Below are two graphics that the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor union which represents most Social Security employees, sent to its members recently. Apparently, the milk carton graphic was sent 25 days after the "Where is Saul" graphic.
I can guess that Social Security has some online system that employees use to sign in and out and that any agency employees can check to see if any other agency employee is on duty. If that's the case, I don't know why Saul wouldn't use it. It seems quite unlikely that he was away from his office for more than two months. I hope that's not the case.
The rumor is that he does not want to use SSA's systems, for reasons unknown.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the picture referencing 42 days offline is from Microsoft Skype Business. There are employees with over 300 days offline, but are still at work each day. You can cancel the login or permanently disable it from starting up when logging in. So that picture means nothing.
FYI, he has been going to various regions visiting Regional Commissioners, Program Centers and select field offices. Have not bumped into him, but the word from above is he is extremely uninterested and DCO Grace Kim has to run interference to prevent people from trying to talk to him. Just from what I know or have heard from above.
And the union wonders why employees don't want to pay them a monthly fee for this kinda of brilliant advocacy. And after they got completely rolled in the last contract except making sure to save their own dedicated office space. They spend their time on this juvenile taunting instead of actually doing anything for their members.
ReplyDeleteThe inability or hostility of Commissioners about using IT and abiding by rules regarding records, phones and email accounts over the last 2 decades is pretty amazing. Even the ones with roots in the agency are sometimes just IT stupid. But the true outsiders are almost always IT incompetent and rules intolerant. Have issues dealing with the government environment regarding records and accountability. Why they cannot adapt to government transparency is maybe telling. But sometimes autocrats are just autocrats.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, the Where's Waldo thing does seem petty.
How professional.
ReplyDelete@ 8:56
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. He does not want to be interrupted or hear from the actual employees. I’m assuming it’s because of all the negative feedback initially so he is isolating himself.
As far as DCO Kim, you are exactly right. She had to steer his introduction and Q and A with us after he had been here for several months. He is quite clueless about operations and claimants, attorneys and the general public need to make America aware of this and push for the House to hold oversight hearings to evaluate him. Former ACOSS Berryhill is listed as an Advisor now, but it’s clear she is not running things. The agency was trending in the right direction for under her and that has stopped. There have been hundreds of retirements already under Saul and lots of complaining from PMs and Center Directors that isn’t being made too public. Kim is basically his handler in public but not much is coming out of his office recently.
It is so funny to see this Missing in Action image because employees are mandated to use Skype and is the best way to communicate with those who telework or work in other offices. It’s hilarious that a 70 something retired once old guy who runs an agency aiming to push customers online doesn’t like computers. Lol.
Who appointed this man for Gods sakes!!!???
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to retire....
ReplyDeleteTelework removed to 1 day starting next week in SYSTEMS
I have never seen an attempt to make needed changes to a bureaucracy that didn't result in copious whining, complaining and gnashing of teeth by the affected bureaucrats.
ReplyDeleteall agency to telework 1 day starting first week of march
ReplyDeletewe (dcrdp) also got the notice about telework being cut to 1 day a week.
ReplyDeleteDCARO OAO is keeping 3 days/week telework. #Thankful
ReplyDelete@1:27 pm that’s not entirely correct. Most AC level components of DCO are 1 day per pay period EXCLUDING direct public service positions: AKA, no FO, TSC, or PSC employees will be teleworking. Most RO staff will be 1 day per pay period at the discretion of each Regional Commissioner and those on flex schedule of 4/10 cannot telework either. 5/9 schedule must only telework during the 5 day week as well.
ReplyDeleteEffective 3/2/20, telework for HCSSs/HCSRs (the clerks for the ALJs) is being reduced to 1 day per pay period (every two weeks). For those who work a 4/10 schedule, they are losing telework completely.
ReplyDeleteThere is no change in 3-day per week telework program for senior attorneys, attorney advisors, and paralegal specialists.
Blame it on Obama. Or Hillary. Or Jimmy Carter if they aren't available. I ask again. for Gods sakes who appointed this man? And I agree with you at 12:52! What a bunch of whiners! You would think that they were working for one of the most historically popular and successful government programs in US history or something!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a disaster. Better call Saul.
