He was totally behind the 8 ball in his response to Covid 19. The local grocery store chain in my rural Ohio community had a plan and response to Covid before Saul did.
He ended telework for many thousands of SSA workers in November 2019 and then bragged about it on the SSA website, saying this was no time to "experiment" with telework. It turned out it was the exact time we should have been expanding telework. His rash and unjustified actions caused huge problems for SSA workers, the general public, and for the agency as a whole. Really at this point I think his reputation is shot and he should resign.
Why I retired and moved. Saw the coming mess before he was sworn in. Like Titanic. Facilities, security, legacy systems, lack of employee engagement, hiring practices, all are issues.
Really nothing has changed. Good or bad. Service is about the same as what we have seen over the years, Unions are complaining at about the same rate as before, and this blog finally has a name to complain about after complaining about not having anyone for years.
This blog would complain if gold bricks were handed out to everyone on disability because the brick are too heavy!
To tell the truth, Commish is a horrid job, nobody really wants it, and no matter what they did everyone would complain about it.
@8:54, this reminds me of my office. I often bring in donuts or cookies and get complaints like "how come you didn't bring xx kind of cookies" or "How come you brought them on Tuesday, that's the day I work from home, will you do something another day when I am in the office."
I often joke that I could leave piles of money in the breakroom and some people would complain about having $1 instead of $20 bills. SSA is a strange place and people always find something to complain about. Commissioner gets a lot of those complaints targeted at him.
@3:22 Except instead of bringing you donuts and cookies, Saul pokes you in the eye. And then laughs about it during his month-long art collecting trip to Italy. And upon his return, sends an email that SSA workers are unproductive because they can only see out one eye.
I love it. I once brought in chips but was asked why I didn't bring in dip. Donuts had to be keto, low carb or gluten free. If I provided pizza I had to make sure there was a alternate dish like salad. Mind you I did this to improve morale and out of my own pocket.
I've been at SSA for 40 years. Andrew Saul is by far the most unpopular commissioner the agency has in those years. Hopefully Biden finds a way to push him out the door. Even if Trump is reelected he should ask for Saul's letter of resignation.when his second term begins.
As someone who's worked in dozens of offices and never seen anything even coming close to what you'er describing, it sounds to me like you're embellishing quite a bit, and simply hate that some people have different dietary preferences than you. Either that or you really need to fine-tune @ss-hole radar and quit hiring awful people to work for you.
@ 8:28. I can corroborate the story about complaints. Managers use their own personal money to bring in "treats" for staff and often get the kinds of complaints described above. It's never enough.
Our manager brought in a home cooked meal once, then employees got sick with some kind of food poisoning. Have to be careful what you eat. Anyway back to Andrew Saul, everyone makes mistakes. If he would admit in public that he made a mistake about ending telework and if he would stop trying to cut employee rights and hamstring AFGE, he could win back the trust of the SSA employees and the general public.
Though it didn't affect me personally, it seems Saul's most egregious blunder was his wholesale elimination of telework for large swaths of staff. The agency also really dropped the ball with regard to safeguarding staff from the coronavirus, though that's undoubtedly due in part to others' blunders and misinformation.
At the moment, my biggest concern by far is that he'll put an end to telework prematurely before the outbreak has subsided to a safe level. I think this is going to be hard for him to avoid, given the overall failure by our federal and states' failures to adequately deal with the pandemic, the fact that pretty much all states are experiencing higher levels of transmission than they were back in March when the agency finally decided to maximize telework, and the fact that many states are, at this moment, experiencing increasing levels of spread. Maybe he can get us out of this without killing off staff. But the picture certainly isn't promising at this time.
Changing the name of the SCT to Hearing CUSTOMER SERVICE Rep. SSA does not have CUSTOMERS, it has claimants. Clueless and an example of not wanting to even know what your employees do or why.
Commissioner Saul should not go strictly by CDC guidelines in deciding who to call back to work. Those guidelines keep changing and they now show age 65+ or preexisting condition, are at high risk. The actual age for being at high risk is much lower than 65 and I don't know why CDC changed it from age 60 to 65.
