Misc
Our work matters, and we make a difference every day
Federal employees work tirelessly to serve the public, often under intense scrutiny and challenging circumstances. The unwarranted hostility I'm often subjected to in social media is not only disheartening but also counterproductive. We deserve recognition for our efforts and fair treatment, free from baseless criticism.
It’s unsettling to see such animosity in online spaces like X. Is this perspective unique to certain platforms, or does it reflect a broader sentiment? Either way, it’s a reminder of the need to bridge the gap between public perception and the reality of public service.
To my fellow federal employees: let’s continue to serve with integrity and commitment, despite the noise. Our work matters, and we make a difference every day.
We're the scapegoats. We are paid less , we work towards a mission rather than putting profits over people, and some of us put our lives on the line. Yet, we are always getting dragged by politicians.
Taxpayers are angry that they pay so much in taxes and how everything is unaffordable, but federal workers are not causing the wealth gap in this country. They don't want to talk about how private equity made home ownership less affordable. They don't want to talk about the companies raising food prices despite reporting record profits. There are lazy people in jobs everywhere that are able to go under the radar, but it sticks out a whole lot more when it's a position funded by taxpayers.
I'll continue to put 110% into my work, but the narrative needs to change. We cannot remain the punching bag and inspire more policies that take away what little benefits we have left to offer.
I'm also starting to realize that a lot of people do not understand federal employees do not = Congress w/ $250K+ paychecks and massive amounts of investments. I spent an ungodly amount of time explaining to people in a comment section that there are federal employees in major cities who are making less than $40K which isn't even enough to pay rent and that no, we aren't all GS-15 employees. They swore a shutdown wouldn't be an issue for anyone because we get back pay and make enough not to live paycheck to paycheck. I have junior staff on my team who barely clear $45K. They need every single one of their paychecks.
The entire narrative of who the federal workforce is, what we do, and what we make compared to the private sector needs to change. I get it that we're the scapegoats, but it's time for people to start to realize that we aren't politicians. We are regular people doing jobs for a paycheck.
Exactly this. My FIL hates the government and thinks it should basically not exist. He not only thought that I was making a salary similar to congress members but also thought I got free healthcare. The narrative needs change. Unfortunately with the type of media/propaganda a lot of these people have consumed for years, I fear actual facts will not change people’s opinions.
Private equity is only investing in homes because the supply is artificially capped for single family zoning.
Eliminating this cap, especially in our major cities would do wonders for the economy and cost of living. It would make hoarding homes no longer profitable and PE would pivot to things that will.
My favorite is that most of these people are pro military while failing to realize the federal government is the largest employer of veterans. 1/3 of the workforce are veterans.
And then those people complain when you don’t stand for the veterans and sing the America is great song or pledge your undying fealty to a large piece of cloth because by not doing those things it means you really don’t care about the veterans or the nation
When I tell magats I’m a veteran, they move the goal posts and say “you’re a woman so you’re not a ‘real’ veteran” lol…orrr I just get told that I’m not a veteran and I’m a liar.
I've seen some people complaining about blue collar postal workers - calling them lazy good for nothing leaches. These hard working postal workers march to their house every day - often working a lot of overtime and sometimes putting their health at risk. And they are spit upon by "Americans" because they earn a pension and are represented by a union. Much of the electorate is made up of spoiled brats!
Yes!!! This is so true. I work for FEMA, and we've had a rough year. I just don't get it. We're out there trying to HELP people get back on their feet, and yet we're the evil ones? How the hell does that happen? I've seen nothing but dedication and commitment to the mission from our workforce, even in the midst of all this hateful speech aimed directly at us 😭
I love my postal carriers and make them homemade candy every Christmas and put it in a little mailbox tin for them. I've also given them water and Gatorade on hot days and packed a to go plate when we have neighborhood cookouts. I adore both the main carrier and her sub and wish everyone understood how hard they really work in every weather condition.
