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'It'll Take Years To Reset This:' What The Shutdown Means For The Federal Workforce
"It'll take years to reset this:" What the shutdown means for the future of the federal workforce https://dcist.com/story/19/02/11/itll-take-years-to-reset-this-what-the-shutdown-means-for-the-federal-workforce/ …
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WAMU | FEB 11, 11:25 AM
‘It’ll Take Years To Reset This:’ What The Shutdown Means For The Federal Workforce
Patrick Madden
The impact of a government shutdown can be measured in a number ways: Lost wages, lost productivity, canceled government contracts and services. ... What’s harder to measure, but perhaps more consequential in the long run, is the shutdown’s effect on the federal government’s ability to recruit — and retain — top-level talent. ... Take Paul Greenberg, a research physicist at NASA.
....
‘This Is Frontline National Security.”
Here’s the thing about NASA and folks like Greenberg, or any of the other skilled engineers, scientists, lawyers and software developers that ply their trade across the federal government: They could make a lot more money working in the private sector. They choose to work at the federal government because of the mission — and for its stability.
But federal workers have breaking points. ... “People are leaving. We lose people,” Greenberg said, who also works as a union representative at his NASA facility in Cleveland, Ohio.
He tells the story of a cybersecurity specialist at NASA who left during a government shutdown. ... “Best [security specialist] in the world,” said Greenberg, noting that NASA is the country’s most-hacked federal agency. “[Then the] government shuts down. His wife says you have a family. Hasta la vista. He walks across the street to Google at twice the salary. He’s gone.” ... “This is not just intellectual capability and continuity,” Greenberg adds. “This is frontline national security.”
....
“On what planet would it make sense to vilify your employees or not want the best people to be your employees?” Greenberg asks. ... It’s a question this rocket scientist still can’t wrap his mind around.
‘It’ll Take Years To Reset This:’ What The Shutdown Means For The Federal Workforce
Patrick Madden
The impact of a government shutdown can be measured in a number ways: Lost wages, lost productivity, canceled government contracts and services. ... What’s harder to measure, but perhaps more consequential in the long run, is the shutdown’s effect on the federal government’s ability to recruit — and retain — top-level talent. ... Take Paul Greenberg, a research physicist at NASA.
....
‘This Is Frontline National Security.”
Here’s the thing about NASA and folks like Greenberg, or any of the other skilled engineers, scientists, lawyers and software developers that ply their trade across the federal government: They could make a lot more money working in the private sector. They choose to work at the federal government because of the mission — and for its stability.
But federal workers have breaking points. ... “People are leaving. We lose people,” Greenberg said, who also works as a union representative at his NASA facility in Cleveland, Ohio.
He tells the story of a cybersecurity specialist at NASA who left during a government shutdown. ... “Best [security specialist] in the world,” said Greenberg, noting that NASA is the country’s most-hacked federal agency. “[Then the] government shuts down. His wife says you have a family. Hasta la vista. He walks across the street to Google at twice the salary. He’s gone.” ... “This is not just intellectual capability and continuity,” Greenberg adds. “This is frontline national security.”
....
“On what planet would it make sense to vilify your employees or not want the best people to be your employees?” Greenberg asks. ... It’s a question this rocket scientist still can’t wrap his mind around.
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