Victim of RIF!

Management has painted a rosy picture of the effects of a Reduction in Force. Employees who are losing their jobs are portrayed as, while not especially light-hearted, not worried and content with their situations.

Chapter 72 interviewed one of its own, Assistant Chief Steward Kay Utterberg, a GS-7, Series 332 Computer Operator who is on notice that her job will be eliminated in September. If she were allowed to stay, Kay would have 20 years service on October 1, 2005.

We asked her a series of questions; these are her answers:

NTEU: How is the RIF affecting you. Please go into as much detail as you want, including your feelings about the entire situation.
KU: How is it NOT affecting me? Every aspect of my life – worry about bills, losing my house, especially losing my health insurance. Sleeping – I have terrible insomnia now. I’m in a constant state of anxiety worrying about what’s going to happen. I’ve invested 20 years of my life; now I don’t know what the future holds.

NTEU: What has the IRS done to help your personal situation?
KU: Besides nothing? Allowing me to go to a class on how to fill out my MPQ.

NTEU: What has NTEU done to help your personal situation?
KU: NTEU challenged the FAIR Act. I recall Jan (Smith) saying that we needed to give NTEU a list of all the things we do to make sure the competition was accurate. There is really nothing NTEU can do except make sure the agency follows all the applicable rules.

NTEU: Would you like to make any additional comments for your fellow employees who may believe that they are safe from similar RIF’s in the future?
KU: I might offer some advice not to wait until the last minute to get your MPQ put together. Request to see your OPF, that it’s all in order and complete … all the ducks in a row.

After being here 20 years and feeling confident in my position, it was a rude awakening to have my rug pulled out from under me. No matter who you are or what position you’re in, you shouldn’t feel too comfortable because it can be yanked out from under you at any moment.

We at NTEU can share Kay’s pain, but we cannot feel the full impact of the misfortune that creeps closer to her each day. The next time you hear of a RIF, have a little sympathy for its victims. Next time, the despair could be yours.

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