You are at netAirspace : Forum : The Combustion Chamber - Off-Topics : General Off-Topics

The State of the [Your Job] Address—2020

Everything that would not belong anywhere else.
 

ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 26 Mar 20, 03:13Post
Lucas wrote:Here is a look at Navy leadership

There's the right way, and then there's the Navy way...

Lucas wrote:Say WHAT!?!

Yep. Payroll and I went through and did an audit of my pay. Turns out the error was mine. When I was originally investigating, I had picked what appeared to be an overtime free paycheck. Turns out I had picked a paycheck that had 85hrs on it, but it was payed out at the standard rate since I had a vacation day, which cancelled out the 1.5x rate. We both remarked how odd it was that the difference matched my raise, but only in reverse.
Make Orwell fiction again.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 28 Mar 20, 04:06Post
So far, the powers that be have announced that two of my fellow alphabet agency employees have the bug. One within the Bureau I work in, another identified by a job title which can be found in any of the three Bureaus within the agency.

The rumor mill is getting spun up and there are reportedly as many as nine with Corona just within my Bureau (including the 2 acknowledged by leadership).
Make Orwell fiction again.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 02 Apr 20, 14:53Post
The proposal to have my job classified as a "First Responder" was rejected at the HQ level. It received enthusiastic support from the local chain of command, however.

No reason for the rejection was given (not surprising). I'm also not surprised that the proposal was rejected, but I am surprised at how hurtful the rejection was.
Make Orwell fiction again.
vikkyvik 02 Apr 20, 15:38Post
Been working mostly from home for the last few weeks. Currently, I'm going in M/W/F mornings for about half a day, since I can't do everything from home.

Corporate sent out an email a couple days ago asking salaried employees to volunteer to take a 20% pay cut for 12 weeks. In return, we would get 10 extra vacation days in 2021.

I took the cut. Better to get 80% of my pay and keep the benefits than to get laid off.

Hopefully I make it to 2021 to get the 10 extra vacation days...
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 03 Apr 20, 05:32Post
Since our trip to MCO and concurrent sickness (was stuck in the hotel room majority of the trip...not because the Mouse made us...but more like we just felt too shitty to go into the parks)...we came back...and my wife's job (the VA hospital) kept her home the first week back (second week of March) but let go back the third week of March. {sarcastic} She's shifted to telework permanently so...she's at home full time now.

I stayed home a few days from work after getting back as I had a decent fever for two days. Went to the doctor's office and was cleared to go back to work once fever broke. {bored} Went in to the office for a day and a half...and have since been banned from the office and have been working from home.

I'm in power delivery (higher voltage transmission line designer) so at the moment at least, our jobs are stable and fairly secure...the utilities are still demanding construction packages to be sent out.

We will see how long that goes but...I consider myself and my wife awfully GD lucky.
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
vikkyvik 03 Apr 20, 14:24Post
GQfluffy wrote:We will see how long that goes but...I consider myself and my wife awfully GD lucky.


Same here. Although my company is certainly hurting, we're considered essential in California (Aerospace/Defense). And my wife is an employment lawyer, and she's still just as busy.

My wife was sick for a couple weeks, starting three weeks ago. Her symptoms aligned pretty well with COVID, but she actually got tested and it came back negative. Nevertheless, she was quarantined in our back house for two weeks (luckily we have that option), and I stayed home those two weeks.

I'm still not sure whether I believe that she just happened to have some other respiratory infection, or that her test got mixed up wherever it was sent to. Either way, she's better now, and our son's been perfectly healthy.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 03 Apr 20, 21:10Post
We have one building for work which has 6 doors. You enter based off where your workspace is.

Now that coronavirus is popping up here, the CO has reacted strongly. To protect everyone, all but one door is to be locked, and everyone will use that door.
captoveur 06 Apr 20, 18:47Post
Lucas wrote:We have one building for work which has 6 doors. You enter based off where your workspace is.

Now that coronavirus is popping up here, the CO has reacted strongly. To protect everyone, all but one door is to be locked, and everyone will use that door.


Great.. So everyone can stand together going in and out. Are they doing any screening or is this just plain ignorance?
I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.
halls120 (Plank Owner) 08 Apr 20, 12:14Post
We went to no physical meetings 3 weeks ago. We now have daily (one or two) meetings via SVTC. Biggest surprise is that we haven't crashed the system. It actually works pretty well.

If the trends continue where I am, I figure another 4 weeks of tight social distancing measures. Maybe on the 1st of May they will be partially relaxed, and further relaxed 1 June. Only if we keep bending the curve downwards.
At home in the PNW and loving it
DXing 08 Apr 20, 12:33Post
I pushed all my vacation forward. Am now at home in Cleveland for the rest of the month into the first week of May. At work it had actually become pretty boring as the flight schedule is cut to the bone. Rather than hang out in Chicago with nothing to do, I decided it was best to come back here and get the spring projects done.

