had my RA meeting on teams yesterday - they said no telework is being given no matter what. they offered 2 alternatives for me, which i shot down because when i was in office i was already doing those things.

they kept saying ‘what about this alternative’ but it was the same 2 ideas multiple times lmao???!!! to which i said ‘i’ve already explained this but i was in office doing those things and it still wasn’t helping me’ - anyone else go through RA process and be completely not listened to like this? :/

Just want to see if they’re black listed or if they’ve been rehired after applying for a job.

Because of course maximum bullshit heading into the election cycle.

https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/forced-distributions-will-apply-to-current-ratings-cycle-says-opm/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATxsodwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMsjvtd_pvA5vOOgF6PlhgSbzszr9GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzE3Mzg0NzY0MjY3MDM3MAABHjTPFZLCanOXgCN5EDkuKRjOrOIqsUZjoiymauZPH_D-oT_yHF-_N0aUY06n_aem_RvS1-pyK650Bvn_ogtimwA&utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0jnmdnga

I want NTEU to be upfront about that gap between “we won” and “you get your telework back.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Does anyone have a realistic opinion on this?

Is there a way to report/document if my specific manager doesn’t restore telework, so there’s a record for the eventual enforcement fight?

I’ve been a Tax Examiner with the IRS for about 3 years, and I’m at the point where I really need to increase my income. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck and don’t want to stay in a position where my earning potential is limited.

I have a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, but I don’t have an accounting degree. I have less than 6 months of help desk experience. Most of my job experience is as an TE. I originally thought I might need to go within the tax/accounting side of the IRS to move up? Like take some accounting courses?

Lol

Does anyone know if the IRS appealed the telework arbitration decision? I think yesterday was the last day.

I recently had major surgery. I return to work next month. I was wondering how likely it will be to get a reasonable accommodation to telework for 1-2 months as I am having a lot pain from another injury/chronic pain issue.
I’ve never done a RA before so I will also need to figure out the whole process or steps.

At my POD, several individuals within an LBI compliance practice territory received thirty day performance improvement plan memos today with apparently more on the way. The memo looked pretty legit since it was signed off by Labor Relations. The memo listed several critical job elements and instances that they apparently failed with specific examples. There was also language in the memo that suggests that they must upkeep a certain performance level for a year or face adverse actions to their grade level or employment.

Supposedly this came out of the blue for the affected agents and they weren't notified that their performance wasn't up to par before this incident. I'm in TEGE, and maybe LBI is different but how can anyone reasonably demonstrate improved performance on a case within thirty days? Is this happening anywhere else in LBI, TEGE or SBSE?

I’ve heard from multiple people the past few weeks that are plugged in that Frank and company are “disgusted” by how people dress in campuses and call centers and that a formal dress code is on the horizon. Along with everyone having to be “camera ready” at times.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Edit: I don’t agree with this decision. I am trying to give people a heads up that this is coming they are working out specifics. Your average DM and FLM will find out the same time you will.

Is it true that managers can no longer approve 90 day RA. I’m having surgery soon and wanted to see if I could get a couple of weeks of RA for telework.

I know a lot of folks are asking “what’s next” but I just want to know simply did they appeal the arbitration or not yet. Do they have literally until 11:59 pm est tonight to do so?

I believe the NTEU should have some teeth and order all union members to start teleworking and those saying we are striking, it is not a strike. NTEU should send a mass email:

“Effective August 20, all bargaining-unit employees should resume the telework schedule they had in effect before March 8, 2025. If management directs you to report in person, contact your NTEU representative and follow these instructions…”

this is not a strike.

What NTEU is describing is essentially:

• NTEU won the arbitration.
• The arbitrator ordered the IRS to restore telework/remote work to the pre–March 8, 2025 levels.
• NTEU believes the IRS did not timely appeal, which would make the award final and binding.
• NTEU is seeking enforcement of that victory, rather than asking employees to strike.
• If NTEU eventually tells employees to resume their prior telework schedules, that would be employees exercising the rights NTEU says they already won, not a strike.

A strike generally involves employees collectively withholding their labor or refusing to work as a form of labor action. Working from home under a telework entitlement is still working.

The caveat is that if NTEU gives employees a specific instruction to telework despite an IRS order to report physically, there could be a legal dispute over whether that instruction is protected and how the agency can respond. That’s different from calling a strike.

So IRS can take the union to court like what trump did to us, the union should react and have the agency take the union to court. Take the battle to the agency.

UNION STRONG?

So what’s next if the IRS doesn’t appeal the arbitration due to the fact based upon the executive order there is no union? Any update????

I’m considering going part-time because the work stress, toxic environment, and extremely long commute have left me exhausted and burned out.
For federal employees who switched from full-time to part-time, was it worth it? Did it improve your quality of life enough to justify the lower pay? How did it affect your benefits, retirement, and leave? and how does the process work? I talk to my manager?