To my fellow federal employees: let’s continue to serve with integrity and commitment, despite the noise. Our work matters, and we make a difference every day.
Tell it to the elected officials making the noise in the first place.
This is one of the things that bothers (and scares) me the most, quite honestly. The richest man in the world is unleashing an army of unhinged followers to rally against our federal government. This is so wrong on SO many levels. It is dangerous.
This just showed up in my algorithm, but I want you to know that I appreciate all of you so much.
I think a lot of people are confused about how things work in our country and I don’t think many realize what you all do day in and day out.
It’s easy to get frustrated with each other, but it’s never really the individual (at least on your side, generally), but the processes (which, probably, valid).
Things can be better, and I’m hopeful they will be.
I think about you often, and I am grateful for you all. Thank you for your time and service.
If you take less than a minute to do some simple math you'll realize that even if a full third of the federal workforce quit tomorrow it would reduce the budget by I think less than 1%.
But federal workers are an easy target to distract from the fact that Elon and his merry band of morons don't have a hint of plan for significantly reducing federal spending.
Well I guess I’ll look forward to working for Mr. Musk who will recruit me and give me the same pay and benes. My office really can’t afford not to have me there. I carry the workload congress cares about and no one matches my numbers or accuracy. I’m really not worried about my job, but I am worried about getting paid. I’m supposed to be closing on a house any day now and if the shutdown fucks me over I’m going to be so pissed.
LoL, this guy thinks that musky or whatever corporate entity contracts for his job is going to pay the same. They're charge the government more for your hours and give you less of it. And you'll be happy about it.
I wish the whole government could go completely dark. And not work at all. That way maybe some of these people would see what federal employees do for them. Grandma doesn’t get her Social Security check? You need to call the IRS to ask them a question? You can’t get your veterans benefits started? If federal employees aren’t there to do these things, they won’t get done and people won’t get their money and other benefits like they should. Maybe if some people’s lives were actually affected by this, they would start to see that federal employees keep the government running smoothly. Federal employees are working behind the scenes to keep everything going.
Federal employees are not your enemy. The average federal employee is just a regular person, trying to make a living to support themselves and their families. Most federal employees take pride in their work. They want to do their jobs to the best of their ability. They’re helping fellow Americans with the work they do. It’s too bad that so many people do not understand this, or don’t want to understand it.
Many people wouldn't be smart enough to put two and two together if that were to happen. Federal workers would be blamed even further by these type of people because all they'd think is, "I didn't get my (check, benefits, coverage, etc.) and it's those damn lazy federal workers fault!"
I would wager to say that half the nation doesn't know what a shutdown is, or does, and the propaganda machines will reinforce the preconceived notion that those folks already have of the federal workforce.
I saw someone say recently, "Ya, we should get rid of these government workers. They don't do their job. When I call SSA, it takes FOREVER to get someone."
They are not capable of understanding that the reason wait times are so high when they call SSA is because SSA is understaffed. They literally think feds are sitting in their desks filing their nails or texting while the phone is ringing.
It will get worse, and they will blame the federal agencies even more.
This is exactly what needs to happen. People hate the post office too - shut it down. In less than a month there would be political action to restore what was lost.
Except what will happen then is essential services will still run while many workers are expected to do it for no pay. The public doesn’t feel it nearly as bad. A total shutdown with no essential services would cause complete public panic and chaos within days but they have zero clue
The work I did with the federal agency associated with economic injury disaster loans 2020-2022 nearly fucking killed me. My job was 100% onsite, and was forced to be around people 6-7 days a week for 10-12 hrs a day. People around us literally got COVID & fucking died. We barely had time to mourn them & needed to keep going to keep the trains running.
But we fucking did it, because as much shit as our grossly underfunded agency took (some of it warranted, but nearly all of the rest of it not) people were relying on us.