Not only that, I rented a U-Haul and brought most everything I had in Chicago back with me. The lease was ending on my condo unit I was renting and I didn't want to get into another lease unless I knew for sure I would not be retiring from the airline. That which didn't make the cut for a U-Haul ride was donated in Chicago. Funny, I swore after we moved from Houston to Cleveland I would never rent one of those things again. No matter how much or how little you have, it's a royal pain to do. Of course it wasn't until after I had picked up the truck that I saw an ad on the inside of the truck promoting U-Haul's moving help. They can now provide muscle if you need it. Shame the lady on the phone when I made the reservation, nor the app when I was pricing, never mentioned that! {boggled}

I would think that even if I go back to Chicago, my days at the airline are numbered. Just not where I want to be, physically or mentally.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 30 Apr 20, 03:10Post
A while back, I was appointed to the agency's training program as a Training Officer. I've completed the basic course and was due to be assigned my first trainee mid-May.

I learned this morning that I will get a trainee tomorrow. My partner is out sick this week and I'll take her trainee. OT plus Trainer Bonus. Should make the next paycheck a little nicer.
Make Orwell fiction again.
Mark 30 Apr 20, 17:15Post
Since April 2020, I've been medically retired and disabled. My left shoulder is excessively crunchy and hurts like hell. Got it from lifting people and people on ambulance cots for 38 years. So, I'm receiving Social Security a little early; I'm 59 years old.

As of July 1, 2020, I'll be on Medicare.... not by choice. I spent two full days comparing Medicare supplement plans online. Finally found one I liked that was advertised at $131 a month. For some reason, applicants under 65 had to apply on the phone, so I called them. The price for "Under-65's" was higher... $359 a month. Fuck that.

Decided to go with a Health Partners Medicare Advantage plan for $33 a month. It covers all I need, except meds. The meds are covered by a Medicare Plan D through Cigna for $41 a month. $1 or $3 for Tier 1 and 2 meds, respectively. The Tier 3 med that I take for ADHD costs $20 a month (cheaper than the $534 a month all other plans quoted).
Commercial aircraft flown in: B712 B722 B732 B734 B737 B738 B741 B742 B744 B752 B753 B762 B772 A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 DC91 DC93 DC94 DC1030 DC1040 F100 MD82 MD83 A223 CR2 CR7 E175
DXing 30 Apr 20, 20:53Post
I hear you Mark. I was planning on retiring from the airline in May of 2019. Pre-merger we had a benefit that allowed you to use your accumulated sick hours to pay for health benefits for up to 5 years starting at age 60. Post merger they changed the requirements and thus removed my eligibility. I had a hard time getting over that.

I looked into just buying a health care plan. I discovered two things pretty quickly. One, just asking for a quote turned my phone into a weapon of mass intrusion. The first day after requesting info I had no less than 50 unrequested phone calls from companies I didn't even request info from! It was just unbelievable. I would have turned my phone off but with me working far from home I needed to be available for contact. It took two days for it to taper off and almost a month for it to slow to something that didn't annoy me by 5pm.

Second, if you are 60-65 with preexisting conditions, you better have some deep pockets. After doing the math it was way cheaper for me to continue working for at least a couple more years. I'm still considering retiring if the cuts are as deep as I think they will be in October, but I will still have to get a job here in Cleveland with medical benefits to make that worthwhile.

So I feel your pain.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
PA110 (Founding Member) 30 Apr 20, 21:46Post
Leisure travel has obviously been hit hard. The month of April has been spent optimistically rebooking all guests to 2021. But there are no new bookings coming in, and at my employer's high-end price point, folks are not rushing to book luxury adventures at the moment.

Starting Monday, my hours and salary are being cut in half. I have to wait until next week to start filing claims with California EDD. I'm not sure if I'll qualify for the supplemental CARES money, but I it would certainly help. The mortgage is not going to pay itself.
Look, it's been swell, but the swelling's gone down.
PA110 (Founding Member) 02 May 20, 17:34Post
PA110 wrote:Starting Monday, my hours and salary are being cut in half.


Update: My company's PPP application has just been approved. We've been given a reprieve for the time being.
Look, it's been swell, but the swelling's gone down.
halls120 (Plank Owner) 03 May 20, 09:37Post
halls120 wrote:We went to no physical meetings 3 weeks ago. We now have daily (one or two) meetings via SVTC. Biggest surprise is that we haven't crashed the system. It actually works pretty well.

