1. Are they ghosting me or are they on vacation? It's a simple thing but having an out of office message with information on when you're expecting to return helps tell people (both inside and outside your organization) when they can expect a reply. If you want to go the extra mile, let them know who they can contact in case their matter is urgent.

2. Don't feed the Grinch: Government office refrigerators are often where good intentions (and last year's lasagna) go to die. Do yourself and your teammates a favor and make sure you don't leave any old food containers or expired salad dressing to marinate over the holidays.

3. Start 2025 with a clean slate: It is a great time to clean out those old notepads, post its and calendars (not to mention finally spraying down that whiteboard). So that when you come back in the New Year, you're ready to hit the ground running.

4. Help future you: It can be notoriously difficult to get back in the groove after some time off. Do yourself a favor and write down a list of your top priorities for the first week of January to help get over that post-holiday slump.

This Week’s Three Things

1. Thank you for reading these first six posts from All Things Gov. We really appreciate your time, attention, and feedback!

2. Stay Tuned to this station for more posts in 2025. We’ll be back with deeper dives and insights in the new year!

3. The world can be a crazy place. Take the opportunity this holiday season to spread some love, kindness, and laughter!

We miss you already! See you in 2025!

1. Decode Their Priorities Like a Detective
Think Sherlock Holmes but without the funny looking hat. Dig into their vision, goals, and priorities like you’re cracking a case. Review their past projects, catch the nuances in their speeches, and observe their body language in meetings. Align your efforts with what makes them tick, and boom—you’re the Watson to their Holmes.

2. Turn Routine Tasks Into Blockbuster Results
Executives are allergic to the mundane, so don’t just tell them what you did—spin it like a marketing genius. Say, “I organized the project schedule,” and watch them yawn. Now say, “I streamlined timelines by 15% and saved $20,000—basically, I turned chaos into calm and found us a pot of gold.” See the difference? Be the headline, not the fine print.

3. Serve Up Bite-Sized Brilliance
Imagine you’re crafting the perfect appetizer—short, sharp, and satisfying. When you communicate, cut out the fluff and stick to the punchlines. Bullet points? Yes. Meandering tangents? Hard no. Executives appreciate clarity like the rest of us appreciate caffeine on a Monday morning.

Hopefully this helps you start thinking about how to present yourself (and your team) in the best light. We will be diving much deeper into this topic in the New Year. So stay tuned!

Reminder section

Open season ends today!

This Week’s Three Things

1. Disappointed by your Spotify Wrapped? If you have littles in your life, it’s clear who is to blame.

2. There Will Be Flood: Planet Money doesn’t always touch directly on the work of Federal agencies. So we found this episode that looks at how the federal government approaches the risk of natural disasters to be an interesting listen.

3. If you agree that calories don’t count during the holidays, then you will probably enjoy this list of holiday pop-ups in/around DC!

Hopefully some, if not all of this, will be covered by the 2025 COLA. But if you’re looking for a few additional ways to save on healthcare this year, here are our tips:

• Are you accidentally doubling up on benefits? Some healthcare plans may include vision coverage for your annual eye exam, which means you can drop the separate insurance. Just make sure to read the fine print so you know what you might be gaining or losing!

• Check your significant other’s plan: Speaking from personal experience, FEHB is significantly better than what is offered through private employers. But, in some areas, like dental and vision, it’s not as competitive. If you have a spouse or partner, it might be worth seeing if they get a better rate through their company.

• Don’t forget your health savings plan! It’s always a good idea to assess what you’re putting into your Health Savings Account to see if you should make adjustments based on what you spent last year. And if you’re not using an HSA, this is a great resource to use tax-free funds on qualified medical expenses, including things like medical bills, physical therapy, prescriptions, contact lenses, and glasses. Some will even reimburse you for an Uber or Lyft to a doctor’s appointment. That’s seriously deserving of a 5-star rating!

Upcoming Federal Holidays

• Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25

• New Year’s Day: Wednesday, January 01

Upcoming Fiscal Deadlines

Back in September, Congress voted to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funds the government through Friday, December 20th. Newsflash: that day is also “National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day”, so please wear something appropriate to celebrate the occasion of finding out the fate of the next tranche of federal funding!

This Week’s Three Things

1. Holidays are expensive (ugh). But let's focus on the bright side: 2025 brings more paychecks! Here's when you can plan to replenish your savings in 2025!

2. Luxophiles, unite! Crank up the carols and take your family to see these awesome holiday light displays!

   For our Maryland friends: Winter City Lights

   For our Virginian brethren: Bull Run Festival Of Lights

3. For those still shopping (most of us, I think?), check out the Downtown DC Holiday Market, which combines the idea of the retail market platform with values in social justice by promising a commitment to promoting equity and community investment through local markets.

