The following is a comment on "federalizing" post:
I moved it here as a post to allow readers to comment: Are you seeing the same phenomenon at LLNL?
LLNS has become like civil service because there's no monetary gain for doing a good job and no growth to be had. LLNS job seems to be focused on demoralizing the old employees so they'll leave, only to hire two inexperienced people at half the pay and then expect them to do the same quality work. Dream on LLNS, dream on. Heck, most employers can't find people with good work ethics as it is. The only reason LLNS is getting good work out of people now is because most of those doing the work are the old people. Once they're gone, which should be able 5 - 10 years, you'll get to witness a demise in productivity. The new employees are of a different breed in many, many ways especially in their mannerism, dress code and daily acts of defiance against authority, task schedules or for that matter even giving the employer an honest eight hour day. In my area, 50% of the work force carries the other 50% who're substandard employees and basically no-loads
9 comments:
The original post is throwing around broad generalizations. Yes, young people have 'different' mannerisms--we did too a few decades ago. I see young technical professionals with great skill sets, many putting in extra hours because they like the work, too. They may be more 'realistic' about whether they'll make a career here, but frankly, I know more than one person that was going to be here 'a few years' in the 80s that is still rolling along.
Time will tell where LLNL is at in 5--10 years. And part of that future is for us to shape, not just pander to nostalgia.
You'll find little loyalty or 'esprit de corp' left among the remaining staff at either LLNL or LANL. Employment at the labs is seen as "just another job". Most of the non-management workers are extremely demoralized.
Your average civil service worker has more loyalty to their employer than you'll find at any of the NNSA research labs that are now being run by the profit based LLCs.
"Back in my day I had to walk ten miles just to get to..." I am not the older generation but don't see what you are talking about. The young have a different culture than the old but are as productive (in my opinion often more productive)than older employees. Not slamming older employees, many are very, very productive. But when I see dead wood, the wood is usually grey. The young seem more laid back. The old folks complain....alot. When you look at relative productivity in view of how much each are paid, the young win it hands down.
It is not nostalgia; It is resentment against a management team that is so hypocritical and afraid to be truthful with the people in the trenches!
There is still dead wood among the older Lab population. Many deputy-???s are.
Well then, round up all the 'greys' and get them out of there. That should solve the deadwood problem, correct? Isn't that was WWII Germany did with its 'captive' workforce?
Unfortunately there is one big difference between LANS workers (not ULM) and civil Fed servants. The Feds work under a seniority system, last-in first-out. LANS ULM will pick and choose who they will fire or transfer without any basis, process, or Federal compliance. LANS/LLNS ULM has demonstrated their complete disregard and disrespect for it's senior employees in the most recent LLNS RIF and Knapp's recent program to force senior employees out of LANS nuclear weapon program. It's unbelievable that we continue to watch LLNS/LANS ULM continue to profit monetarily at the expense of worker pay, rights, raises, and benefits.
As a private entity, LLNS can't RIF just the young folks, it is age discrimination. By the same token they can't RIF just old folks etc. I don't know the exact numbers on the last RIF but my guess is there was a distribution of people that reflected the ages, young to old. I am not saying what they did is good. Those of us who have worked in the private sector before are all to familiar with this aspect of corporate law and have seen it in action.
The problem with the seniority and last in first out, this means you are stuck with your dead wood forever. Sometimes you need to cut the dead wood. Also you do need to mentor young future lab leaders. Can't do that if you have no young people because you fired them all. The old folks don't want to be discriminated against, but the young folks shouldn't be discriminated against either.
February 1, 2010 10:24 PM
The old folks have 5 to 10 years left now there's not more defoned pension program and due to that there'll be no openings for new people for at least that long. As far as the old mentoring the new, good luck with that one. There's really no need for what the old did because it'll never be used again.
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