Reason No. 11 to Avoid Government Work: You Can't Outsource Your List of Complaints
As might be expected, the recent list of 10 reasons to avoid a government career drew more comments from Federal Diary readers than did the 10 reasons to take up the cause of public service. Far and away, readers pointed to outsourcing as a topic that deserved special mention as a downside to federal employment.</br></br>"I have just been informed that after 20 years of federal service, my job will be contracted out," an Air Force civil service employee wrote. "If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!"</br></br>A federal employee in the technology field said: "Under the outsourcing policies of our department, our positions are to be competed every three to five years. Our work is not considered to be inherently governmental. So, for anyone presently thinking about working for Uncle Sam, you better ask the question, Is this position inherently governmental? If not, be prepared to find another job on a moment's notice."</br></br>Employees at the Internal Revenue Service and the Food and Drug Administration expressed concerns that the procedures used to determine which jobs could be contracted out did not seem fair to federal employees. Often, they said, agencies don't seem to tally up all the costs involved in switching to contractors. "Where's the oversight?" one employee asked.</br></br>For too long, one Defense Department employee said, the government has engaged in downsizing and outsourcing federal jobs. "It creates an atmosphere of job insecurity," he said.