They don't and I am one but I wanted to get your attention.
Before I start in, I need to qualify this post with a disclosure that I am a 20 year veteran of federal civil service. I am proud of that fact and more proud that I am wokring for an agency that helps to protect the rights of the average wage earner and those who need the protections offered by the Family Medical Leave Act.
With all of this being said, I have been reviewing some sites out there that in essence say that we (government employees) are lazy, overpaid, and a drain on the national economy. This is not true, of course, but the fact is that on the whole, we're an easy target. Why?
To start with, we are paid what many consider to be exorbitant salaries. USA Today puts out an annual report on government employees that in essence says we are paid more than the private sector and that we get better benefits, etc... But the report is flawed because the analysis doesn't take into account the actual work that we do.
National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley points out the an accountant working for the government will often times be required to have more knowledge and more complex duties than a private sector counterpart.
Factor in that an employee in the private sector is also less apt to be organized in a bargaining unit. Then factor in that the private sector basically has engaged in an unmitigated campaign of union busting and wage slashing. And they also call us "evil" because we are union members, but they fail to point out that with the exception of the U.S. Postal Service, our pay is set by Congress. We do NOT bargain for it collectively.
Our health insurance is better than a lot of comparable plans, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the best health plan I ever had was as a private sector member of the Teamsters Union. And I pay 28% of the health insurance premium which means I'm paying the same or more than most of my counterparts in the private sector.
There is a lot more that I could compare and contrast, but I will finish the article with my last point which is that most federal employees have a higher level of education than their private secotr counterparts.
In my office for example: out of the 16 people who are investigators, all but one have at least a 4 year degree. One of those 15 has a Master's and myself and one other each have a law degree.
There is no direct comparison of our work to the private sector because we are Wage and Hour Investigators which is a highly specialized job that requires a great deal of training. However, the closest analogy might be to an investigative squad of a police department or an investigative unit of an insurance company. Also, many of our staff speak at least 2 languages.
Thus, we on the whole have a highly qualified staff that is motivated and dedicated. Our salaries are good, but they certainly aren't the highest in the Investigative Field and we are all driving the same cars as our neighbors and relatives.
So the next time the USA Today decides to hammer us, please remember that we are out there working for you and we are working hard for you.
Before I start in, I need to qualify this post with a disclosure that I am a 20 year veteran of federal civil service. I am proud of that fact and more proud that I am wokring for an agency that helps to protect the rights of the average wage earner and those who need the protections offered by the Family Medical Leave Act.
With all of this being said, I have been reviewing some sites out there that in essence say that we (government employees) are lazy, overpaid, and a drain on the national economy. This is not true, of course, but the fact is that on the whole, we're an easy target. Why?
To start with, we are paid what many consider to be exorbitant salaries. USA Today puts out an annual report on government employees that in essence says we are paid more than the private sector and that we get better benefits, etc... But the report is flawed because the analysis doesn't take into account the actual work that we do.
National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley points out the an accountant working for the government will often times be required to have more knowledge and more complex duties than a private sector counterpart.
Factor in that an employee in the private sector is also less apt to be organized in a bargaining unit. Then factor in that the private sector basically has engaged in an unmitigated campaign of union busting and wage slashing. And they also call us "evil" because we are union members, but they fail to point out that with the exception of the U.S. Postal Service, our pay is set by Congress. We do NOT bargain for it collectively.
Our health insurance is better than a lot of comparable plans, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the best health plan I ever had was as a private sector member of the Teamsters Union. And I pay 28% of the health insurance premium which means I'm paying the same or more than most of my counterparts in the private sector.
There is a lot more that I could compare and contrast, but I will finish the article with my last point which is that most federal employees have a higher level of education than their private secotr counterparts.
In my office for example: out of the 16 people who are investigators, all but one have at least a 4 year degree. One of those 15 has a Master's and myself and one other each have a law degree.
There is no direct comparison of our work to the private sector because we are Wage and Hour Investigators which is a highly specialized job that requires a great deal of training. However, the closest analogy might be to an investigative squad of a police department or an investigative unit of an insurance company. Also, many of our staff speak at least 2 languages.
Thus, we on the whole have a highly qualified staff that is motivated and dedicated. Our salaries are good, but they certainly aren't the highest in the Investigative Field and we are all driving the same cars as our neighbors and relatives.
So the next time the USA Today decides to hammer us, please remember that we are out there working for you and we are working hard for you.
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