Bigdogg;975315 wrote:If you can afford it then there is not a thing in the act that says you don't have the choice to keep what you have or buy even better coverage. Is it not true that if you receive Medicare, the government has been "managing your healthcare" for years already?

Unfortunately, that is hogwash. The private sector cannot compete with an entity that can take losses and subsidize them with more tax dollars. Eventually, the private insurers will go out of business and we'll be left with the worst healthcare of all time.

People can afford health insurance, except they'd rather burn their money buying the latest and greatest iPhone/Cable TV/etc. I don't feel bad for people with no health insurance.

Bigdogg;975315 wrote:If you can afford it then there is not a thing in the act that says you don't have the choice to keep what you have or buy even better coverage.

How many employees of private businesses get to choose their healthcare plan? Hmmm? How many private companies offer their employees a smorgasbord of healthcare plans to choose from? I know this is very popular in the public employee's world, but it just doesn't exist to any appreciable extent on the side that funds all public employees benefits.

If my employer, whom chooses 1 plan for me to take it or leave it, decides to drop offering healthcare due to the cost and pay the $2,000/employee fine, then how in the hell am I able to choose to keep it? Hmmm?? For your information, our healthcare plan has an HSA and a high yearly deductible of $3500 per year. The premiums are about $1,000 per month for my employer. Now what will my employer do in 2014...keep paying $12,000 per year or tell me to find my own plan and they'll fork over $2,000 to Uncle Obama. How do I get to keep it if they no longer offer it??? Oh...that's right....I can go out and buy it myself for $17,000 (employer cost + my co-pay) whereas before it only cost me my co-pay of about $5,000 per year. Will I get a huge raise to cover this cost in today's economic climate? Maybe I can just print the money and go buy me some?

If I had to live my life over, I'd seriously consider working in the public sector: Equal to better pay, no chance of being fired for cause, cadillac health plans, a union that protects everyone from paying fair shares, 6 weeks or more of paid vacation every year, ability to cash-in unused "sick" time, the ability to retire at 55 and collect equal salary, and a much better publicly-backed pension plan. Nirvana indeed.

BGFalcons82;975334 wrote:
If I had to live my life over, I'd seriously consider working in the public sector: Equal to better pay, no chance of being fired for cause, cadillac health plans, a union that protects everyone from paying fair shares, 6 weeks or more of paid vacation every year, ability to cash-in unused "sick" time, the ability to retire at 55 and collect equal salary, and a much better publicly-backed pension plan. Nirvana indeed.

I'm working on trying to get into the public sector for all of the above reasons. I may make less salary, but I will make up for it + more with these benefits.

BGFalcons82;975334 wrote:If I had to live my life over, I'd seriously consider working in the public sector: Equal to better pay, no chance of being fired for cause, cadillac health plans, a union that protects everyone from paying fair shares, 6 weeks or more of paid vacation every year, ability to cash-in unused "sick" time, the ability to retire at 55 and collect equal salary, and a much better publicly-backed pension plan. Nirvana indeed.

Can I get some of whatever you are smoking?

BGFalcons82;975334 wrote:How many employees of private businesses get to choose their healthcare plan? Hmmm? How many private companies offer their employees a smorgasbord of healthcare plans to choose from? I know this is very popular in the public employee's world, but it just doesn't exist to any appreciable extent on the side that funds all public employees benefits.

If my employer, whom chooses 1 plan for me to take it or leave it, decides to drop offering healthcare due to the cost and pay the $2,000/employee fine, then how in the hell am I able to choose to keep it? Hmmm?? For your information, our healthcare plan has an HSA and a high yearly deductible of $3500 per year. The premiums are about $1,000 per month for my employer. Now what will my employer do in 2014...keep paying $12,000 per year or tell me to find my own plan and they'll fork over $2,000 to Uncle Obama. How do I get to keep it if they no longer offer it??? Oh...that's right....I can go out and buy it myself for $17,000 (employer cost + my co-pay) whereas before it only cost me my co-pay of about $5,000 per year. Will I get a huge raise to cover this cost in today's economic climate? Maybe I can just print the money and go buy me some?

If I had to live my life over, I'd seriously consider working in the public sector: Equal to better pay, no chance of being fired for cause, cadillac health plans, a union that protects everyone from paying fair shares, 6 weeks or more of paid vacation every year, ability to cash-in unused "sick" time, the ability to retire at 55 and collect equal salary, and a much better publicly-backed pension plan. Nirvana indeed.

Fortunately for you, since you are such an important employee, you, without the assistance of a unioncan renegotiate your salary and receive more pay and go out in the private market to purchase an even better policy then your employer is currently offering you. Win Win for you.

wkfan;975367 wrote:Can I get some of whatever you are smoking?