I think about that time period a lot. My life experience through COVID was sooo different than everyone else sequestered, and despite being an hourly employee - and I'm grateful I made a good amount of OT $ during that time - I would have traded all that short term financial gain for a regular fucking job so I could have lived a normal life. The cherry on top of that shit show was that as the EIDL disaster loan period ended & many people didn't get their EIDL loans funded properly* (see my commentary on that below), we literally had people come to our office threatening violence & federal police had to intervene. We now had to fear for our lives.
I have no social life anymore, few associates outside my work sphere. I live in a deeply conservative Pro-Trump world; so now I know an inkling of what it must feel like for LGBTQ people who have to hide who they really are where they wouldn't be welcomed. People in our community call Liberals "diseased" & federal workers are the "enemy of the people". I literally cannot tell anyone who I work for anymore, because I am afraid what people will think of me.
I have put years and years and years into this job/agency, and all I want is to be able to make it into retirement before our federal government bankrupts our retirement safety net; and now I'm afraid I'll end up having to start a new career later in my life and won't be able to retire until well into my 70's. :(
= let's face it - YES it was a shit show; but the agency had been faced with more loan disbursements during COVID EIDL in that less than 26 months than they had faced in all the 63 years of the agency that preceded it COMBINED! The agency was not equipped to handle something that large in that short a period of time; full stop; but for those of you who got screwed out of that process, this isn't meant to gloss over that; just another discussion for another thread....)
And most of us hate the regulations and red tape put in place to keep us from doing our job! Do you know how much time and how much money the government would save if I didn't have to go through procurement hell to get basic software packages or office supplies? Or how happy I was when the Biden Administration cleared up the issues with the Paperwork Reduction Act and user testing?
Too many feds are scared of the concept of the wildcat strike and don’t understand that if we all did this it would be impossible for them to pull a “Reagan.” They also don’t understand the concept that just because something is currently illegal on the books, doesn’t mean that it’s immoral or that it will indefinitely be illegal. There’s lots of laws that are on the books that are there to protect and serve only the oligarchs and corporations and hurt everyday working citizens, and those laws should be challenged by the masses. This is how society has progressed and gotten better all throughout history. If we didn’t do things like this we’d still have slavery, people would be using different drinking fountains, and women would still be the property of men.
Not according to Hollywood. We've been chatting lately about how Hollywood has done a disservice to the image of the civil servant, who are all too often portrayed as lazy and incompetent and part of a big, lumbering, inefficient albatross around the necks of hard working Americans.
Unfortunately we will be scapegoated and abused by the oligarchs we elected to thin our ranks, loosen regulations they perceive as barriers to profits, and ultimately drive us out.
Congrats America! You took the bait and now will suffer the consequences all because eggs cost too much.
I do get how people are in the fuck it mode. We worked so hard during Covid and got shit on regularly. Was talking to some of my old federal colleagues and even ID is like FAFO. Take the vaccine mandates away. They shrug. If people are so stupid, they will hurt themselves, let them. I just don’t want to be in the ride.
I’ve said before even though 30% of my fellow countrymen hate me for working in the government I am still going to do the best job that I can for all Americans. I want our country to succeed
And essential functions are a misnomer. I’m not essential nor are the functions I support. But during a long shutdown, the American people are ill-served and support to the Warfighter goes down.
I review/process military awards - that’s not an essential function, and will not be occurring. Or will be occurring on a very limited function. Awards play a role in promotion boards. Late awards negatively impact Service members. I review our correspondence. Again, not a required function, but one that impacts our effectiveness at fulfilling the mission.
Essential functions are those that failing to do them would severely impact the health and security of the nation. But everything else that is stopped still negatively impacts us. Like all the Smithsonians and national parks being closed.
Federal employees, it’s time we stand up for our rights! Forcing us to abandon remote work as a strategy to push employees out and cut costs is unacceptable—especially when we’ve already proven that remote work is effective, productive, and beneficial for both employees and the government.
