As several large departments make plans to reopen their offices to employees and the public during the pandemic, one agency has been relatively quiet.
The Social Security Administration, which made a series of contentious cuts to its telework program in the month leading up to the pandemic, has not called employees back to their offices en masse, nor has the agency indicated when it might do so.
Several agencies have published or distributed multi-phase reopening plans to their workforces in recent months, which describe, in varying levels of detail, how employees will gradually return to their offices and what to expect upon arrival.
Neither employees nor the unions that represent the SSA workforce have seen any kind of “reopening plan” from the agency, though they acknowledged it didn’t mean SSA doesn’t have one. ...
SSA declined to comment on its specific reopening plans, and it didn’t offer any timelines or details on how telework might fit into the agency’s future.
“We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and are evaluating guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management,” an SSA spokesman said in a statement to Federal News Network. “Many of our visitors are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Our goal is to continue to serve the American public while doing what we can to reduce the risk to our employees and visitors.” ...
15 comments:
Saul , Grace Kim, and others involved didn't expect the huge amount of blowback they received when they abruptly terminated telework last November. SSA received terrible press coverage, employee morale plummeted and Congress got involved. They don't want to make a similar mistake now.
They're smart enough to be aware of how high-risk their core customers are, and canny enough to know Social Security doesn't stay in the news long before something sexier comes along.
I hate working from home, but I fully approve them sitting on any reopening plan. I'd feel worse if I was back at the office, throwing gasoline on this fire.
I need them to open and work asap.. been unemployed for a year.. snd don't know nothing.. they need to be open and working.. i need help
I tried to call my local SSA office and got a recording saying to enter a extension number or a couple letters from a worker's name but give no list of extensions or worker's! I went to office and was met at front door by security guard telling me to call the office number!!
It is not fair that services that must be held face to face are not offered and are not able to receive any type of assistance virtually which prevents my children from receiving medical assistance.
@ Unknown. You may find a better number by searching for your local SSA office via https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp I have found that some letters from SSA include #s like you describe where you can't reach a person unless you know their name or extension. This may give you a more accessible number. Good luck.
Most SSA services can be accomplished online or over the phone, or by mail.
We cannot return to crowded Field Office waiting rooms. Nor PC and teleservice employees facing crowded hallways, elevators, and high touch areas such as the guards desk or public restrooms.
If SSA ends telework, I will retire rather than go back to my payment center and risk my health and the health of those close to me. There would likely be a mass and sudden exodus of experienced employees, either by retirement or resignation, should SSA bungle this again like they did when they terminated telework last year.
@9:35, you won't be alone in your exit from the agency.
Some of my coworkers have also mentioned they are not returning to the office when we reopen due to health/safety and family concerns.
I can't envision how to safely reopen.
They need to stay down
Completely agree
Everyone says they are leaving SSA but then they find out what the pay cut is in the private sector and sing a different song.
@ 1108 They aren't going to be leaving for another job. There is a significant percentage of workers who are eligible for retirement.
The real question is will there be an early out this fiscal year. I know many employees who are close to retirement and would take the out in lieu of returning to the office.
SSA PC7 employees are getting Emails telling us to watch mandatory videos about mask wearing in the office, ,self checking at the door for any symptoms. Also telling us to submit any medical reason for continued telework. It sounds they are at least thinking of calling people back. I for one would go back only for one day, to submit my retirement application and to clean out my desk.
How many ALJs are in the at-risk category? I know in my local office the percentage is at least 70+% even without knowing whether the younger judges may have underlying health conditions. I would assume there are plenty of judges around the country over 60/70 and/or have underlying health conditions that could complicate an infection.
With numbers around the country increasing with lag times of hospitalizations and deaths trailing positive tests by a week to a few weeks, I doubt in-person hearings or meetings will resume in 2020.
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