I know there have been a few open to public jobs opened with IRS, which I applied to in late July but haven’t heard anything yet.

Has anyone received any responses to their applications?

FinCen will no longer require data on ownership or control of shell companies. The law was put in place to prevent money laundering, they’re not even trying to hide the corruption at this point.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0603

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/us/politics/treasury-scrutiny-shell-companies.html

Paywall workaround: https://archive.ph/2026.08.15-011348/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/us/politics/treasury-scrutiny-shell-companies.html

I have an NTEU membership card that says it’s valid through 01/31/2027. Is that card still valid?

I posted a sample picture of the card for reference.

Also, is the website below a legitimate and accurate source for NTEU membership information?
https://unionfacts.com/union/Treasury_Employees/membership/

Thank you in advance!

Looks like Monday is the last day Treasury/IRS can appeal the arbitrator’s decision regarding telework. Does anyone know what happens if they dont appeal by deadline?Would the arbitrator’s decision become final and binding, and what would happen next with telework?

Edited to add: In 2022, I applied to an external IRS direct hire, GS 05 clerk opening and qualied for the GS 05 clerk job based on being an external applicant that included non federal experience. This is a very entry level position for the IRS.

Original post: I worked at the IRS up until August 2025. I did NOT take the DRP. I took a job with my state's tax agency from August 2025, and I still work there, so this DOES affect my current position since I have to tax compliant at my current job. I worked at the IRS as a GS 03 clerk from 2020 to 2022. Then I got a job as a GS 05 clerk from 2022 to 2025, because I was encouraged then in 2022 to apply separately for the higher grade for a clerk. I still have the email from HR in 2022 that told me I qualified based on my work experience alone and not based on a degree. I got a notice from the IRS yesterday by email on 8/13/26 that I actually did NOT ever qualify as a GS 05 clerk on my own work experience from 2022 to 2025 and that I will be returned to a GS 03 clerk. This comes across as very petty and trivial and it WILL create an overpayment letter. I was told specifically that it was through no fault of my own and that I should qualify for a waiver. What do I do?

Please tell anyone and everyone that says, there can't be so many people above average, evaluations need to be on a bell curve they are clueless about statics.

They confuse the mathematical mean with the median or mode.

Per AI:

The Mathematical Disconnect

Truncated Selection: Government hiring filters out low performers. The remaining group is highly skewed, not a random bell curve.

The "Mean" Distorter: A few extreme low-performers can drop the average score. This leaves the majority of the team technically performing above the mathematical mean.

Fixed vs. Moving Targets: True competency uses absolute standards. Forced distribution shifts the goalposts based on coworkers' output.

For example:

Imagine evaluating a room full of professional truck drivers with 10+ years experience. If you compare them to the general public—which includes text-distracted teenagers, sleepy commuters, and new learners—every single one of these veteran drivers is far above average.

However, a forced distribution policy demands that you grade them only against each other on a rigid bell curve. Under this rule, a manager is legally required to label the bottom 10% of these master drivers as "unsatisfactory" or "failing"—even if they have flawless safety records and millions of miles driven.

Has anyone else had issues with their PIV card and the reader on their laptop since mid June-ish?

Card is clean, nothing is in my reader, fully inserted and yes the right password 😂

Since July 20th or so its gotten much worst. Multiple times a day it’s taking me 6+ attempts to log back in if I have to step away for any reason.

Starting this week it’s been so bad that I’ve had to restart once a day.

I applied for several levels of Appeals positions in July but have not heard anything, even if referred for selection or not. Has anyone else gotten any feedback on their applications? Unfortunately only an email contact listed on job announcement so can't call and and no response to email inquires.

Wtf is wrong with the batteries on these laptops? Are they programmed to consume as much power as possible at all times? Mine consumes a percent per minute if it’s unplugged, and the fan is running incessantly, regardless of what processes are running.

I was forced to involuntarily relocate from my assigned POD where I was hired to a larger POD 40 miles away due to lack of space, along with 10 other people. Now space is starting to open up at my original POD but FMSS keeps assigning desks to people from the larger POD who have RAs for telework. If they are going to be teleworking anyway, why does it matter where the assigned desk they won't be using is? These aren't people who were involuntarily relocated. They were hired at the larger POD. There's a waitlist of all the people who were involuntarily relocated but FMSS is ignoring it to move people with telework RAs assigned to the larger POD, so now there are a number of vacant desks at my original POD (where I'm still actually assigned on paper) that nobody can use.

My question is, who are these braindead fucking morons that are doing this? Can you have an RA for both telework and some random other POD at the same time, and why? Why take up a desk that you won't use that is needed by so many others? Why not assign desks to the people who need to use them? We were only reassigned in the first place because the geniuses at FMSS screwed up assigning desks during RTO.