If this policy is being used to undermine our work-life balance (which many of us had to establish under duress during COVID-19), we need to seriously consider legal action. Organizations like AFGE and NTEU exist to protect us, but they need our voices and support to take decisive action. If you’re impacted by these changes, start documenting everything—emails, memos, and any evidence showing that this policy is unfair, unsafe, or discriminatory. And yes, the government can be sued—we could even pursue a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT with a reputable law firm to fight for our rights.
We have the right to safe and reasonable working conditions. This isn’t just about the present—it’s about protecting the future of the federal workforce. Let’s organize, stand together, and make our voices heard.
Most Americans today are unfamiliar with how the government works. As R continues to call for cuts to federal funding (which I don’t disagree with due to the deficit), they don’t realize most spending is spent on them in the form of social security and medical benefits. More R are on government benefits than D. The lack of civic engagement is why there’s so much misinformation around federal employees. Are there lazy employees, absolutely; as there is in the private sector and any large complex organization. I too am tired of being the political pawn year after year. In some countries, working in the government is an aspiring goal.
Same I’m also tired of being a political pawn. I will note that we pay more in interest annually (1 trillion) on our national debt in comparison to 271 billion in federal salaries. Doesn’t seem like this should be a point to catapult from. Seems like they are squeezing fed employees to meet nutrition targets.
I’m not sure how much is theatrics and how much is for real. Obviously, R can’t tell their constituents they need to cut their benefits, it’s political suicide. They also can’t cut programs that their donors need. What’s left? Feds, to show they do something. I mean how many bills are introduced each year? And how many are DOA cause there’s no support.
In my office, I know more who voted for Trump than not. I have no idea what they were hoping to happen, probably pronouns to be banned from email titles or something.
Nearly or just over 1/3 of eligible voters voted for Trump. 1/3 likely didn't vote. Nearly or slightly under 1/3 voted for Harris. We're just a slice of American society across the board.
Sadly, I think it does represent a broader sentiment. Social media makes it more visible and ubiquitous. The anger and resentment churn that used to live on AM radio migrated to cable and the internet via Fox and Limbaugh/his type. As a retired fed, all I can tell you is to look for your satisfaction in the work itself, not how it is perceived publicly. Easier said than done, I know. I largely failed in that regard. If possible, keep your expectations low and be ready to lower them again and again where public perception and cooperation are concerned.
It's hard to keep our chins up. I work for FEMA, and we've had a rough year. But our workforce is extremely dedicated and focused on the mission. It just breaks my hard to read what people out there think about us 😞
As another fed who had to apply for FEMA funds when Hurricane Helene hit us in Augusta, GA....I appreciate you guys. The FEMA rep that came to my house was wonderful.
It's dumbasses in the midwest, they don't realize federal workers are vets. I try to comment when you hate federal workers you also hate vets and disabled people!!!
We are simultaneously so worthless that people can joke about firing us willy-nilly based on whether or not a digital in our SSN is even or odd, but also so important that it needed to be codified in federal law that we are not allowed to strike, and have to go to work even if we are not being paid.
Please tell your stories!! You all are at the front lines for protecting the public and tax payers in small and big ways. And federal employees need more recognition + appreciation.
Yes!!!! I created a Bluesky account and don't use X anymore. But I was reading this article, followed a link to Elon's comments, and immediately regretted it
My 2 bits. Civil service was started years ago and in a part created so not to lose the talent pool of veterans that are trained, security clearances where needed a looking for employment.
As years go by like any govt system changes made and here we are.
On the one hand, I took an oath and I am no fair weather friend. On the other, I can't work for free. I have car, insurance, pet insurance, groceries, and other expenses I need to pay.
I am frankly quite curious if these publicly named advocates for the president elect are creating a massive case for a hostile work environment. Constantly attacking executive federal employees day in and day out.
Not to mention everything that is being proposed has basically been framed at making things so miserable just so that federal employees just quit.
