If you’ve ever faced losing your job, you know the kind of gut-wrenching tension it provokes. One of the best ways to avoid ever having to consider a job loss is to work for the federal government. There are no absolute guarantees about any job, of course, but this is just about as close as it gets.
Here are Five Fast Facts about job security when working for the feds:
- 👷 It’s The Union, Stupid! Federal workers rarely get fired or laid off, and they have more protections than private sector workers. This is currently partly because the Biden administration hires more union workers than previous administrations did.
- 👍 The Head Count - In the last few years, just four thousand out of roughly 1.6 million government workers lost their jobs. That’s less than 1% of the number of people who have these jobs. Yep, there’s your job security right there!
- 2️⃣ The Second Chance - Those who do get the ax usually get brought back by an arbitrator - over 50% of them! And they get back pay. Talk about paid vacation…!
- ⏳ The Slow Roll - If a worker is destined for firing, there are strict protocols, feedback loops, documentation, probation, and loads of paperwork to be done. From start to finish, it can take over a year for the process to play out. That’s slower than Arizona’s ballot counting process!
- 😩🤦 The Reality - Even if this happens, there is an appeals process the worker can then invoke, and that starts another whole process of delay, accommodation, and documentation. On top of the firing process itself – and given the high rate of success for arbitration – this generally means department leaders don’t even bother. It’s real encouraging for the quality of the work they’re doing, isn’t it?
🔥Bottom line: It’s not that you can’t get fired as a federal worker…it’s just really, really hard to do it. So, to paraphrase the old saying, working for the feds is a good gig if you can get it. You have very little concern about losing it, and even if you do you’ll have pleeeeenty of time to find something else!
How does this setup grab you?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
Btw, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
