Biden is right and DOGE is wrong - here are 10 reasons why public servants should be allowed to work from home and how it helps the government run better
I am retired now, but worked for a company in the greater Seattle area that contracted with the government. We often held meetings with our east coast government counterparts that started at 0800 EST/EDT (0500 PST/PDT). We held those meetings from home (before the days of Zoom meetings, but used other software that made these meetings possible) and we were able to avoid the 30 to 60 minute drive (depending on traffic) to the office and get that extra hour of sleep. We saved the cost of travel across the country and were very productive. Of course, at times we had to travel, such as when classified material was discussed, but most our discussions did not require that. And I can assure you, following our all-day 8 hour meetings, we often put in another four hours of work to prepare for the next day's meeting. Nobody had the time to goof off or be unproductive!
This is fascinating. Psychiatry took to Zoom, during COVID, to provide care to patients. I was no longer working at that time, but my belief is that care of patients as a psychiatrist is far better on a face-to-face basis. Many clues can be missed on Zoom. Nevertheless, apparently it has become a "thing" in Psychiatry ever since the epidemic. I'm sure that there are some significant benefits to this way of working, not least of all that people who couldn't get to a doctor's office b/o distance. Nevertheless, like so many things in life, there is a payoff for change: gain something, but lose something else.
kdsherpa, very interesting, but I’m not sure of psychiatry’s residence to government employees working offsite. (I’m sure some of us federal workers could use (or could have used) some psychiatric help now and again but that’s a whole ‘nother story.)
My primaryquestion about working from home is how to conduct meetings that require participation from all the attendees. It seems sometimes have a need or desire to monopolize a conversation.
I am retired now, but worked for a company in the greater Seattle area that contracted with the government. We often held meetings with our east coast government counterparts that started at 0800 EST/EDT (0500 PST/PDT). We held those meetings from home (before the days of Zoom meetings, but used other software that made these meetings possible) and we were able to avoid the 30 to 60 minute drive (depending on traffic) to the office and get that extra hour of sleep. We saved the cost of travel across the country and were very productive. Of course, at times we had to travel, such as when classified material was discussed, but most our discussions did not require that. And I can assure you, following our all-day 8 hour meetings, we often put in another four hours of work to prepare for the next day's meeting. Nobody had the time to goof off or be unproductive!
I totally agree with you. Being a retired government worker, I know the importance of having the option to telework.
This is fascinating. Psychiatry took to Zoom, during COVID, to provide care to patients. I was no longer working at that time, but my belief is that care of patients as a psychiatrist is far better on a face-to-face basis. Many clues can be missed on Zoom. Nevertheless, apparently it has become a "thing" in Psychiatry ever since the epidemic. I'm sure that there are some significant benefits to this way of working, not least of all that people who couldn't get to a doctor's office b/o distance. Nevertheless, like so many things in life, there is a payoff for change: gain something, but lose something else.
kdsherpa, very interesting, but I’m not sure of psychiatry’s residence to government employees working offsite. (I’m sure some of us federal workers could use (or could have used) some psychiatric help now and again but that’s a whole ‘nother story.)
My primaryquestion about working from home is how to conduct meetings that require participation from all the attendees. It seems sometimes have a need or desire to monopolize a conversation.