Working at the county for 10 years I've have seen horrible waste and disrespect. Yet there is little comments on this forum about the abuse that gos on in this county.

incompetent employees, poor managers, leave abuse, harassment, nepotism, promotion of friends, discrimination. very frustrating place for regular people who want to work and do a good job. incompetent managers mistreat good employees and hr ignores complaints

The answer to that is quite simple. No competition. If there was only one plumber in town and you had a broken toilet, and everytime they came out the asked for new fees, what choice would you have? There is no spirit of competition, so no incentive to be competitive. We'll get to it when we get to it and it will cost what it will cost. In a nutshell, this is the problem with most government agencies.

That isn't as bad as the poor management. They hire their friends, they hire people from out of state who look good on paper but can't fathom how to function in a buracracy unique to Fairfax, they treat good workers terribly, they micromanage stupid stuff because they aren't smart and don't know what else to do. One forwarded mass announcement emails that automatically went to every employee but he was too stupid to know they went to everyone and he needed to feel important by keeping his staff informed. The managers that shouldn't have been promoted or that were assigned in because another group kicked them out are too stupid to understand a meeting discussion. Smart people have to do his work for him or let it fail and become part of the dysfunction. Complaining that your manager is incompetent is futile. when you prove your manager is incompetent, the functioning employee is threatened with disciplinary action. It is like adult bullying.

True. To government workers with integrity: please keep up the good work. You're the real "underground"!!!

You're often underpaid, but will get a fabulous pension compared to private sector workers. Try not to focus on the injustice regarding the ridiculousness other slugs and incompetents "get away with". Easier said than done.

You know you are a civil servant. Keep doing the right thing for your community. May God bless you!

E4LjV Wrote:
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> True. To government workers with integrity: please
> keep up the good work. You're the real
> "underground"!!!
>
> You're often underpaid, but will get a fabulous
> pension compared to private sector workers. Try
> not to focus on the injustice regarding the
> ridiculousness other slugs and incompetents "get
> away with". Easier said than done.
>
> You know you are a civil servant. Keep doing the
> right thing for your community. May God bless you!


"fabulous pension" my ass!

I am a county employee who has been around long enough to draw the VRS benefits. I retired at age 52 but my income from VRS is less than 3000 a month after deductions. Try living on 3000 a month, you cant do it! I have to try and keep working till I'm 65 and eligible for medicare and SS. At age 55 now I am staring down the barrel of 10 more years of working 32 hours a week just to have health insurance and make ends meet! Yes I managed to save a few hundred thousand over the years but that can get wiped out in the blink of an eye if my wife or I get sick.

To the gentleman above- I am one of the residents of the county who has a full time job, and makes less than 36 thousand a year (re: your "living off 3k/month") comment.

Yes, it is difficult but it one is frugal and does not have many bills, it can be done.

I am assuming (due to your age you stated) you are a baby boomer and have the big house and nice car and did not save a penny thinking "my pension" and my social security will save me" -do you not see the pension crisis that is currently going on in Chicago? Did you not save any of your salary for the future? Did you not pay off your debts before you retired?

Retirement is meant to relax and enjoy life- but if you still have consumer debt (besides the usual taxes and day to day things like groceries and gas, everyone has that), you should have continued working. Since you CHOSE to retire sooner, you should have budged KNOWING that would be the amount you get and KNOWING that pensions are no longer being funded at a critical rate.

Best of luck to you- if you are like any of the other baby boomers I know, you will foreclose on your house and have the car repossessed because you failed to plan.

Not an insult to you directly sir- just a warning to the younger people who may be reading now.

TO add to the original topic-

YES there is nepotism and racism within the county halls. I attempted to get a job with the county and the 2 times I was able to interview (it was a job in the main building of the government center) I noticed that 7 of the 10 employees were of a middle-eastern (I believe Indian from India or Pakistani) and while I had difficulty understanding the man's accent, it was rude of him to make comments to his coworker and they would laugh looking at me. I quickly departed the interview after frustration, I did ask for a supervisor- but he WAS the supervisor. I should have known when the lady before me was looking so upset she could cry when she left the room I just came in to interview (previous candidate?) Since middle eastern men do not like treating women with respect, I felt bad for her as he probably upset her with his rude comments.

How can he effectively assist county residents when he barely speaks english? Yet all of his friends are the ones working there and on the phones. A white or black person stands no chance of getting a job there now.

Visited them a few weeks ago to pay a tax bill, now it is 100% Indian I see no other race represented.

To the guy that retired at 52 - why do you think you shouldn't work if you are able?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/internet-raises-thousands-for-89-year-old-chicago-popsicle-man/

Retirement blows Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "fabulous pension" my ass!
>
> I am a county employee who has been around long
> enough to draw the VRS benefits. I retired at age
> 52 but my income from VRS is less than 3000 a
> month after deductions. Try living on 3000 a
> month, you cant do it! I have to try and keep
> working till I'm 65 and eligible for medicare and
> SS. At age 55 now I am staring down the barrel of
> 10 more years of working 32 hours a week just to
> have health insurance and make ends meet! Yes I
> managed to save a few hundred thousand over the
> years but that can get wiped out in the blink of
> an eye if my wife or I get sick.

