Any other CACI investigators out there with SL’s micromanaging every case this month. Out of nowhere we have gotten a transmit, transmit, transmit email saying that if we can’t get (nearly every) case out today, we need to provide a reason why. They are claiming a revenue shortfall, but it all seems very suspicious to me…anyone have any insight/theories??
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Yes, every month we get bombarded with last minute reminders and they act like its the end of the world if we don’t transmit everything. They are not being transparent. I don’t know about you, but I have gotten very little work for months, am being forced to take leave without pay, and the Tier 1-4 categories they put us in don’t even seem legal. Whose to say the Tier 1 performers aren’t working off the clock to meet their numbers as I find it almost impossible to meet numbers when were only given 1/2 a point for each activity we perform.
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While I agree that there is a push every month to get work out…this is a whole new level of panic and micromanaging. I have had to go through every case and provide a reason why it won’t go out and if I say it will go out, and it doesn’t, I should expect a Saturday call. This is not old work…some was just assigned a week ago.
And yes, I agree that there are way too many investigators working off the clock to make their numbers. But when you have to “earn” your job every month, I am not surprised…but in the end, it just hurts us all. The company just turns a blind eye to it all so they can rake in more money.
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It sounds like a last grab for money on the way out which I’ve seen in the past. Or caci may have insider info about future work issues with dcsa that other vendors don’t know about yet.
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Something is definitely brewing. I was shocked to see a “referral” email not too long ago for hiring new people when they can’t even provide work for the people they do have. Not to mention they laid off investigators a couple weeks ago, but again will not be transparent as to how many. Bottom line is they do not care about us, just their profits.
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Yes, there is definitely a “chicken little” situation going on. Supposedly about the ranking period with DCSA…but who knows?
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Supposedly is right… another excuse for doing whatever they want.
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Former SL who left the industry. This happened before a few times and it’s usually because of “revenue shortfall” (or at least was in the past). Program Management pressures the Regional Managers, who then pressure the SL’s who then pressure the FI’s.
That said if there’s something else going on this time, I wouldn’t know, but chances are it’s just revenue-related. It’s always about money and the company’s bottom line.
The job of the background investigator used to be a respectable job and its ranks made up of experienced and professional investigators who were entrusted with a good deal of responsibility.
The privatization of government background investigations was largely an outgrowth of Al Gore’s Reinventing Government in the mid-1990’s. USIS grew out of this and was a great organization and a great place to work. Investigators were treated well and nicely compensated.
Then 20 years later there was a movement toward over-systemization by OPM which made investigations more and more process over product. Investigations became reduced to box-checking to meet coverage requirements. At the same time (correlation or causation?) contractor companies were able to churn out more investigations while also hiring inexperienced investigators they could both underpay or overwork. The schlock became evident to everyone interacting with investigators and the process, from military brass to corporate executives. This in turn led to a push to transform the process and minimizing the role for the private sector. Streamlining coverage and CE was the first step. I think VTC will be the second step. I believe (based on inside info from a relative) that VTC is permanent. In-person BI fieldwork will go the way of door-to-door sales.
Sadly, there is no future for private sector employment in government background investigations. I expect almost zero by 2022-2024.
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The information you’re relative gave you sounds plausible. Can you ask your relative why DCSA is removing items from cases that couldn’t be worked in person and putting those items in a holding org to be worked in person at a later time? This past week i had an agency DEF request to hold items and was told by the help desk they’re seeing a lot of requests for holding items. Also, alternate contracts is already sending people on detail to hotspots.
Sorry to sound ignorant but what is a DEF?
It’s when the agency sends a case back requesting changes.
You must be referring to DCSA with regards to Federal background investigations remaining with the feds and not the private sector. DHS, Intel agencies, FBI, Department of State, and ATF will not federalize BI’s. At this time, those agencies have no intention to federalize their contractor workforce.
Most agencies that are paying for these investigations for DCSA to conduct these investigations are not happy with paying thousands of dollars for a tiered investigation that is conducted 100% telephonically. When COVID gets under control in 2021 or 2022 sometime, there will be an expectation of in person work at some point and if DCSA thinks they can continue with these Jerry Lewis telethons they got another thing coming in my opinion.
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Jerry Lewis telethons is exactly right! Lol
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Related to the topic - Upper management just proclaimed that CACI is still #1 (from the push at the end of Oct. - like, really? When did they meet with DCSA to crunch the numbers??). Yes, now that we are all “competing” with each other for work based on the ranking and doing cases all over the country, we are pitted against those that work off the clock.
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All CACI employees should go on strike and not compete against each other for these rankings. Tell CACI you won’t be judged for metrics and future work opportunities against those working off the clock. Unreal! What a crock of crap this industry has become. A total cesspool.
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I agree. My section lead even admitted to me people work off the clock but they don’t do a darn thing about it.
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It’s not just CACI FI that work off the clock. A majority of the high producing FI work off the clock at my employment. Crazy thing is the numbers some of them pull is astounding. If you calculate the SUs per hour they are completing, it doesn’t seem possible. The standard they are setting for the rest of the team is ridiculous.
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At perspecta I’ve seen people on my team go from level 1 to level 5 within 6 months. Craziness. They were typically the type who were already retired from another job with kids all grown up and moved out, so they had all the time in the world. Even though I believe those kind of numbers would be very hard to hit given our geographical region and how far some work is spread out. (This was all pre covid so we were still doing in person).
There are definitely people who work off the clock to make themselves look good. In their eyes the bonuses and increased hourly wage are worth it, but they don’t consider how it affects the expectation of others.
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I dont know about you guys, but I would not give any company a second of my time for free!
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