Defective Badge? You're Fired!

(Rockville, MD) -- As the overall budget for the agency shrinks, and as the realization of being over FTE allowances hits home, the NRC has decided to conduct what it calls "Silent RIFs" to bring spending in line with current fiscal realities. The problem for some, apparently, is that this process means that no one is informed of their termination; instead, they find out via subtle hints and clues in the workplace.

For example, several staff in OIS reported difficulty in using their NRC badges to open various doors. When they headed down to NRC Security for a badge check, their badges were taken and they were quickly escorted from the building, their belongings packed in storage boxes encrusted with dust, dirt and rodent excrement.

"We realize the hardship this may place on some," said an agency spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But overall this will help morale. If your badge is working fine, your job is safe – this week."