Take your current leave balance: You should be able to check this in your leave/payroll system. If not, ask HR.

Subtract the amount of time you’re planning to take off between now and Dec 31st: That’s a question only you can answer!

Add back in the leave you’ll accrue for the rest of the year: 

If the number is less than zero: Sorry to say but you may have a problem. The good news is there are some federal holidays between now and 2025 so at least you’ll get a break then!

If the number is 30 days (240 hours) or less: Whew! You’re ok. You can carry over 240 hours into next year. OR you could talk to your boss about taking some more time off around the holidays. After all, you earned it. 

If the number is zero: Good for you. Not enough people take their vacation. Hopefully you’re ending the year in a better mental space than the rest of us. 

Remember though, each agency has its own deadlines for scheduling leave, so always be sure to check with your supervisor!

Upcoming Federal Holidays — WOO HOO!

• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28

• Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25

• New Year’s Day: Wednesday, January 01

This Week’s Three Things

1. Be Active and Burn Off the Calories Before You Eat/Drink Them.

2. We're all thankful for our freedom this Thanksgiving, right? I mean, it wasn't always this way. Relax, reflect, and educate your friends/family/kids with this activity. Take in the beautiful and serene scenery as an extra bonus on top of the history lesson.

3. Veg out. We've all earned it! Put your headphones on and lose yourself in this.

• Bringing back Schedule F: The previous Trump administration created a new category of federal employee, Schedule F with the plan of moving a large portion of the civil service into this category. Schedule F employees do not have the same protections as other Feds and can be fired fairly easily.

• Moving or relocating federal jobs: Previously, the Trump administration proposed moving or relocating some federal agencies and jobs. The Bureau of Land Management HQ was actually moved from DC to Colorado. And there have been talks of this happening on a larger scale.

• Getting rid of remote or hybrid work policies: If you are in a permanent telework or hybrid work schedule, you may need to prepare yourself for 5 days back in the office. There are rumblings that all feds will be called back to those in-person office days. On a bright note, maybe this will resurrect DC's Slug Lanes?

Whether you agree or disagree with these changes on a philosophical level, the reality is that change -- particularly of this magnitude -- is stressful. Read on for some tips from your All Things Gov family on protecting your mental health.

We also want to hear from you: What would be helpful for you right now? Tips on upping your LinkedIn page in case you need to start job hunting? How to manage teams through uncertainty? Funny cat videos? Leave us a comment and tell us how you feel!

This Week’s Three Things

1. How to stay calm and focused at work despite the chaos of the election and upcoming holidays.

2. Don’t forget to get outside and distance yourself from work… it’s good for everyone!

3. If you need great Thanksgiving food/drinks and you know you aren’t going to make it yourself (can’t blame you…), try these!

Hatch Act Do’s & Don’ts Broken Down

Chances are, in the last few weeks, you've gotten an email from your agency reminding you of the Hatch Act -- a law created in 1939 to keep government operations free from partisan political influence. With penalties ranging from a $1,000 fine to a suspension to being barred from federal service, many feds may feel it's not worth the risk to take part in any political activities at all. But federal employees are just as impacted (if not more) by the policies made in Washington. So, how do you balance your civic duty with the rules governing you as a fed?

First off, make sure you know how the Hatch Act classifies you. Unless you're employed by an intelligence or enforcement-type agency, you're considered a "less restricted employee". The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has a list of agencies and positions that count as "further restricted" or you can always check with your agency HR team.

If you fall into the "less restricted" category, there are some key guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to diving into political activities:

Don't try to impress people with your title: Using your official title or position for political activities is a no-go. This ensures that your political activities are totally separate from your federal employment.

Don't abuse your authority: You can't invite colleagues who report to you to political events or encourage them to get involved in political activities. This is to avoid any perception of undue influence in the workplace.

Do make sure you're not on the clock: It's crucial to keep your personal and work lives separate when it comes to political activities. Making political donations, forwarding your friends’ fundraising email from your work account, or even engaging in partisan discussions during work hours, is not allowed. A good rule of thumb? If you’re supposed to be working or using government resources, it’s better to hold off until you’re at home and have access to your own tech. 

So, what can you do as a “less restricted” employee?

Vote! Exercising your right to vote is not affected by the Hatch Act and is encouraged.

Volunteer: Despite the list above. You actually can volunteer for political campaigns in your personal capacity, as long as you don't represent yourself as a federal employee or engage in such activities during work hours. And of course, keep your volunteering off of your government devices and accounts.

