Sadly, your telework agreement is way more generous than other VISNs.
Our site is still largely functioning as hybrid telework for psychologists supposedly due to spacing, but it's a ghost town every day I'm there. We have several psychologists working fully remote who were not hired as remote but moved away. We have newer staff who aren't allowed hybrid any more and are fully RTO since April. Management says that was decided by big VA based on number of virtual appointments or something like that. Our psychologists who are fully remote due to work arounds (combinations of accommodations and management getting their positions reclassified as remote) have complained a bit about no longer getting our local SSR and having to get the SSR of the VA hospital system of their actual physical location, but the reality is they aren't entitled to remote work and they were being paid more than they should have been to be fully remote at their preferred location. There is an undercurrent of resentment/frustration here about legitimate unfair treatment across different psychologists who have similar functions (e.g., outpatient general mental health and specialty clinics). I think management is right to advocate for their people, who knows when positions will actually get backfilled if our remote workers leave. It is a little harder to like some of my colleagues who are getting advantages I don't get and then whining about their lot (e.g., slightly reduced SSR, difficulties with patients connecting to VVC) when they don't have a commute and literally have to put in less effort to do the same job while other VA systems are not giving their psychologists the same level of leeway. None of us are entitled to anything at this point, not even relative job security, and it is important to keep that in perspective.
This actually sounds credible (and typical).
It was such a cute game! I have been doing Stardew Valley again as things have gotten dystopian.
You should try Rimworld, then, lol. It's been described as a 'war crime / atrocity generator.' Very much in keeping with current events/stressors. It's sort of like "Sims in space" (colony building) with assault rifles, starvation, organ harvesting, and molotov cocktails.
I take a different approach when I see people getting things I don't have. It's a place to negotiate. I didn't start with any teleworking days, but I saw some providers had them. I negotiated for them because I was always in the position to leave and my boss wanted to keep me. It didn't cost the VA anything and it was a simple way to keep me happy. It's better to have people getting MORE things to open the door for you to ask for the same. It's harder to get something approved if it's not approved for anyone. I appreciate when people complain and advocate for better stuff.
I watch other people play RimWorld because of all of the controls it has. It does look fun though!
I don't think the frustration gets directed at anyone. It is not a fair situation, but it is equitable. I'd rather have my colleagues remote working than not working or dealing with unstable income. They could probably be a bit more considerate about some of the privilege they have right now, and vice versa.
No need for an argument about semantics re: entitlement vs. privilege. I was just saying what my local hospital is doing and that the same RTO rules aren't getting applied even within the same discipline here where I am. I appreciate that because I'd rather my colleagues keep their jobs, and they could also check their privilege at times.
My ability to leave may give the people left the leverage they need to negotiate for better opportunities. Our clinic was in this same situation several years ago where multiple psychologists left at once for a host of reasons. It gave a lot of negotiating power to my supervisor and leadership gave much more freedom for them to recruit and retain staff. This ultimately benefited everyone, including new people hired (myself included). OIG recently listed psychologist as a critical position. Assuming we stabilize and build back, it will put psychologists in a good position to negotiate again.
What can you negotiate?
I negotiated a sign on bonus and higher step when I started ~1 year ago but was only able to do that because I had a competing offer. Even though my debt load is relatively small, they wouldn't allow me to negotiate a term less than 2 years for EDRP. As far as telework, local leadership is not budging here.
Accounting question for you: If you are formally diagnosed with DID, are you (or your boss) required to collect two paychecks from the same business? Fund two retirement accounts?
I guess I worry that I would be blacklisted for leaving after a few weeks. But I am so, so tired of having to say things like “I’m not comfortable being locked in a room for 9 hours,” “I have to go to the bathroom everyday,” and “if you only open 2 of the 3 doors, I’m still stuck” and to be met with blank stares.
