From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2020 6:04 PM
Subject: COVID-19 Update
A Message to All SSA Employees
Subject: COVID-19 Update
I know that you are anxious for additional information about our evolving plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Events have been rapidly changing. We are working to quickly update you as things evolve, as there are many issues we must consider for both you and the public.
Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and local public health authorities, we will be taking steps to provide mitigation for our offices in heavily affected areas in Seattle, WA, New Rochelle, NY, and Santa Clara County, CA, and we are finalizing changes on several topics, including the expanded use of telework to continue service during this difficult time.
Andrew Saul
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2020 6:04 PM
Subject: COVID-19 Update
A Message to All SSA Employees
Subject: COVID-19 Update
I know that you are anxious for additional information about our evolving plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Events have been rapidly changing. We are working to quickly update you as things evolve, as there are many issues we must consider for both you and the public.
Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and local public health authorities, we will be taking steps to provide mitigation for our offices in heavily affected areas in Seattle, WA, New Rochelle, NY, and Santa Clara County, CA, and we are finalizing changes on several topics, including the expanded use of telework to continue service during this difficult time.
Andrew Saul
To paraphrase: We don't have a clue what we are doing, we are waiting on our marching orders from the White House, and we don't give a rat's arse about our employees or their families.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see whether this "expended" use of telework equates to full-time telework, since anything less will have relatively little impact unless the agency intends to perform expensive decontaminations of its offices every evening.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the Washington DC/Baltimore area, seeing how many agencies are extending telework to their employees while SSA continues to meet to talk and talk and talk about it. The local schools are closed, University of Maryland Medical Centers are essentially closed, MANY places are closed or limiting contacts with the public. They may not have to worry about a retirement tsunami at SSA after all, since this virus hits older people more intensely - we'll all be dead. No hand sanitizers, mini-cubicles replacing the old ones so we can fit more people in, less telework...a perfect storm shaping up. The posters in the other similar topic are correct, the top executives don't often come into Baltimore anyhow.
ReplyDeleteThis butthole. This email sounds like he just rolled out of bed on his yacht cracked opened a Voss water bottle as he noticed his work phone had 50 unanswered texts, 25 missed calls, 15 voicemails, and 3000 emails. So he calls up some stressed out staffer with 3 kids at home because the schools closed and goes "Ok here's what I want. Get somebody, I don't know who, I have not learned anyone's names at this Agency, nor will I. Tell them to send out a generic email. Something that says, I care about you, blah blah blah, working on it, yadda yadda, important work, I am very important, etcetera etcetera, more to come. Signed Andrew Saul, commissioner of HHS or whatever the initials are. I'll be back from vacation after next week, or maybe the one after I don't have my calendar open. Geez, I didn't think this job would be so much work."
ReplyDeleteOhio DDS Disability adjudicators are being sent home indefinitely. Technically to be remote workers, and available for work, but without any secure computers- hence, without any work. Supervisors and management will remain on duty, to return calls and process QDD/Fast track claims.
ReplyDeleteThe commissioner's statement begs the question of whether telework will be resumed nationally or just in the Coronovirus hard hit areas. Also whether it will be resumed permanently or just until the crisis (temporarily) abates . At which time Saul will rush to terminate telework again just as he did last fall..
ReplyDeleteI urge all SSA employees to write their Senators, House representatives, and governors. I have written to mine several times. All have easy access to their Email addresses.
My two Maryland Senators have been among the most proactive in fighting for fair treatment of SSA employees and the restoration of SSA employee telework.
But we need full bipartisan Congressional action now, with many Senators and House Members on the same page, , to force Saul to do the right thing.
Elderly or disabled beneficiaries should never have to go into a crowded FO, if they can get their needs met remotely by a teleworking SSA employee. Both the employee and the claimant are far safer in their own homes. And other SSA employees are also far safer at home where they don't risk being infected by a co-worker or on the mass transit system going to work.
This could now be a matter of life or death.
Meanwhile, the sick and elderly public have and will continue to pack SSA district offices/OHOs, interact with SSA staff, ALJs, hearing reporters, vocational experts, reps, etc.
ReplyDeletenot sure how TW will really work at OHO or FO. Both of these require people in the office to provide service.
ReplyDeleteTime to put a two-week pause on operations and reopen on March 30.
@12:00
ReplyDeleteOHO: Offer all currently scheduled hearings be rescheduled to be conducted telephonically or via VTC. If the offer is declined, reschedule the remaining hearings in a few months. Outside of actually conducting the hearings, I'm not aware of any work requiring direct interaction with the public done by OHO.
FO: Close the doors with instructions posted to call the national call center. If the individual has an emergency which requires direct interaction, the call center can have the individual come in for an appointment with the 1-2 workers physically present at the office available to address the matter and the individual can come in.
The current leadership of SSA was so proud of their achievement of gutting or in some cases ending telework for employees... sigh, such a pity that this stupid virus is putting a damper on their pats on their backs. I hope it bites them in the rear.
ReplyDeleteSaul is a total looser with no knowledge of what he is doing. He is doing so much harm that will take years to correct. I feel bad for the citizens who will feel the brunt of his incompetence. He needs to be stopped before the ship totally sinks.
ReplyDelete