Express Personal Support: Showing support for a candidate by displaying signs, wearing T-shirts, or making personal donations is all okay, as long as it's done on your own time, outside of the office and without using government resources.

Bottom line: Getting involved in the political process is really important, and the Hatch Act doesn’t keep you from doing that. Just make sure that you aren’t using or abusing government time, resources or your official position (including making your direct reports feel pressured) while doing so.

DMV Voting/Polling Hours

DC

Early voting starts in D.C. on October 28 and lasts until November 3. There are 25 voting locations that will be open between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

If you're voting via mail-in ballot, you can mail your ballot to your local election office, or you can drop your ballot in any ballot drop box. You can view the list of drop box locations here.

On Election Day, D.C. voters can cast their ballots at any voting center. Here are all of the voting centers that will be open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Maryland

Early voting started in Maryland on October 24, voters can head to an early voting center in the county where they live. If you're voting via mail-in ballot, you can mail your ballot to your local board of elections, you can hand-deliver your ballot to your local board of elections by 8 pm on election day, or you can take your ballot to a ballot drop box. You can view the list of drop box locations here.

On Election Day on November 5, head to your assigned polling place. You can look up your polling location here.

Virginia

For the 2024 General Election, you can vote early at a registrar’s office in the county where you live. Here's the full list of Virginia early voting locations.

For mail-in ballots in Virginia, return your ballot to your local general registrar's office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day or drop it off at designated drop-off locations. Check the instructions included with your absentee ballot for specifics.

If mailing your ballot, ensure it is postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your registrar’s office by noon on the third day following the election.

On Election Day on November 5, head to your assigned polling place. You can look up your polling location here.

Navigating Political Conversations in the Workplace During Election Season — With a Smile! (but no finger guns… please…)

Election season is a time when opinions fly faster than mashed potatoes off the spoon of a toddler, and everyone becomes a political expert. While dodging these conversations at work can sometimes feel impossible, we believe it is possible to survive election season professionally and with a bit of humor! As a service to all of you (you're welcome), All Things Gov offers three strategies:

1. Set Clear Boundaries (Say no. But say it nicely... we're all adults) If you are someone who does not enjoy a political debate, it's perfectly acceptable to set that boundary early and often, if necessary. Politely let your colleagues know that you would rather skip the "fun" election talk. Saying something like "I'd love to dive into this more but I promised my mom I would save my political opinions for the Thanksgiving table" adds a touch of humor while also setting a real tone. Your colleagues will thank you for saving them from the election talk and so will your sanity.

2. Stay Switzerland (Neutral) If strategy #1 fails (really?!) and you find yourself stuck in election talk, being Switzerland can become a superpower. A good nod and smile handles almost anything. If you pair it with something like, "Wow, that's a very interesting thought. I'll have to think about that more... later...", you may be able to convince your election-focused colleague that you are engaged, but too busy (darn it) to carry on the conversation right now. And, because All Things Gov is generous, we offer 500 bonus points to anyone who can mentally plan their weekend while maintaining a thoughtful expression on their face.

3. Redirect Like a Conversation Ninja (here's looking at you, Chuck Norris) Some election talks have a way of getting heated. When this happens, you have no choice but to step in and redirect. Our favorite is to turn all things toward food, a consistently crowd-pleasing topic. For instance, when your group is stuck in a fiery political exchange, casually toss out, "You know what's even more controversial? Deciding where to get lunch. Let's focus on that now!" It's a lighthearted shift of topic that can diffuse tension and also help the crowd realize that nobody gets to keep arguing if they all die of starvation.

There. Now you can't say All Things Gov didn't give you something nice for the holidays. We really are the best!

Traffic is back. Here are 3 things to listen to on your commute!

1. The Daily: The United States of Pennsylvania Want a quick primer on why Pennsylvania has become central to the 2024 Presidential election? This episode breaks it down in just 20 minutes.

2. WorkLife with Adam Grant (Season 6, Episode 1) Come on. We all know the professional world is a marathon of meetings… and we all hate them. This podcast is entertaining and can help us overcome meeting bloat. That’s something we can all get behind!

3. Out of the Pods (Episodes 78, 79, 80 and 81): Jumping on the Love is Blind DC bandwagon at the last minute but feeling daunted by the idea of catching up on 12 plus hours of television? Out of the Pods recaps everything you need to know ahead of the reunion episode this week in just 4 episodes.

If you enjoyed this quick read and look forward to learning more next week, do us both a favor and click the button below. We’d love to welcome you to our group!

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