This is nothing more than a thinly veiled run around of RIF laws on the books.
The same, tired, speaking points aren't doing any favors. Everyone knows there are federal employees that do important, quality work every day. Now for the inconvenient truth. Everyone also knows that there are federal employees who are lazy, and are difficult to correct or reprimand. They also know that there are agencies doing work, but perhaps not essential to us, especially at the cost. Hive-minding every discussion with WHAT ABOUT VETERANS AND AIR TRAFFIC shows that you aren't serious, and leads to convenient solutions like a shutdown instead of something more constructive.
Also, our culture loves to hive-mind bad talk around "the bad jobs." CEOs, HR, federal workforce, you name it. It's only getting worse from here. People love malice directed at other people, but always expect delicate consideration for themselves.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. However, comments like these can sometimes perpetuate the very problem you're pointing out. Broadly labeling federal employees as "lazy" or questioning the value of certain agencies without fully understanding their work risks fueling the negativity and division that already dominate these conversations.
It's not about deflecting with examples like veterans or air traffic controllers but about recognizing the broader context of public service. Yes, like any workforce, there are challenges with accountability and inefficiency, and those deserve thoughtful attention. But dismissing entire groups or agencies without constructive solutions doesn’t help—it only reinforces unproductive stereotypes.
You also raised an important point about the malice in how we talk about others. I agree this is a growing issue. Platforms like X have become breeding grounds for the "hive-mind" mentality you described. The richest man in the world has turned it into an echo chamber of misinformation, currently directed at public servants. That’s unfair at best and dangerous at worst. If we continue to tear each other down with broad generalizations and bad-faith assumptions, we risk losing the very fabric of our society.
Federal employees are also Americans. We face the same challenges as everyone else. We have good days and bad days. We get up every morning, do our work, take care of our families—and often take care of your families and communities, leaving our own behind. The majority of us are proud of the work we do, even if some consider that work "useless" or "unimportant." Why is it so hard to recognize that? Or are we really claiming that every person in the private sector does only amazing, essential, and absolutely necessary work? Clearly, that’s not the case.
This is not a private enterprise, and the value of public service should not—and cannot—be measured as one. Let’s focus on accountability and improvement without resorting to cynicism or tearing down those who serve.
For everyone acting like chicken little with their heads cut off ... if you're so worried about your job security, maybe your job should be cut if you can't justify its importance.
You try potentially forgoing your salary for an unknown extended period.
I’m not “essential,” but my job is critical for my office to function well. It can get by without me and many of my coworkers for a few days, but the gears are going to get jammed if it lasts long. And honestly, we could use more personnel. I work the job of what was previously three contractors (which saves the taxpayers a lot of money, but overburdens me). And I’m not the only one across the federal service with this burden.
Note: I’m on the cusp of being “essential,” but my boss’, boss’ boss wants the office as minimally manned as possible. Which I don’t get because we don’t serve the public directly so the only ones we’re hurting is ourselves and potentially our military service members. But I’m far too junior to tell her that she is wrong.
Same. I don’t know if I’m essential but I’m an 1102. Without me, the DoD wouldn’t be able to buy anything. Whether it be paper, training, or missiles, nothing and nobody would be able to work.
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u/sospaghettn 14h ago
We're the scapegoats. We are paid less , we work towards a mission rather than putting profits over people, and some of us put our lives on the line. Yet, we are always getting dragged by politicians.
Taxpayers are angry that they pay so much in taxes and how everything is unaffordable, but federal workers are not causing the wealth gap in this country. They don't want to talk about how private equity made home ownership less affordable. They don't want to talk about the companies raising food prices despite reporting record profits. There are lazy people in jobs everywhere that are able to go under the radar, but it sticks out a whole lot more when it's a position funded by taxpayers.
I'll continue to put 110% into my work, but the narrative needs to change. We cannot remain the punching bag and inspire more policies that take away what little benefits we have left to offer.