Sometimes I love working for the government

[Sum Dum Gai]

So, the contract we've been bidding on that was supposed to start on July 1st hasn't been awarded yet. As a result they approved an extension to their current company (us) for six months to give them time to finalize the larger contract. They approved that several weeks ago. However, the security office still hasn't gotten our paperwork done for the extension.

Now for those that don't work for the man, the security office does that paperwork to verify your identity and whatnot so you can be issued an ID card. The ID card is a smart card that you use to open doors in your building, log into your computer systems, log into an VPN devices so you can do work remotely at other sites, and it also signs and encrypts your email.

So, my previous ID card is expired and doesn't work. I don't have a new one. So, I couldn't even get into the building this morning without calling security to let me in and issue me a visitor pass. I'm sitting here right now in my office, unable to open the door to get access to our data center. I can't login to our systems through the VPN. I can't VPN into our other site. I have no access to my email. I basically can't do anything, except dork around online with the one old laptop I have that doesn't do smart card login.

My boss told us that the client is aware of the situation, realizes that their security office dropped the ball, and our choice is to either sit around and enjoy the view all day (we have a great bay view from our office), or go home and take a vacation day.

Which would you choose? Getting paid for doing nothing all day, or a random day off but you have to use your vacation time to get it?

[kindthatjingles]

If I am already up and out of bed I would dork around at work.

Getting up, showered and to work is half the battle

[Sum Dum Gai]

Getting up, showered and to work is half the battle

Right? And I already spent the 45 minutes driving in. The kids are at band camp though, so I could take the wife to lunch or something.

[midjd]

No way would I be using a vacation day after I'd already gotten to the office. (My commute is a little longer than yours, but not too much).

Enjoy the view, have a beer with lunch, take off a little early.

[hoops902]

After coming into work I would not be taking a vacation day to sit around doing nothing when I could sit around and do nothing at work. I would also probably view it a bit as "see what your f-up did? I'm not letting you off the hook with a vacation day suckas".

[Deleted]

<---- waiting for Loop to tell you to get your azz home so you can take her out

[taz157]

Jul 2, 2012 12:32:50 GMT -5 midjd said:

No way would I be using a vacation day after I'd already gotten to the office. (My commute is a little longer than yours, but not too much).

Enjoy the view, have a beer with lunch, take off a little early.

[taz157]

Jul 2, 2012 12:36:24 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

<---- waiting for Loop to tell you to get your azz home so you can take her out

Who knows? Maybe Loop likes the break... No kids, no hubby...

[Chocolate Lover]

Jul 2, 2012 12:36:24 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

<---- waiting for Loop to tell you to get your azz home so you can take her out

[Deleted]

Jul 2, 2012 12:37:55 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Jul 2, 2012 12:36:24 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

<---- waiting for Loop to tell you to get your azz home so you can take her out

Who knows? Maybe Loop likes the break... No kids, no hubby...

[Phoenix84]

It works that way from the other end too Dark. We hired some technican help, and the contract started in April 1st, it's now July 2nd and they still haven't started because their security processing is still going on. Everyone is eager for them to start but it's taking forever.

[alabamagal]

I was in the same situation when I worked for a government contractor. Took the government at least 3 weeks to get my ID card, because of various paperwork malfunctions of gevernment employees. I needed the money, so I just sat there, read everything I could related to my job (unfortuantely 95% of the information is on the computer). I learned to enjoy puzzle magazines. If you have never done it, it is amazing how long it takes for the day to pass when you have nothing to do.

Once I got my ID, it was still amazing how little work I was given, but at least I had internet access.

I would just hang in there. I would not use my vacation days because I would save them for when I wanted to use them, not use them just because the government doesn't have their act together.

[Formerly SK]

Security/tech SNAFUs happen all the time. I once worked for a very large chip manufacturer with the same security needs and there were always issues like that when someone started working.

Enjoy the day!

[Apple]

One thing I've figured out here is that if it is the boss's priority, it gets done NOW. If it is everyone/anyone else's priority, well, we're still waiting on a $200 part order to get approved that will save at least $100 (in labor) each time we use it for troubleshooting. We have jobs that could use it several times a month.

[Apple]

Oh, I'd stay at work but maybe leave an hour or two early.

[Abby Normal]

Jul 2, 2012 12:31:58 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

The kids are at band camp though,

and this one time, at band camp.....

[Wisconsin Beth]

Did it get straightened out today or are you goofing off again?

[Sum Dum Gai]

Did it get straightened out today or are you goofing off again?

They're still working it, but I took today off to go get a tooth looked at that's been bothering me since this weekend. Total waste of time too. Dentist says the tooth and gums look fine, I have a swollen lymph node under my jaw, and he honestly has no idea why the tooth hurts right now. Said to wait a week and hope that it all clears up.

[zibazinski]

I'd go to a doctor. Maybe you have an infection.

[Firebird]

I don't get why you need to be in the office if you can't do your work. What difference does it make if you go home? Why should you need to take a vacation day because you went home instead of playing Ping Pong in the office and posting on YM all afternoon?

[Sum Dum Gai]

The government guy we bill our time too says we need to be in the office doing nothing if we want to get paid for the time.

We're still waiting on the security stuff by the way, so I'm sitting here dicking around online for 8 straight hours again.

[wvugurl26]

Jul 5, 2012 14:04:47 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

The government guy we bill our time too says we need to be in the office doing nothing if we want to get paid for the time.

We're still waiting on the security stuff by the way, so I'm sitting here dicking around online for 8 straight hours again.

Which is what an hour more than you'd be dicking around online anyway?

[Chocolate Lover]

<<waits patiently for Dark to get really funny>>

[Firebird]

The government guy we bill our time too says we need to be in the office doing nothing if we want to get paid for the time.

Ridiculous.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Which is what an hour more than you'd be dicking around online anyway?

Pot. Kettle. Kettle. Pot. *handshake*

[Firebird]

Jul 5, 2012 17:02:12 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Which is what an hour more than you'd be dicking around online anyway?

Pot. Kettle. Kettle. Pot. *handshake*

You'll notice I said nothing like this. There's a reason for that