Commissioner Saul should exempt everyone over age 60 from having to return to the office. 60+ is safer working at home and this would enable the agency to keep their experience and knowledge. Manyemployees age 60 would retire rather than go back to the office. Also it will help social distancing to not call everyone back
It has been my experience over the decades, that every newly appointed COSS has been highly dependant on senior staff for the the initial direction they take towards managing the Agency, and COSS Saul is no exception. Although DCOSS Dave Black has institutional knowledge, the fundamental process emanates from senior staff, some of whom are schedule C appointees. As the impact of the pandemic has become clearer, vis a vis Agency operational programs, the COSS has demonstrated, by his program directives and other internal communications, a far greater appreciation of balancing safety and accomplishing the mission of the Agency, than what has been reported here so far. This Agency serves a vulnerable population, and many of the employees fit into that category as well. However, the need for a fair and speedy resolution of the caseload has always been and continues to be its major priority. Although the adoption and modification of available technology has been vital to the transition, it has been my observation that the tenacity and determination of the SSA workforce to get the job done has been outstanding and made all the difference. More importantly, this COSS has not only not stood in the way of this progress, but he has consistently encouraged and applauded it. Have there been a few missteps and hiccups starting out, yes, but our current course clearly demonstrates that we are moving in a positive direction, and the numbers continue to bear this out. No one can guarantee the future, but so far when "push has come to shove" , this COSS has led the charge in accomplishing this Agency's vital mission, and we can all hope that he can continue to do so.
Of course the need for a fair and speedy resolution of the caseload is a major priority. But the only major obstacle to that right now is the unwillingness of deluded attorneys and non-attorney reps who, for no rational reason, continue to insist its in their clients' best interests to suffer for months on end waiting for an in-person hearing.
@9:45 - Does SSA think its in a claimant's best interest to wait months to get through the initial denial and reconsideration where the DDS docs don't even look at their records and then wait months for a hearing? Is there a "rational reason" for having a system where many cases don't get any serious review for a year to a year and a half when they reach the hearing level? Some don't even get it then when you get a judge that approves 17 percent of the cases he hears. SSA doesn't care a bit about claimant's suffering for months or even years. The system would be a joke accept its not the least bit funny because these people are suffering. First, I haven't seen any indication that a fair or speedy resolution of case is a priority. The agency seems to care about neither. The process does not even approach fair. Speedy? Come on, can you people really say these things with straight face?
@9:45 here. Certainly your outrage is warranted, if misdirected. But your concerns don't seem to be related to what I'm saying. Unless you're saying its rational for claimants' attorneys to needlessly delay their clients' cases because SSA has backlogs and makes mistakes?
By the way, if you'd look past your assumptions, I think you'd quickly realize that most SSA employees share your outrage, and DO very much want to provide better service. But it's awfully hard to do that when Congress only gives you enough money to hire about 10% of the staff needed to do the job well. And it only gets harder with all the wacky shenanigans the claimants' and their attorneys try to play, so there's plenty of blame to go around here.
12:14 PM Talk about making assumptions (and stereotyping)... but, then I know nothing about "the wacky shenanigans the claimants' and their attorneys try to play." I do know that, in my dealings with SSA employees, I never got the impression that the employees "share your outrage" about how "SSA doesn't care a bit about claimant's suffering for months or even years." It took me 2 and a half YEARS to see an ALJ, who denied me. I don't know if he had any real concept of what I deal with on a daily and weekly basis. Kind of like JJ Abrams having no idea what a "Star Trek" movie is. It then took me 2 and a half MORE YEARS to get another hearing. Another 3 months to get paid. Some. A year and a half after going nearly 6 years without being able to work. 2+ Years before that were I "worked" about 11 months out of 27. Of course, the suffering didn't end when the checks started.
28 comments:
He was totally behind the 8 ball in his response to Covid 19. The local grocery store chain in my rural Ohio community had a plan and response to Covid before Saul did.
He ended telework for many thousands of SSA workers in November 2019 and then bragged about it on the SSA website, saying this was no time to "experiment" with telework. It turned out it was the exact time we should have been expanding telework. His rash and unjustified actions caused huge problems for SSA workers, the general public, and for the agency as a whole.
