https://www.foxnews.com/opinio...om-zelenskyy-blow-up

Well said!

Hound Dog (and others),

This is my personal opinion and I mean no ill will or wish any hardship on you...

While I sympathize with you, this is something most at-will employees have had to deal with in their careers.

Because of the dysfunction of our government, you are in a little different spot. Not that you asked my opinion, but I would respond to the "5 bullet" e-mail without giving up sensitive information.

I was "riffed" once along with any entire engineering department because the company was in financial trouble (like our government). I was the most senior person in that group and was 1 step away from VP. I had been there 17 years. I had never received a merit rating below 5 on a 5-point scale. I was always the go-to guy for things within my expertise and outside (I led a lot of special projects). I was told my job had been eliminated the day after I received an occupancy permit for a $17 million dollar expansion of a manufacturing site (it was completed early and under budget). I was given 6 months severance for my time (less than those in the government who have been offered a buyout are getting).

I have a family member that has worked for the same company for over 20 years. Every year this kind of thing happens. You present your argument of why you are an asset to the company and if you cannot provide proof that you provide more value than you cost the company, you are gone.

In my experience, this is how many companies are run.

It sucks. But this is what many non-government and self-employed forum members deal with at some point in their life.

I wish you and your colleagues the best. People lose jobs everyday through no fault of their own. Many take the challenge head on and overcome it. I did so by landing an even better job (better pay, better benefits, more personal satisfaction, etc.).

Again, I know you did not ask for my opinion. Do with it what you will.

Best,

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bozman,

I'm self-employed and start every Monday out $1000 in the hole for the week. I'm 100% commission and I don't know where my next check is coming from. But I make more now than I ever did working for the man.

When I worked for the man, I have gone to work twice and the doors were locked and lights were off. I've been fired three times. This is normal life in the non-gov't. employee world. I'm having a hard time working up any sympathy for people being offered eight mos. of severance or being asked to jot down five things they accomplished the previous week. I don't think I've ever had a salaried job where I didn't have to do that every Friday. I was doing it on paper before email existed.

My son works for the .Fed and not everyone is being given severance. These are real families just like the pipe line workers were. In my son’s case he had a lengthy hiring process and took a pay cut. If he is fired there will be nothing to help them relocate or hold them over until he finds another job. Because he is on probation there won’t even be unemployment. It seems like there is not much thought just cut, cut, cut. I agree that there needs to be a huge evaluation and overhaul but this feels wildly unorganized.

This is going to be painful for many, including people I personally know.

It is necessary. Even if we lose good people and it is done in a way that does not make sense to us. This needs to be done quickly for many reasons.

The days of "Get yerself a gubment job and be set for life" have to come to an end quickly.

^^^^^^^^^ I totally agree with both of your posts boz. Spot on.

Like The "Boz", I've BTDT, and I agree with him 100%. I didn't like it, I hated the company for doing it, but I understood it. It's called life, and it goes on with or without you. When you work for someone else, you're not entitled to job security. We are entitled to the unalienable rights to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". We're not guaranteed happiness, which job security is one. Don't ever think your position or your talent is indispensable. They can always reorganize and make things run more cost-effectively. Look at Musk firing 80% of Twitter employees upon acquiring it. Did it come to a halt? You already know the answer. Don't want to be fired? Open your own business. Be your own boss.

quote:

You present your argument of why you are an asset to the company and if you cannot provide proof that you provide more value than you cost the company, you are gone.

And in ‘real life’, outside of being employed by the fed.gov, even this may not ‘save’ you, especially if one is not of the preferred HR race and gender profiles, you know, the ones that the gooberment demands of ‘private industry’.

I have seen people get let go who I thought held the whole place together, were just irreplaceable. Nope. Company did just fine without them. Every. Single. Time. Sure, there were some bumps in the road. I was pretty stunned by one of my firings, thought they'd call me back and pay me a consulting fee to transition my premier accounts to someone else. Nope, never heard from them again. "The graveyards are full of indispensable men."

Unfortunately for the essential and hard-working gov't. employees, the level of corruption, waste fraud and abuse being uncovered now is not going to make the taxpayers very sympathetic.

OK, guys, let's bring it back on track, please.

If posted elsewhere please forgive, I could not find it.

Please help me under the “why” of this. Russia is not exactly our friend.

Trump’s Defense Secretary Hegseth Orders Cyber Command to ‘Stand Down’ on All Russia Operations

The cybersecurity outlet The Record originally reported that under Trump’s new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Cyber Command has been ordered to “stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions.” The outlet cites three anonymous sources who are familiar with the matter. The order reportedly does not apply to the National Security Agency.

The policy shift represents a complete 180-degree turn from America’s posture over the past decade, which has consistently considered Russia one of the top cybersecurity threats. Credible reporting and government investigations have shown that Russia has hacked into U.S. systems countless times.

^^^^^
Dunno – likely some tit for tat. Time will tell. Maybe cooperation on Ukraine.

Glad to see the thread back on track though.