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by Guy Page
The Scott administration Wednesday said it will soon roll out a formal plan to bring state employees back to their offices, nearly four years after thousands of workers were sent home at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At a press conference, Gov. Phil Scott told reporters his team is working on a proposal but declined to offer a specific timeline. “I don’t want to get ahead of what we’re proposing,” Scott said. “I did that two weeks ago, so I might make the same mistake twice. But I think we’re making progress.”
Administration Secretary Sarah Clark said the goal is to create a consistent standard for in-person work across state government, while still allowing for some remote flexibility.
“This will still allow, where appropriate, the ability to work remotely for our employees, but there will be more consistent in-office work than we currently have,” Clark said. “We think it’s very important, as public servants, that we have a more consistent in-office approach.”
Clark added that the administration is aware of concerns such as commuting time and childcare, and plans to address them as the policy is developed. She said decisions about which office buildings will be used, and how to deal with existing infrastructure issues, remain to be worked out.
Supporters of state employees working from home say it helps hire and retain high-skilled workers, particularly those in the IT field. Private sector employers offering both higher pay and working from home can offer substantially better job offers than state government. Supporters also cite the high cost of housing in the Burlington – Waterbury – Montpelier corridor, where many state offices are located.
The Vermont State Employees’ Association, which represents about 6,000 state workers, is preparing to meet with the administration once a draft plan is ready.
In an Aug. 11 newsletter, VSEA President Steve Howard urged union members to make their voices heard. “The time to act is now!” Howard wrote. “VSEA members are urged to call or email Governor Phil Scott and let him know how you feel about his announcement on developing a plan to return state employees to the office. Please use your break or on your own time using your own phone or computer.”
The Governor’s Office phone number is 802-828-3333. Constituents may also contact the governor’s office at this online link.
A bill originally intended to convert unused state office buildings to affordable housing was introduced in this year’s Legislature. As the difficulty of rehabbing these buildings into housing became apparent, the bill’s sponsors eventually focused on preparing an inventory of unused or underused state property.
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Categories: State Government
Got to fill up those Vermont State office buildings that they have been paying rent to the owners of the buildings. Remember, THE COVID SCAM DEMIC CAUSED THIS PROBLEM AND THE GOVIE WENT ALONG WITH MASS MURDER PROGRAM. Comment from Richard Day.
It’s about time to order people back to supervised work in the office, the move was although in hindsight unnecessary, designed due to a communicable disease which has according to science long since passed as a major issue, only being pushed now by unions seeking control over their employer, some in Government trying to force people into conforming to any order and the pharmaceutical industrial complex. No more sandbagging or having a second online job on State time.
I’d say it’s about time, but that was about 4 years ago…….
Commuting distance is a personal choice, you choose how far from work you want to live, you more than likely were living there when you took the job. Don’t like the commute, quit get a job closer to home!! Child care, you had them, you pay for them. That again is not the states fault, that’s going to be your problem no matter who you work for. Oh that’s right that’s why you want a state job so the state will pay for your choices. I for one don’t think it is my responsibility to pay for your children’s childcare. THERE NOT MY CHILDREN!!!
Geeze, when I first took a state position my commute time was 1.5 hours each way, round trip from Hubbardton to Waterbury. Longer during weather events. It was kind of expected we make it in to the office every day. None of this union hanky panky Marxist B.S. More on the union later as they are worthless when you really needed them anyhow. Back in the day before our Nation went soft we had real work ethic, and it meant something to show up to do your job, whether you felt like it or not. Once again I advocate the downsizing of the VSEA, and the teachers unions as they exert a huge burden on the state budget, and have far exceeded their parameters.
When I lived in Greene County, NY decades ago, my husband drove from there to Nassau County, NY 5 days per week – a SIX hour round trip road trip 5 days per week.
Golly. No one in state government paused from crying their eyes out to “help” us with that personal commute we had to make based upon various factors at the time. Why? Because our commute distance and time was none of their damn business nor that of the taxpayers. It was ours. And public handouts and special concessions weren’t and aren’t the government’s concern.Back off with your nanny state, Clark.
Want to have a job? Figure out a way to get your butt there. Period.
The VSEA union has developed a major concern about climate change and is now advocating for less personal vehicle driving. With a return to in-person work, look for fewer attendees at the roadside anti-Trump protests. State workers will no longer be paid to criticize their government.
Will this initiative include consideration of reducing the number of people employed with our tax money?
Re: “… grow state government to the largest size possible.”
This is, and has been, the primary tactic used by all ‘deep state’ advocates. Particularly in Vermont, where 40% of the workforce is employed in the Government, Healthcare and Education sectors. It’s a virtually insurmountable voting bloc. Which is why these dystopian practices have been able to grow and continue for so long.
Unfortunately for them (and all of us for that matter), Hemmingway’s caution in his novel, ‘The Sun Also Rises’, that “bankruptcy happens slowly, then all at once”, is coming to fruition.
Buckle your seatbelts.
State workers have benefits and pay that no private companies can come close to matching. Let’s talk numbers, what you say is a bold face lie.
While everyone is looking at this issue, consider the difference in taxpayer costs between State employee ‘defined benefit’ retirement programs and private sector ‘defined contribution’ retirement (e.g., 401(k)) programs.
How will the VSEA react when AI replaces a good portion of the State employees? Robots need no representation and don’t pay union dues. There will come a time when “essential” will be up for debate and the data-mining report will decide. I’m sure they all ready know which ones can be eliminated/replaced and will be in short order.
Re: “How will the VSEA react….”.
They’ll react the same way teachers will react as everyone learns that the 19th century, Horace Mann education paradigm, with bricks and mortar school classrooms, are, and have been for some time now, obsolete.
First, they’ll deny the prospect that this disruptive technology exists. We can see it now. The people who complain most about AI are those who are most threatened by it.
Then they’ll become angry and strike out at society using any tactic imaginable. And we must protect ourselves and our children from these outbursts as the transition develops. Even more so than today.
Then the bargaining begins in earnest, if for no other reason than to delay the inevitable. This will be a period of abundant sophistry and false dilemmas.
Depression will begin to set in. In reality, it seems many of these folks are already depressed because they can’t figure out how to stop the dystopian dysfunction that’s been painfully increasing for the last 30 years or so.
Then they’ll begin to accept the reality that they must consent to these changes and modify their vocation to fit with the new technology or be left completely in the dustbin of history.
However, this acceptance process is likely to take an albeit temporary but expensive form of early retirement… because they have such lucrative retirement plans (e.g., ‘defined benefit’ programs). Fighting for the status quo will feel, even to them, to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. They’ll take their money and go home.
And finally, parents, students, taxpayers, businesses, and citizens in general, can get down to improving our standards of living by our own devices rather than subsidizing just another ‘deep state’ racket.
Perhaps closer to 80% as government jobs should only be Essenital, not the sprawling good old boy network we have going on now.
I just hope MY boss doesn’t get the same idea!
How dare they require us to work in office like the peasants, do. LMAO, can’t believe the audacity of the unions, The time to act is now!” Howard wrote. “VSEA members are urged to call or email Governor Phil Scott and let him know how you feel about his announcement on developing a plan to return state employees to the office. Please use your break or on your own time using your own phone or computer.” What a joke!