I am not trying to downplay the fact that it was probably an honest, although modest living while you worked for the County. My question is, what did you expect? The rest of us have to contribute a large portion of our weekly income to our "pensions." Also, you are 52. Who retires at 52 and doesn't expect to have to work in some capacity for another 10-15 years? Totally unrealistic.

Private industry worker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Retirement blows Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "fabulous pension" my ass!
> >
> > I am a county employee who has been around long
> > enough to draw the VRS benefits. I retired at
> age
> > 52 but my income from VRS is less than 3000 a
> > month after deductions. Try living on 3000 a
> > month, you cant do it! I have to try and keep
> > working till I'm 65 and eligible for medicare
> and
> > SS. At age 55 now I am staring down the barrel
> of
> > 10 more years of working 32 hours a week just
> to
> > have health insurance and make ends meet! Yes I
> > managed to save a few hundred thousand over the
> > years but that can get wiped out in the blink
> of
> > an eye if my wife or I get sick.
>
> I am not trying to downplay the fact that it was
> probably an honest, although modest living while
> you worked for the County. My question is, what
> did you expect? The rest of us have to contribute
> a large portion of our weekly income to our
> "pensions." Also, you are 52. Who retires at 52
> and doesn't expect to have to work in some
> capacity for another 10-15 years? Totally
> unrealistic.


Yes, you are correct. I was young and dumb and did not start contributing to the 403b until I was 16 years in. I had a idea in the back of my mind that the VRS was going to take care of me. My wife drove a school bus for another county in the area and did not bring in too much money. I guess I should not complain but the taxes on my house are more than half of what my mortgage payment used to be before we paid it off. I retired from the county on a Friday and started a slightly different county job on Monday and they let me keep my same desk.
My retirement has turned out to be a 4 day work week instead of 5 days. So much for my dreams of cruising the country in a big motor home lol!
I preach to the younger folks at work about getting their asses over to HR and starting that 403b and I tell them to stop wasting money on car payments and such. Give me a old dented honda over some high dollar SUV any day! God these young folks piss away money getting a new expensive vehicle every few years.

You should move to an area outside the NOVA region where that pension will be "worth" more. Plenty of really nice areas that don't have the cost of living associated with this area.

I'm curious about this statement:

"I retired from the county on a Friday and started a slightly different county job on Monday and they let me keep my same desk."

How did you do that? If you are drawing a VRS pension, you CAN NOT take another job covered by VRS. You have to "unretire" if you do. I've heard of the County allowing what you did, but it's usually only for chronically understaffed positions like bus drivers. Even then, if they ever have a surge in applicants, they'll shitcan the (working) retirees.

I'm also a VRS retiree that wanted to keep working, but I had to look pretty hard for a County job not covered by VRS. Found one covered by FCERS (or whatever it is). I worked (using the term loosely! lol) for 10 years and then retired from the County. Pension ain't much, about $800, but it pays the house taxes and utilities.

Now 66, I collect two pensions and Social Security totaling around $5500 per month. Wife also draws a small pension and SS. With about $1.5M in assets, we're in pretty good shape.

We could pay cash for about any car made (except maybe a Bugatti!), but we buy new, sensible ($25K max) cars and keep them a long time. Plus, I don't want any car that you have to read a damned book to operate!

People laugh at my old flip cell phone, but hey that's alright, I don't waste a couple hundred a month on a "plan". Honestly, I don't need to receive e-mails from my fucking refrigerator, or any of the other high tech nonsense that idiots can't do without nowadays.

You may have erred by retiring on Friday, starting new job on Monday. When I retired the first time at 53, I didn't work for about 9 months and I almost went nuts with boredom. After a while, I even got tired of activities that I loved like fishin', etc.

You may not have been able to mentally handle (no job) retirement either.

Good luck!

curious b Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm curious about this statement:
>
> "I retired from the county on a Friday and started
> a slightly different county job on Monday and they
> let me keep my same desk."
>
> How did you do that? If you are drawing a VRS
> pension, you CAN NOT take another job covered by
> VRS. You have to "unretire" if you do. I've
> heard of the County allowing what you did, but
> it's usually only for chronically understaffed
> positions.

Without giving out too much personal information I never said I worked for Fairfax county, in my county of employment what I am doing is not that unusual but the current job I have is with a contractor that I as a county employee worked very close with for decades. I have a very specific skill set and my options for employment are limited. I do however live in Fairfax county. I do "work for the county" but now as a contractor rep.

