4 ms·

Obviously this is just a showy stake in the ground, but I was struck by this juxtaposition: > The bill would require that within 30 days of passing, every agen

by gumby 4y ago

Obviously this is just a showy stake in the ground, but I was struck by this juxtaposition: > The bill would require that within 30 days of passing, every agency returns to pre-pandemic arrangements. ... The bill would also require federal agencies to complete and submit to Congress studies outlining how pandemic-era telework impacted their performance. A legit process would be to do the studies first (not to mention surveying what has worked and not worked in the private sector), do some experiments, etc. This seems like a really good thing to direct the DoL to do: do some research and surveys, commission (fund) some external research projects, and then do some experiments. I'd really support that. We are trying some small experiments internally to try to blend the best of remote and in person. For example trying to record & transcribe in person meetings just as is done with Zoom meetings, and publishing them all internally. (So far the company is so small that it hasn't mattered much, but...)

dpkirchner 4y ago
> A legit process would be to do the studies first (not to mention surveying what has worked and not worked in the private sector), do some experiments, etc. This is exactly right and what representatives interested in good governance would sponsor. Unfortunately we put the wrong people in charge for that. (I guess, thankfully, they're barely holding things together given they couldn't even elect a speaker without trying 15 times, lol.)
pdonis 4y ago
> The bill would require that within 30 days of passing, every agency returns to pre-pandemic arrangements One thing that doesn't appear to have been considered is that even pre-pandemic, many government agencies already had fairly extensive telework programs.
- gumby 4y ago
  The wording, likely unwittingly, supports this, not forcing everyone into an office but “returns to pre pandemic arrangements”. So forest rangers and those who’d been working from home can keep on doing what they do. But what are “pre pandemic arrangements” anyway? Refund any raises? Force people who resigned or died to return? Keep working on completed projects?
yamtaddle 4y ago
The studies (hilarious when I assume the point of the bill is to increase efficiency—but here's a bunch of politically-motivated busy work!) are just fishing for things that can be cherry-picked for other anti-remote-work initiatives of all sorts. Making federal agencies run the studies saves conservative think-tanks and business associations from having to do as much of that work themselves. It's "free" (except to the taxpayer).

by gumby 4y ago

dpkirchner 4y ago

> A legit process would be to do the studies first (not to mention surveying what has worked and not worked in the private sector), do some experiments, etc. This is exactly right and what representatives interested in good governance would sponsor. Unfortunately we put the wrong people in charge for that. (I guess, thankfully, they're barely holding things together given they couldn't even elect a speaker without trying 15 times, lol.)

pdonis 4y ago

> The bill would require that within 30 days of passing, every agency returns to pre-pandemic arrangements One thing that doesn't appear to have been considered is that even pre-pandemic, many government agencies already had fairly extensive telework programs.

gumby 4y ago
The wording, likely unwittingly, supports this, not forcing everyone into an office but “returns to pre pandemic arrangements”. So forest rangers and those who’d been working from home can keep on doing what they do. But what are “pre pandemic arrangements” anyway? Refund any raises? Force people who resigned or died to return? Keep working on completed projects?

yamtaddle 4y ago

The studies (hilarious when I assume the point of the bill is to increase efficiency—but here's a bunch of politically-motivated busy work!) are just fishing for things that can be cherry-picked for other anti-remote-work initiatives of all sorts. Making federal agencies run the studies saves conservative think-tanks and business associations from having to do as much of that work themselves. It's "free" (except to the taxpayer).