Jamis,
Thinking about some of your comments: How many layers of supervisions/management are between you and a cabinet post in the Administration? I have a feeling that number is high, but I don't know.
Me personally? A lot. The shortest route? Controller>supervisor>operational manager>facility manager>District manager>ATO COO>Deputy Administrator>Administrator
So thinking more about this there's some oddities that don't add up.
congressional bill for backpay said excepted employees would be charged leave.
Then a few days ago, OPM guidance in an unsigned memo comes down saying that managers should consider punitive action for calling out sick.
Then, wed the OPM does a full 180 and reverses that memo, and goes further to say that excepted employees who take time off should be considered in furlough (which means uncharged for leave, back paid at base rate for those days off)
We receive very liberal guidance from the agency on leave usage
And then the bills get voted down yesterday.
Like it's a calculated move to encourage us to take sick leave.
I've seen news reports of small airports with 0 TSA workers showing up.