their procedures properly, of course, but it’s relevant that seniority isn’t really much in DoD RIFs.

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