ReplyDeleteIs Andrew Saul working? If so, is he conducting government business on non-agency approved equipment? Just how much are taxpayers dishing out for him to commute in from New York? It's a real head scratcher.
ReplyDeleteCommissioner Saul is still refusing to give thousands of payment center, field office, or tele-service employees, any telework at all. He has decided to restore it to only a favored few HQ sections while complete excluding Operational employees.
ReplyDeleteLast fall Saul suddenly and shockingly completely terminated telework for all operational employees, then boasted on the SSA website that he was ending this "experiment" to help with the backlogs. He has made the backlogs worse by his action: Employee morale is damaged, we are tired from commuting, and we are finding it hard to keep and keep good employees.
By picking and choosing a few components which he favors and restoring their telework this will further depress employee morale in the payment centers and others who are still excluded. Saul is also subverting the will of Congress because they told him in the funding bill to restore telework for operational employees. Perhaps he feels it would make him look bad to have to give us back telework so soon after he took it away.
I hope Congressional hearings can begin very soon on this mans leadership. He's already caused severe damage to SSA employee morale his actions have increased the backlogs, and he's only been in office for a year.
Commr. Saul communicates to employees via e-mail. He sent out a holiday card recently to employees, and I think he recently sent an e-mail to employees on MLK day. So he is around.
ReplyDeleteI work in systems at HQ. when I came in a couple of years ago I did so with the promise of two to three days telework per week, which I have been doing for a year plus. The other day we were told it will be one day per pay period starting March. My entire team is quitting. I am also putting in my two weeks.
ReplyDeleteWe get offered positions in other agencies and in the private sector all the time, but have stayed with SSA due to telework. That is no longer a perk and so the golden handcuffs have been unchained.
I wish you all the best.
@9:39 PM Those heart warming Commissioner Broadcasts are written and sent by OCOMM. He probably does not even know how to read an email. 2024 can’t come soon enough.
ReplyDeleteHe did not send those communications. Came from his communications office.
ReplyDeleteOur office : we are allowed to apply for 5 10's if we are a gs13 and lower. So have off one day and telework one day.
No one in the front office has seen him for over a month.
Word is that he was on vacation in Italy and sent an email or two out from there sending a picture.
9:39 - I am sure that is an automated e-mail. When he sent a threat of termination to all the ALJs in Nov that they better watch the ethics video or else, it came from an [external] e-mail account. Most reported it as a Phishing attempt.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment : "Commr. Saul communicates to employees via e-mail. He sent out a holiday card recently to employees, and I think he recently sent an e-mail to employees on MLK day. So he is around."
ReplyDeleteYou realize he does not write any of this stuff right?
He has been in ITALY for the past month.
Saul has greatly increased tensions and feelings of jealousy between SSA components, , by selectively restoring telework to only a few components, while leaving others completely out in the cold. Giving employees telework and letting us get used to having it, then suddenly taking it away for no good reason, was indeed a low blow and showed disrespect and disregard for SSA operations employees.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, Saul has severely curtailed overtime at the payment centers. There was no overtime at PC7 from early December 2019 to late January 2020, and finally Saturday overtime was restored last weekend. Weekday overtime was available for many years, but now there is none. The lack of weekday overtime combined with the lack of telework, has led to increased leave usage during the week, and increased backlogs.
Post entitlement actions such as reconsiderations on workers' compensation offset, can now take more than a year before they are worked to completion, due to the backlogs. The backlogs are getting worse due to Saul's unreasonable. dictates on telework and overtime.
Credibility is a precious currency. You build it slowly by telling the truth, not misleading people, and showing that you can be depended on to do what you say. Here a union that may have some legitimate grievances has gone on a credibility spending spree for a campaign which it knows is misleading. When the time comes to air legitimate grievances will it rummage around in empty pockets wondering where their credibility disappeared to? They may find to their chagrin that the spent more than they bargained for on a half gallon of milk.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the agency just took more cuts to telework. Some employees are going from 3 days a week (6 days per pay period) to 1 day per pay period. That’s brutal. Other components who have been remotely working for over 15 years (OQR) is losing days. Regional office Operstikns staff get 1 day per pay period now, which is enough to say he is bringing it back, but is quite a change from 4 days per pay period a few months ago. The bulk of operations employees in the field, TCS or PSC were completely ignored. What is clear is that Saul has no regard for Congress’s requests from both the House and the Senate, the push from employees or the Union. Despite the recommendations in the spending bill and the senate’s specific language, this is clear that Saul has no interest in anything other than his agenda. The fact true agency told the news media BEFORE they told the Union or employees is so telling of the hostile view the agency executives have for their own employees.