I had very good friends that worked for DFAS and the FBI. All of what I wrote is true. One of them bragged about having over 2000 hrs of sick time built up and he couldn't wait to cash it in. Unfortunately, he never got that opportunity as cancer got him first. His son now works there and is already mapping out his retirement by the time he's 50. I believe you are a teacher and maybe not all of my list is true for you. I know teachers get summers and holiday weeks off, so they have something that the private sector can only dream about.

A couple items I left off my list: 40 hour work weeks (I typically work up to 60 hrs per week for the same pay as 40). Holidays such as MLK Day, Columbus Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day are paid time-off and I'm missing out on golf some of those days.

Bigdogg;975391 wrote:Fortunately for you, since you are such an important employee, you, without the assistance of a unioncan renegotiate your salary and receive more pay and go out in the private market to purchase an even better policy then your employer is currently offering you. Win Win for you.

I've occasionally wondered, what are the symptoms of rectal cranial inversion. Now I know.

Plus government employees get 24 hours a month in PTO. They can take 3 days off PER MONTH.

sleeper;975410 wrote:Plus government employees get 24 hours a month in PTO. They can take 3 days off PER MONTH.

Who gets that? Also, I know of no public employee holding a professional job who only works 40 hour weeks. If you know then post the job openings!

My brother is a teacher and coaches a sport. He figured one time he got 6 cents an hour for his supplemental coaching contract. I can assure you he puts in much more than 40 hours a week during school just for his teaching. As far as summers off, that is set by the Ohio legislature. If you want to change professions to enjoy the same benefits, feel free. I personally would not teach for twice the money they get.

BGFalcons82;975404 wrote:I had very good friends that worked for DFAS and the FBI. All of what I wrote is true. One of them bragged about having over 2000 hrs of sick time built up and he couldn't wait to cash it in. Unfortunately, he never got that opportunity as cancer got him first. His son now works there and is already mapping out his retirement by the time he's 50. I believe you are a teacher and maybe not all of my list is true for you. I know teachers get summers and holiday weeks off, so they have something that the private sector can only dream about.

A couple items I left off my list: 40 hour work weeks (I typically work up to 60 hrs per week for the same pay as 40). Holidays such as MLK Day, Columbus Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day are paid time-off and I'm missing out on golf some of those days.

I used to work for DFAS, all employees hired after 1984 I think are on 401k plans. No early retirement for them. Banks are closed all the same holidays the DFAS Centers are. I typically worked 45-50 hours per week during non-busy times, and 50-60 during year end. All DFAS employees except SES Executives are on hourly rate and earn OT.

BGFalcons82;975406 wrote:I've occasionally wondered, what are the symptoms of rectal cranial inversion. Now I know.

Most sense you ever made on here.

LJ;975448 wrote:I used to work for DFAS, all employees hired after 1984 I think are on 401k plans. No early retirement for them. Banks are closed all the same holidays the DFAS Centers are. I typically worked 45-50 hours per week during non-busy times, and 50-60 during year end. All DFAS employees except SES Executives are on hourly rate and earn OT.

I probably know about a dozen folks that either still work there or used to work there and retired when it made economic sense to get paid nearly the same amount to stay home. The ones that took it were typically between 55 and 60. I have a neighbor that kept working because he wanted to be busy and they kept offering him more until he said yes a couple years later. Wise fella. If 1984 is the cut off date, then I'd say the folks I know started before that date. Yes, they got paid by the hour, but needed authorization to work over 40 hours, which was rarely required and if it was, they got paid at OT rates, as you state. Wish I got some OT...probably double my salary if I did based on the hours I put in. Hell, if I got paid for the unused sick days and vacation time I don't use, I'd be an Obama millionaire. I don't get that luxury.

My point was that I chose to go into private business and if that choice presented itself to me today, I would seriously consider the public side for all my reasons given.

BGFalcons82;975509 wrote:I probably know about a dozen folks that either still work there or used to work there and retired when it made economic sense to get paid nearly the same amount to stay home. The ones that took it were typically between 55 and 60. I have a neighbor that kept working because he wanted to be busy and they kept offering him more until he said yes a couple years later. Wise fella. If 1984 is the cut off date, then I'd say the folks I know started before that date. Yes, they got paid by the hour, but needed authorization to work over 40 hours, which was rarely required and if it was, they got paid at OT rates, as you state. Wish I got some OT...probably double my salary if I did based on the hours I put in. Hell, if I got paid for the unused sick days and vacation time I don't use, I'd be an Obama millionaire. I don't get that luxury.

You can carry up to 24 hours of Credit Time (which is like comp time) over 2 pay periods. You were told that you needed to have a project done on such and such date, it was often that you had to work extra hours to get this project done, but you would have to work it in credit time, because OT would be denied. I never had a week that I didn't earn at least 5 credit hours.