Really at this point I think his reputation is shot and he should resign.
Why I retired and moved. Saw the coming mess before he was sworn in. Like Titanic.
Facilities, security, legacy systems, lack of employee engagement, hiring practices, all are issues.
Really nothing has changed. Good or bad. Service is about the same as what we have seen over the years, Unions are complaining at about the same rate as before, and this blog finally has a name to complain about after complaining about not having anyone for years.
This blog would complain if gold bricks were handed out to everyone on disability because the brick are too heavy!
To tell the truth, Commish is a horrid job, nobody really wants it, and no matter what they did everyone would complain about it.
@ 8:54 AM
Thank you for weighing in Commissioner Saul!
True. Even if budget doubled and problems resolved employees would complain that life wasn't fair and equitable.
@8:54, this reminds me of my office. I often bring in donuts or cookies and get complaints like "how come you didn't bring xx kind of cookies" or "How come you brought them on Tuesday, that's the day I work from home, will you do something another day when I am in the office."
I often joke that I could leave piles of money in the breakroom and some people would complain about having $1 instead of $20 bills. SSA is a strange place and people always find something to complain about. Commissioner gets a lot of those complaints targeted at him.
@3:22 Except instead of bringing you donuts and cookies, Saul pokes you in the eye. And then laughs about it during his month-long art collecting trip to Italy. And upon his return, sends an email that SSA workers are unproductive because they can only see out one eye.
I love it. I once brought in chips but was asked why I didn't bring in dip. Donuts had to be keto, low carb or gluten free. If I provided pizza I had to make sure there was a alternate dish like salad. Mind you I did this to improve morale and out of my own pocket.
@4:10PM. Nailed it!
I've been at SSA for 40 years. Andrew Saul is by far the most unpopular commissioner the agency has in those years. Hopefully Biden finds a way to push him out the door. Even if Trump is reelected he should ask for Saul's letter of resignation.when his second term begins.
Better than Jo Anne Barnehart IMHO.
@ 5:09 PM
As someone who's worked in dozens of offices and never seen anything even coming close to what you'er describing, it sounds to me like you're embellishing quite a bit, and simply hate that some people have different dietary preferences than you. Either that or you really need to fine-tune @ss-hole radar and quit hiring awful people to work for you.
They were already in place. No embleshments. I always made efforts to
listen to employees needs. If you in management you must have not been very
creative or innovative. If you worked in dozens of offices you must have been kicked out.
@ 8:28. I can corroborate the story about complaints. Managers use their own personal money to bring in "treats" for staff and often get the kinds of complaints described above. It's never enough.
@9:42 AM
Yeah. Whatever. Cool story bro...
Our manager brought in a home cooked meal once, then employees got sick with some kind of food poisoning. Have to be careful what you eat.
Anyway back to Andrew Saul, everyone makes mistakes. If he would admit in public that he made a mistake about ending telework and if he would stop trying to cut employee rights and hamstring AFGE, he could win back the trust of the SSA employees and the general public.
Though it didn't affect me personally, it seems Saul's most egregious blunder was his wholesale elimination of telework for large swaths of staff. The agency also really dropped the ball with regard to safeguarding staff from the coronavirus, though that's undoubtedly due in part to others' blunders and misinformation.
At the moment, my biggest concern by far is that he'll put an end to telework prematurely before the outbreak has subsided to a safe level. I think this is going to be hard for him to avoid, given the overall failure by our federal and states' failures to adequately deal with the pandemic, the fact that pretty much all states are experiencing higher levels of transmission than they were back in March when the agency finally decided to maximize telework, and the fact that many states are, at this moment, experiencing increasing levels of spread. Maybe he can get us out of this without killing off staff. But the picture certainly isn't promising at this time.
Saul has to answer to the White House...
Changing the name of the SCT to Hearing CUSTOMER SERVICE Rep. SSA does not have CUSTOMERS, it has claimants. Clueless and an example of not wanting to even know what your employees do or why.
