Work

I keep working. The Census has been a good job for me, and although it is temporary, it keeps getting extended. Some weeks ago, my NTE (not-to-exceed) date was October 10. My Recruiting Assistants needed to be finished by October 3, then I was going to have a week to have a week to wrap up and then be done. It felt soon. Scary soon. I've been applying for lots of jobs, several a week, but have yet to get another position. I've had a couple of online interviews, and a couple through Zoom, but no job offers. In fact, I've been surprisingly stunned when I've had an interview because I've had so much rejection.

As October 10th approached, I was wondering what we were going to do, and then I got word that my NTE was moved to November 21st. Hoorah! That's six extra weeks and three more paychecks. I was so relieved, though I didn't stop applying for positions. Two days ago, however, while participating on a conference call, I was told that all RMs have a NTE of October 23rd unless they have been rolled over to a different managerial position, like a Census Field Manager. Groan! Why the back and forth? Why the playing with our emotions? 

Then we had an additional spanner thrown into the works. Several organizations representing minority groups sued the Census Bureau to have the count extended to the end of October, not the end of September. A judge in California agreed with the plaintiffs, and so we must continue to count, even though we had about wrapped up the count for our census office. That means that the office will be open longer, ensuring we've all got work longer. 

But will I still have a job? Alan told me yesterday that he read that the new manager NTE was December 5, and that was for all managers. I have looked in my electronic personnel folder, but my NTE on my last personnel action showed September 26, meaning I may actually be volunteering right now. I'm so glad to have a good paying job. I'm so glad I've got paid time off. I'm so glad I've had meaningful, interesting work this year. It has been a blessing. I am not so glad, however, that I have no idea how much longer said good-paying job will last. Fingers crossed I am still working at the end of the month.

On the good/not-so-good front, because the count is finished, but we can't start shut-down procedures, we are very slow. We really have next to nothing to do. That's the not-so-good part. But we are entertaining ourselves in different ways. Some of us knit or crochet, some of us read, some of us visit with our neighbors, and one of us (me) is working on Christmas photobooks and making excellent progress!