Last Day of Work

When I was hired on to work for the Census, I knew the position was temporary. As a decennial census worker, I knew the work would be done when the census was done, and I'd be "terminated for lack of work." The 2020 Census has been weird because of the Covid-19 interruption just as self-response was getting launched, and so I have worked much longer than originally anticipated. Had we not had a seven week furlough, I probably would have been finished mid-August. But the timing was all messed up, so I got to work lots longer. 

Today was my last day. There has been lots of back and forth about when my NTE (not-to-exceed) was. I was told dates from September 26 to December 5, but with no real date given until some weeks ago. I heard October 23, but when I asked my boss about it, he said, "No, your NTE is November 21, just like all the other managers." The last day of the census has also been up in the air. Counting was suppose to be complete on September 30, but then several court cases held off that date. A judge in California said we had to keep counting until October 31, but then the Supreme Court ruled we could stop. That ruling came on October 13, and the Census Bureau said we would be done counting on October 15. 

The end of counting meant that Kent was done with his census job on the 15th. He had some re-interview cases and verification of entries which he did from home through the 15th, and then was official decommissioned on the 16th. He really enjoyed being an enumerator, talking to people, convincing them to give him information, being out in the field. His CFS (census field supervisor) came and collected all this stuff on Monday, and Mike, in the office, terminated him on Tuesday. 

All of my field employees had to be terminated for lack of work by Saturday, October 17th. Monday I completed paperwork after having collected equipment and badges. I wrote each of my field employees a thank you card and sent them a little treat. With Jody Johnson, one of the recruiting supervisors, I've been sorting through all our boxes of recruiting and response materials. I've destroyed banners and tablecloths with the Census logo, and shredded all sorts of paper stuff. I cleaned out my desk, sorted electronic files, and spent a great deal of time looking for another job. 

We have been slow in Recruiting because all of our work is done and we only had eleven field employees. As a result, our "department" is the first to go. Lain Geest (my fellow Recruiting Manager) and I, along with our three supervisors, Jody Johnson, Mark Bigelow, and Mark Lambson, are all done this week. Others will be terminated, some each week, from now until the end of November, with Alan Clark and Manny Wilds, our Administrative and IT Managers respectively, being the last to go and close the office. 

Over the last several weeks, I've had little to do. I've been paid to work on Christmas photobooks and look for a job. Every morning I have answered emails, thus completely my real "work" and then had about seven and a half hours of time to fill in a day. I've applied for over twenty jobs, had a few phone interviews, and tried to look busy. My boss did tell me that I could do my own thing guilt-free simply because there wasn't work to do, and until we were given the okay to begin closing the office, we were sort of stuck in limbo. I am grateful for all that paid time doing my own thing. I've made excellent progress on photobooks and will be able to get them finished up at home quickly.

Today, I sent the following email to my co-workers.

Dearest Census Friends,

It it with much fondness that I bid you farewell. On this, my last day of work, I am sad to be leaving your jolly company. I have enjoyed coming to work practically every single day, knowing I would laugh and learn and generally have a good time. This job has been the first "official" position I have had since 1997. I came on with trepidation in my heart, wondering if it would be bearable. You have, however, made work not work. I will miss you. Thanks for being my friends! Perhaps we'll see each other again in 2030.

Katherine

This job really has been a treat. I've worked with such nice, diverse people, I've had a chance to lead, I've laughed lots and lots, and I've been blessed to make really good money, and I've got real work to add to my resume. I will miss those I work with. I will miss the income. But it will be nice to be back at home with my time as my own, at least until I find something else. Hopefully one of the twenty plus jobs I've applied for will be my next position.

Really, having little else to do today, I spent the last hour and a half of my time at the Census playing cards with Lain and Alan. As I bid my fellow workers goodbye, I was teary at coming to the close of what has been a good thing. Maybe I'll see everyone again in 2030.

Lain Geest

Recruiting Manager extraordinaire!

My next desk-door neighbor and partner in all things recruiting.

We laughed together every day.

Since I returned to work at the end of April, I have worn a mask every day.

All day. Every day.

It was always a relief to go for a walk and let my face breathe.

Back row: Ken Johnson, Scott Snow, Rich Tuttle, Jeff Owen, Tom Birch, Kaylyn Sly, Mark Hurst

Middle row top: Lee Upchurch, Mark Lambson, Sharon Henricksen, Ron Kidd, 

Morgan Abbott, Liz Sly, Heather Nasson

Middle row bottom: Keith Halladay, Manny Wilds, Lain Geest

Front row: me, Alan Clark, Kendra Wilson, Jody Johnson, Mike Mangum, 

Sarah Smart, Zahraa Albaghdady, Lakita Harold

Left to right: Dale Peterson, Mark Bigelow, Scott Snow, Mark Sanders, David Ross,

Ken Johnson, Sarah Smart, Katie Oaks, Elizabeth Watkins, Rhonda Lopez, Cecilia Chan

Census Field Managers:

Lee, Ron, Zahraa, Sharon, and Mark Hurst

Service Based Enumeration Team

Jason Rodriguez, Scott Snow, Ken Johnson, Sarah Smart, Tom, Kristin Tudsandos

The IT Department

Matthew Taylor, Katie Oaks, Kendra Wilson, Manny Wilds, Keith Halladay, Ken Birch, 

Nick Tavenner, Grant Choules

The Supply Department

Lenita Wikle, Bill Fagerber, Kaylyn Sly

I received a thank you email from Dale Kelly, Chief of the Field Division, and thought, just for fun, I'd include it here. I get a kick out of the way this huge government bureaucracy tries to make us, its employees, feel like we're part of something amazing. Maybe we are. 

Subject: THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

You did it!!

 

Conducting 2020 Census in-field data collection during a global pandemic, civil unrest, multiple severe hurricanes, western wildfires, initially historically low unemployment rates, and increased negative public sentiment was unprecedented and a nearly impossible assignment.  You, not only met those challenges, you exceeded them at every turn. 

 

Thank you doesn’t seem adequate given all the work each of you have put in – long hours, multiple schedule changes, coordinating enumerator travel, unrelenting e-mails, constant requests for information…and the list goes on.   Of course, there is more to do, however, in this moment I celebrate you!!

 

You performed superbly!!  I deeply appreciate the teamwork, commitment and steadfastness to an accurate and complete count.  Thank you for your service to this Nation, Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau.

 

In Field Division, we truly DO the things that count. 

Sincerely,

Dale Kelly

Chief, Field Division