Anonymously contrinuted:
I was RIFed 5/22/08. 28 years with LLNL. I have been EBA within computations for a long time. I found out they put the EBA's in a special OPS layoff unit so our seniority didn't mean a thing (only a few people in each classification). Needless to say we only found that out the day we left. That's OK, at least I made it off the sinking ship. Good luck to all my friends and watch your backs.
I was RIFed 5/22/08. 28 years with LLNL. I have been EBA within computations for a long time. I found out they put the EBA's in a special OPS layoff unit so our seniority didn't mean a thing (only a few people in each classification). Needless to say we only found that out the day we left. That's OK, at least I made it off the sinking ship. Good luck to all my friends and watch your backs.
Comments
This is really smoke and mirrors. As they move around the numbers to make FTE's look cheaper the cost of doing business keeps going up.
We had 5 increases this year alone on the fees associated with sitting in an office space. We now pay fees for many services that used to be covered by infrastructure. You now have to go outside the directorate to print posters and other such material. You are responsible for cleaning your own offices and have to use direct WFO accounts to pay for cleaning the laboratories. Need a badge request for a foreign national, its going to cost you.
A lot of money is spent on the infrastructure needed to support foreign nationals. If I don't need it for my program, why should I pay for par of it through an indirect tax such as G&A. If you need it, you pay for it.
1. Poor work habits
2. Inappropriate skills
In the outside world either of the two will get you let go and both are the kiss of death. I wish no ill to anyone but I sincerely hope there is a change in the way EBA's are handled in the future.
The EBA function is needed in a matrix organization. It should not however be a career choice.
This is what should be taught in Comp curricula.
This is what should be taught in Comp curricula.
You are absolutely correct. A short term stop gap between projects is what an EBA program is meant for.
The difficulty is in deciding how long is too long. Especially in the WFO arena, sponsors are notorious for delaying promised money. I know of at least one EBA who had been in that status for a few months, but had pretty certain money coming in. This person was let go, where as other EBAs in this status for much longer with no future prospects were retained.
Some EBAs that were let go were "professional EBAs" and perpetual, and it was the right thing to see them go.