ReplyDeleteThe agency is actually run by Senate confirmed David Black
ReplyDeleteInteresting rumors about Italy for the past month. I was in a meeting with him on 1/7 and I saw him today. He has to walk past our office to get to his.
ReplyDeleteWe'll get to see him "in action" in the Senate Aging hearing on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteToo bad the Commissioners before Saul didn't do enough to build a program that couldn't be so easily dismantled on a whim.
ReplyDeleteSome union astroturfing going on here. Humorous since Charles thinks Russians and rightwingers do the same here.
ReplyDeleteSaul has not been in Italy for a while. He was at Chicago Program Service Center in early and mid January. He was there for four days. Management had a bunch of TSP information plastered on TVs and easels to make it seem like they care about employees all in an attempt to suck-up to Saul and his last appointment with the board over the TSP.
Re his disinterest, yes, he hardly spoke to anyone at Chicago during his time. Grace Kim was present trying to direct everything, but from what I heard, truly thought the PSC was pond scum compared to the rest of the agency. Easy to believe since she's only been an attorney and has never had to provide customer service before.
From a reliable employee, Saul sat in a room with employees (new hires if I remember correctly) and stared at the clock the whole time. Didn't say a word.
So....this is a big ado about nothing. He isn't in Italy for months. He is just uninterested in engaging with any part of the agency beyond what certain announcements.
Saul reminds me of a phrase in a movie about old timers v. the new. "You are a Timex watch in a digital world."
ReplyDeleteThis dude is way behind the times. The SSA has been fairly cutting edge in the disability world with its ERE processing. They need a leader who understands how technology can improve service. This eliminating telework is just an example of how outdated Saul is. It is just nonsense.
As stated before, Saul appears to just want to crack the whip to show who is boss. But he whips all the good people then they leave the SSA. Sad.
The Heritage Foundation understands we must first destroy social security in order to save it.
ReplyDeleteI hope he is making the rounds. Colvin never could make the trips due to her illness. Cancelled lots of meetings. Got subjected to those lame town halls. Hope Saul cleans house of some of these RCs and ADs especially in the West. Some of those AD offices should be colocated to SSA FO offices that are in areas with high traffic and staff shortages. ADO staffs can the then answer phone s and do the front desk.
ReplyDeleteWorst Commissioner in history.
ReplyDeleteNote, this is all part of the strategy to reduce the size of SSA. We are going towards all electronic and working towards fewer people. If this change to telework pushes a few out the door quicker, Saul will be happy.
ReplyDeleteFuture will be all ALJs housed in Baltimore doing hearings by video. Attorneys drafting decisions can be anywhere (mostly at home). No more need for hundreds/thousands of offices. All about saving money and starving the program.
Saul has aims and he is achieving them well. You all are just fools for thinking his aims are actually better public service for those we serve our anything good for we employees.
ReplyDeleteWhat has the political party in power always said about federal employees generally and SSA in particular? "Lazy, too many benefits, and there are too many period" answer the first question, and "privatize its benefits" is the second answer.
Well, how might one go about achieving those two aims? I dunno, making employment for SSA employees increasingly cruddy to encourage attrition while having anemic hiring (check and check) while those and other operational moves (opening FOs on Weds afternoons) meant to look good but actually hurting our service delivery (and check).
Seems like Saul's goals and actions line up quite well, you rubes just don't know what the real goals are.
Anon @ 8:03 AM, February 01, 2020
ReplyDeleteAre you on drugs?
"Seems like Saul's goals and actions line up quite well, you rubes just don't know what the real goals are."
So that justifies punishing everyone for sake not to deal w lawsuit.
GTFO, i bet you voted for Trump didnt you?