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Since I don't work at Social Security, I have only the haziest idea how telework has operated at the agency. I wonder to what extent it's technically feasible for agency employees to telework. To what extent can the following categories of employees telework?
- Employees at teleservice centers
- Employees at payment centers
- Field office employees
- Hearing office employees apart from Administrative Law Judges and decision writers
Are there groups of employees who might potentially be eligible to telework who won't quickly be able to telework because they never previously jumped through the technical security hoops needed to telework?
Are there other impediments to widespread teleworking at Social Security?
8 comments:
From PC7 Claims Specialist: I can do my job about as well at home as in the office. It hasn't been that long since I teleworked last November, I could get back up to speed fairly quickly. I can input awards based upon favorable ALJ decisions, favorable EXR decisions, removal of workers' comp offset.
The only cases I have some trouble working at home are very complex cases such as combined family max with workers' comp offset. Because we can't print at home it is more difficult to work such cases without being in the office where we can print MBR'S, WC printouts, ICF comps, etc. However even these cases I can work at home from the computer screens, , it just takes a little longer.
Also at home I can't use the fax machine to get workers' comp info or fax material into the electronic folder. This is somewhat of a limitation, but usually not vital to process the case. (SSA could stop writing up errors if an employee doesn't put something into the electronic folder from home). When I need to call a claimant or an attorney, I can use my personal cell phone.
For me, about 90% of the cases are worked just as well at home as in the office. I think a lot of FO employees teleworked too until November. Most Former teleworkes could easily start again.
There seems to be a lot of misinformation right now. Can anyone actually confirm or can multiple people confirm and corroborate that all HQ staff in Baltimore are on 5 days per week telework right now?
So far the network seems to be handling the increased traffic fine, though that may change as more time-zones hop on. It's going to be tough, but I think we'll all make it through with relatively little inconvenience provided we remember we're all in this together and keep things in perspective.
At first, I thought Saul was taking the right action letting people telework with health issues or school closures. But the more I think about it, that is insulting. As opposed to letting everyone who can telework, as the president has asked, Saul is still doing the bare minimum, in essence, telework by exception rather than the rule. The rest of the country is doing everything possible to make telework viable for their employees and this agency is making everyone fight for each individual to be working from home. It’s rather disgusting and disappointing.
With the exception of dealing with paper files which are a hassle to check out and remove from secured space there is no reason for an ALJ to be in the office on any day they aren't holding hearings. Review and signing can all be done remotely.
My general impression is that employees who telework can do 80% to 100% of their job duties at home, as compared to coming into the office.
This beats 0%, which is what SSA is getting out of many employees now who are on leave.
SSA is going to lose a lot of good employees due to the agencies actions on cutting telework, followed by the coronavirus crisis.
Hearing office SCTs and management can work quite well via telework. The biggest obstacle for SCTs are paper files as they are not allowed to leave the office. However, those are probably less than 5% of the workload. SCTs can work up electronic files and take care of electronic mail, which is most of their job.
When I was a GS a few years ago, before this COSS, I teleworked 2 days a week and used those days to run reports to find things that fell through the cracks by being placed in the wrong status or to the wrong person. I fixed most items and emailed appropriate employees to fix other items. That task is much easier without interruptions that occur every few minutes in-office. Working those reports makes a huge difference in keeping things moving timely in the office. Likewise, folder reviews (of SCT workup quality) can be done from home, as can performance review writing.
My office was not allowed to telework before, and it seems as though the DM is fighting it tooth and nail now. I work in a field office.
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