Retirement blows Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> curious b Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm curious about this statement:
> >
> > "I retired from the county on a Friday and
> started
> > a slightly different county job on Monday and
> they
> > let me keep my same desk."
> >
> > How did you do that? If you are drawing a VRS
> > pension, you CAN NOT take another job covered
> by
> > VRS. You have to "unretire" if you do. I've
> > heard of the County allowing what you did, but
> > it's usually only for chronically understaffed
> > positions.
>
> Without giving out too much personal information I
> never said I worked for Fairfax county, in my
> county of employment what I am doing is not that
> unusual but the current job I have is with a
> contractor that I as a county employee worked very
> close with for decades. I have a very specific
> skill set and my options for employment are
> limited. I do however live in Fairfax county. I do
> "work for the county" but now as a contractor rep.


Oh OK, that makes sense.

I guess I was referring to myself when I mentioned Fairfax County.

I earned my VRS pension at a Commonwealth of Virginia agency. But I still couldn't take a County job covered by VRS.

living blows Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TO add to the original topic-
>
> YES there is nepotism and racism within the county
> halls. I attempted to get a job with the county
> and the 2 times I was able to interview (it was a
> job in the main building of the government center)
> I noticed that 7 of the 10 employees were of a
> middle-eastern (I believe Indian from India or
> Pakistani) and while I had difficulty
> understanding the man's accent, it was rude of him
> to make comments to his coworker and they would
> laugh looking at me. I quickly departed the
> interview after frustration, I did ask for a
> supervisor- but he WAS the supervisor. I should
> have known when the lady before me was looking so
> upset she could cry when she left the room I just
> came in to interview (previous candidate?) Since
> middle eastern men do not like treating women with
> respect, I felt bad for her as he probably upset
> her with his rude comments.
>
> How can he effectively assist county residents
> when he barely speaks english? Yet all of his
> friends are the ones working there and on the
> phones. A white or black person stands no chance
> of getting a job there now.
>
> Visited them a few weeks ago to pay a tax bill,
> now it is 100% Indian I see no other race
> represented.

They are getting back at the white people who treated them like that in the past. It is hard for good employees to work with incompetent employees and we wonder how the general public can get anything done.

I started this issue and I see most of you understand where I am coming from. My background involves college degrees, industry certifications and unaccountable overtime that I have put into my "career".

I would desire to change this county's way, but the uneducated/criminal idiots have a tremendous hold on the county workforce.

My boss is, not only has a criminal record, but also has no credentials to be any kind of leader or manager.

The ones who quickly define me as worthless don't even read what is being posted here.

I want to make a difference. I want to make change in this pathetic, worthless institution that I work in, but now my time is limited. Reaching out to others doesn't seem to support what is needed for this change. Ten years is a lot of time to see the waste, disrespect, down trodden, dissent people who forged the best effort to change this pile of trash in Fairfax county.

I am at point where I will start to give up and succumb to this insipid, deranged social/work environment.

I deal with others that have no qualifications at my level, and yet they are considered worthy to what my achievements in my life, but have no real qualifications.

you people don't understand what happening here.

I understand enough to know that if your job skills are anywhere near as shitty as your written communication, you should be happy to have a job.

"I deal with others that have no qualifications at my level, and yet they are considered worthy to what my achievements in my life, but have no real qualifications. "

What does this even mean?

A lot of the people working for the county are lazy as all hell too. Spend most of their time on their county issued and paid for iphones gossiping, on the computer surfing amazon prime or posting on this website. I won't lie, I do a lot of that stuff too, but I get my work done also.

I'm retired from the county. I understand exactly what the poster is saying. A good work ethic doesn't count in the county. I worked with people who were only there about 60% of the time. Nothing was said I believe because of their ethnicity. What does that do that throws additional work on the conscientious workers. Morale is terrible in some parts of the county workforce. Money is wasted. Yes they do hire their friends and yes they manipulate things when there is a RIF. HR makes the rules but they don't follow them themselves. There is no check and balance whatsoever. Who is watching them. The workers know what is going on but if you say anything watch out you are duck soup.

Thanks "One who observed". After 14 years of service in this place I has not made a difference. I have levitated towards the employees as yourself to get through this debauchery I call my employment. But I fail to change and reorganize this mess because of the ones who assimilate and promote this organization. And they are overwhelming in this county.

I am ashamed to say that my retirement is coming close and, I too, want to leave this embarrassment behind although I wasn't able to alter the environment.

I am sorry for my failure, but I tried as others have in the past to make a change. But it s more than the one on the inside than it is about the constituents realizing the corruption that is perpetuated in this county.

anon pub servant has noted correctly about the work force in this institution. To many lazy people here and not enough of "proud" workers. My "career" has now become a simple "job". Excelling has never been a problem for me until I came to the county and was told "it's not what you know, but who you know". In sarcasm, what a great place to work for.

the employees who know how to get things done are dwindling and close to extinction. They have been passed over for promotion, managed by incompetents, and haven given up. Very frustrating to join the masses that take zero pride in their work in order to fit in.

It doesn't matter how hard you work. No matter what you do, the relatives and friends screw over those not in the family business.

People need services and expect certain processes. What to do when managed messes up?