The Government's New Year's Resolutions: I Will Not Shut Down (daycares, home)

[justtitans]

I am in Lake Ridge. I thought the roads could have been better treated. It was bad in some parts. A delay would have made more sense. The sun coming out makes a big difference and more time for it to melt the ice could have been adequate.

I think OPM's decisions are becoming way too political. People will complain no matter what. It shouldn't matter what happened before. Every situation needs to be assessed individually.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I'm in Middleburg, and shoveled my 200 foot driveway and sidewalk at 6:30 this morning. I didn't have a "think layer of ice" anywhere. Where are you located?

I'm in Vienna and there was definitely a thick layer of ice under the snow on my front stoop, steps, and sidewalk. I tried to shovel it before work but just gave up. I'll just throw some salt on it when I get home if it hasn't melted.

That said, the roads were in great shape once I got out of my neighborhood. I was hoping for a closure but I think open w/ liberal leave was the right call.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I think it should be based on whether the schools closed--and I don't have kids. But if the schools are closed and the Federal Government is not, then all those parents have to scramble to figure out what to do with their kids.

That's the beauty of "liberal leave"; no one has to scramble to do a thing. If you kid doesn't have school, and you don't have someone to watch them, then call and say "I'm taking a vacation day."

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by spencgr

That's the beauty of "liberal leave"; no one has to scramble to do a thing. If you kid doesn't have school, and you don't have someone to watch them, then call and say "I'm taking a vacation day."

But what if someone does not have enough leave on the books to do that?

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

The entire continent of Europe is closed for five weeks in the summer.

The work culture here in the USA leaves a lot to be desired. It would be awesome if the gov't just shut down on days like this. I mean who cares really. If someone really has work they have to do, then go to work and do it. People who don't have urgent matters, can stay inside. And I agree with your comment on schools closing vs fed govt. It's rather annoying how schools close for the slightest bit of bad weather but parents still usually have to go to work unless they want to burn their vacation days. I think American workers generally get far less vacation days than in other countries too.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

But what if someone does not have enough leave on the books to do that?

It is not your employer's responsibility to give you time off to take care of your child if they do not have school. If you choose to have children, you need to plan for their care. If you do not have an emergency care-giver to fill in on snow days, then you best save your vacation days for these types of emergencies.

I don't consider it a hardship. It is one of the things that comes along with having children. If you don't want to deal with it, don't have children.

[GregW]

You people should be on Cape Cod this afternoon. That is rugged even by New England standards.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by spencgr

It is not your employer's responsibility to give you time off to take care of your child if they do not have school. If you choose to have children, you need to plan for their care. If you do not have an emergency care-giver to fill in on snow days, then you best save your vacation days for these types of emergencies.

I don't consider it a hardship. It is one of the things that comes along with having children. If you don't want to deal with it, don't have children.

Having had two kids and being a working parent, I agree with this. I know, it's not very european of me, is it?

Knowing that I had very little leave at that time and knowing that school would close, but my office would not, I made sure that when I contracted for daycare, that my kids were part of a facility that, barring an absolute blizzard, they were open. Even on snow days, I had a place to take my kids. There are plenty of day care facilities now that are open during school closures. If you cannot manage to work that sort of situation out then you need to be banking a few days leave each year to use for school closures. It sucks but it's the reality of being a working parent and it's not forever. I know that I went for several years with zero leave balance due to me being sick, the kids being sick, and snow days. I'm not saying it's ideal or people should suck it up because I had to do it, but it is something that you have to go into (parenting) with your eyes open. Many people don't plan and then they do cry a lot in the aftermath.

As far as the federal government operating status being tied to school closures...well, which school closures? Which closures would trigger the closing? Just one county? One county in each of Maryland and Virginia? All counties? Just the ones close in? How would they even do that?

I believe that the government's only considerations regarding operating status should be:

1. Can the entrances/walkways/access to federal buildings in general be easily cleared and made safe before normal operating hours?

2. Is public transporation operating on a mostly normal schedule so that workers and those using federal government services can access the federal government buildings?

3. Would normal operating status (employees commuting) cause hazardous conditions for the population in general?

[airjay75]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Would normal operating status (employees commuting) cause hazardous conditions for the population in general?

To me, this is the factor that argues in favor of the federal government closing even for minor snowstorms. As we all know, commuting in this area is already congested and difficult on the best of days. When you throw in just a little bit of snow on the roadways and combine it with the general level of congestion, it can cause havoc. Most people in this area are not accustomed to driving in winter conditions and do not know how to safely travel on snowy and/or icy roads. I attribute this to two things. One, this area really doesn't get much winter weather in the first place. When all you have are a couple of winter storms per year, you simply don't learn how to drive in wintry conditions. Two, many of the people in this area have moved here from places that get even less winter weather than we do. So, not only have these people never really driven in wintry conditions, they probably freak out a little bit every time there is a couple inches of snow.

It's nice to say that people should quit whining and just learn to deal with winter weather, but that's a fantasy. Most people are stupid - particularly when it comes to driving. If the federal government closes even for minor snowstorms, it will keep a significant number of employees home and off the roads. That automatically creates safer driving conditions for everyone else.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by airjay75

To me, this is the factor that argues in favor of the federal government closing even for minor snowstorms. As we all know, commuting in this area is already congested and difficult on the best of days. When you throw in just a little bit of snow on the roadways and combine it with the general level of congestion, it can cause havoc. Most people in this area are not accustomed to driving in winter conditions and do not know how to safely travel on snowy and/or icy roads. I attribute this to two things. One, this area really doesn't get much winter weather in the first place. When all you have are a couple of winter storms per year, you simply don't learn how to drive in wintry conditions. Two, many of the people in this area have moved here from places that get even less winter weather than we do. So, not only have these people never really driven in wintry conditions, they probably freak out a little bit every time there is a couple inches of snow.

It's nice to say that people should quit whining and just learn to deal with winter weather, but that's a fantasy. Most people are stupid - particularly when it comes to driving. If the federal government closes even for minor snowstorms, it will keep a significant number of employees home and off the roads. That automatically creates safer driving conditions for everyone else.

But it's overkill. Today, sure, was slick in spots. The government opened. People who felt like they had to go in, went in, people who didn't have to stayed home and took leave or teleworked. We did not get any huge amount of gridlock or horror stories so, in hindsight, they made the right decision. This prediction was not calling for much--an inch in most of the areas surrounding the majority of work centers. It was scheduled to end in the middle of the night. I think they made a good call. If they closed all the time, it would get very costly in that you'd be paying workers to stay home all for every blip in the weather.

There have been times that they've made the wrong decision or they've made untimely closures that resulted in several hundred thousand workers hitting the road at the same time a storm started. Ever had one of those 8 hour rides home? I guess there's just no good way to predict what will happen but it's probably too fiscally irresponsible to close for any bad weather prediction between December and March.