Commissioner Saul should not go strictly by CDC guidelines in deciding who to call back to work. Those guidelines keep changing and they now show age 65+ or preexisting condition, are at high risk. The actual age for being at high risk is much lower than 65 and I don't know why CDC changed it from age 60 to 65.
Commissioner Saul should exempt everyone over age 60 from having to return to the office. 60+ is safer working at home and this would enable the agency to keep their experience and knowledge. Manyemployees age 60 would retire rather than go back to the office. Also it will help social distancing to not call everyone back
It has been my experience over the decades, that every newly appointed COSS has been highly dependant on senior staff for the the initial direction they take towards managing the Agency, and COSS Saul is no exception. Although DCOSS Dave Black has institutional knowledge, the fundamental process emanates from senior staff, some of whom are schedule C appointees. As the impact of the pandemic has become clearer, vis a vis Agency operational programs, the COSS has demonstrated, by his program directives and other internal communications, a far greater appreciation of balancing safety and accomplishing the mission of the Agency, than what has been reported here so far. This Agency serves a vulnerable population, and many of the employees fit into that category as well. However, the need for a fair and speedy resolution of the caseload has always been and continues to be its major priority. Although the adoption and modification of available technology has been vital to the transition, it has been my observation that the tenacity and determination of the SSA workforce to get the job done has been outstanding and made all the difference. More importantly, this COSS has not only not stood in the way of this progress, but he has consistently encouraged and applauded it. Have there been a few missteps and hiccups starting out, yes, but our current course clearly demonstrates that we are moving in a positive direction, and the numbers continue to bear this out. No one can guarantee the future, but so far when "push has come to shove" , this COSS has led the charge in accomplishing this Agency's vital mission, and we can all hope that he can continue to do so.
@9:03
Of course the need for a fair and speedy resolution of the caseload is a major priority. But the only major obstacle to that right now is the unwillingness of deluded attorneys and non-attorney reps who, for no rational reason, continue to insist its in their clients' best interests to suffer for months on end waiting for an in-person hearing.
@9:45 - Does SSA think its in a claimant's best interest to wait months to get through the initial denial and reconsideration where the DDS docs don't even look at their records and then wait months for a hearing? Is there a "rational reason" for having a system where many cases don't get any serious review for a year to a year and a half when they reach the hearing level? Some don't even get it then when you get a judge that approves 17 percent of the cases he hears. SSA doesn't care a bit about claimant's suffering for months or even years. The system would be a joke accept its not the least bit funny because these people are suffering. First, I haven't seen any indication that a fair or speedy resolution of case is a priority. The agency seems to care about neither. The process does not even approach fair. Speedy? Come on, can you people really say these things with straight face?
@10:41 AM
@9:45 here. Certainly your outrage is warranted, if misdirected. But your concerns don't seem to be related to what I'm saying. Unless you're saying its rational for claimants' attorneys to needlessly delay their clients' cases because SSA has backlogs and makes mistakes?
By the way, if you'd look past your assumptions, I think you'd quickly realize that most SSA employees share your outrage, and DO very much want to provide better service. But it's awfully hard to do that when Congress only gives you enough money to hire about 10% of the staff needed to do the job well. And it only gets harder with all the wacky shenanigans the claimants' and their attorneys try to play, so there's plenty of blame to go around here.
12:14 PM Talk about making assumptions (and stereotyping)... but, then I know nothing about "the wacky shenanigans the claimants' and their attorneys try to play." I do know that, in my dealings with SSA employees, I never got the impression that the employees "share your outrage" about how "SSA doesn't care a bit about claimant's suffering for months or even years." It took me 2 and a half YEARS to see an ALJ, who denied me. I don't know if he had any real concept of what I deal with on a daily and weekly basis. Kind of like JJ Abrams having no idea what a "Star Trek" movie is. It then took me 2 and a half MORE YEARS to get another hearing. Another 3 months to get paid. Some. A year and a half after going nearly 6 years without being able to work. 2+ Years before that were I "worked" about 11 months out of 27. Of course, the suffering didn't end when the checks started.
There should be a bonus for getting people to retire at 60. Early buy outs would work. Retirement is great. Trust me.
He sucks. His boss sucks. Post this if you want.
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