If the trends continue where I am, I figure another 4 weeks of tight social distancing measures. Maybe on the 1st of May they will be partially relaxed, and further relaxed 1 June. Only if we keep bending the curve downwards.


So far I've guessed successfully. Germany relaxed their measures on the 27th, with more measures relaxed tomorrow (beauty and barter shops open), bars and restaurants open on the 14th, and hotels on the 29th.
At home in the PNW and loving it
DXing 08 May 20, 11:25Post
The Illinois Governor extended the stay at home order to May 30th. I was able to use some accrued hours to cover the month of May so now I am off till the first week of June unless he extends it again. I doubt he will. I'll have some training to do before I can jump back in. The next mile stone will be August as I am sure by then the company will be starting to let the union know what their thoughts are about life after October 1st. Still thinking retirement is in my future after that date but we shall see how fast things recover.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
Fumanchewd 22 May 20, 21:08Post
We are actually staying afloat with sporadic sales. Good days and bad days and overall down, but overall we should be able to stay afloat as the airlines start to slowly come back.
"Give us a kiss, big tits."
captoveur 26 May 20, 19:12Post
I work for a hospital. We expect to lose between $70 million and $100 million this year thanks to The Rona. Layoffs are expected.
I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 07 Jul 20, 14:58Post
I've been giving some thought to getting my Dispatcher cert. In fact, I saw an ad for a Dispatcher program in my Facebook newsfeed this morning. It seemed "fly-by-night" so I didn't investigate, but I do know that Jepp as a program. Jepp is also local.

As far as aviation programs go, it's really affordable too. The only problem is that, even with most of the program online, my work schedule won't allow me to complete it.
Make Orwell fiction again.
DXing 07 Jul 20, 17:27Post
ShyFlyer wrote:I've been giving some thought to getting my Dispatcher cert.


Best of luck with that. It's an interesting job. As noted in a separate thread I just retired from dispatching at United Airlines. Even if you don't end up at at 121 carrier, the dispatch license gives you a leg up on folks at 91 and 135 levels. I know a lot of pilots that in the course of getting their ratings picked up the dispatcher license and claimed it helped them in planning their flights or with enroute decisions.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
Fumanchewd 08 Jul 20, 18:42Post
We had a decent month, double what was expected, but half of what we normally do this time of the year.

Yet, we just had a round of layoff's cutting about 15% of our workforce. I was given 4 new accounts despite being so busy I can't take a lunch.

I'm seeing a lot of older people in the non-union Supply Chain side of things getting laid off and inexperienced people who are paid less are having to do twice the work.

I am grateful though and it seems to be the way many companies are doing things now.
"Give us a kiss, big tits."
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 06 Aug 20, 19:28Post
Fumanchewd wrote:I'm seeing a lot of older people in the non-union Supply Chain side of things getting laid off and inexperienced people who are paid less are having to do twice the work.


Sounds just like my wife's work. I suspect the fact that the directors there are being paid (not earning) more than ever is also far from unique.

I hung up my wellies this morning after 19 weeks on the farm spent, in the words of the farmer, making friends with the cows and fixing shit. Going back to the makers of flying contraptions is a no-go so I'm spending the next 7 weeks filling in for absent staff at a friend's logistics company. After that it's onwards with the nomadic career, almost certainly involving a lengthy stay at a place that make things that float and only very rarely fly.
A million great ideas...
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 07 Aug 20, 14:51Post
Applied for a couple of new jobs recently. I love my current job, but money talks.

One of them would be an internal transfer and the greatest increase in pay (just over 50%). This is the second time I've applied for the position and don't really expect to advance very far in the process. I knew I should have knocked out more of those ICS courses a while back.

I feel that I stand a better chance with the second job, though, given my work history. Unfortunately, it is with another agency. Base pay is also less, but still about 25% more than what I currently make. Additionally, this job also starts at a rate higher than my current job's top end pay.

I have an Oral Board interview for this job scheduled, but I'm mentally prepared to walk out of it. Concerning me is that while the job posting makes it clear that the job is part-time (29hrs/wk) and without benefits, the pay range it quotes seems "too good to be true" for a part-time job. I've scoured the posting frontwards and backwards to find the caveat, but have come up empty handed. I've sent an email to their HR rep to gain clarification. While I like the idea of earning more while working less, I also like the idea of not having to traverse the metro area during morning rush hour on my day off for the interview.
Make Orwell fiction again.
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 07 Aug 20, 16:25Post
JLAmber wrote:...almost certainly involving a lengthy stay at a place that make things that float and only very rarely fly.


Moving to Belfast? :))
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
 

Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests

LEFT

RIGHT
CONTENT