The results of the poll are both sad and pathetic. OHO is a service. It's a disgrace to keep OHO sites closed when CDC announces today that there are few, if any, restrictions for those fully vaccinated. By the end of May, 2021, all of my clients awaiting hearings will be fully vaccinated.
I can say with confidence at least 25% of the people I see every day don't have a valid, acceptable, unexpired form of photo ID.
Now I'm going to be tasked with examining a vaccination card that has no photo and I'm to determine if it's authentic as presented before I can assist them after they have already entered the building and sat in the lobby for an hour?
@6:48 pm. Not to mention that the hearing rooms are like cubicles. Would any of the ALJ's really want to sit in any of the hearing rooms all day with no windows and poor ventilation? Would the claimants? Would the representatives? It's a recipe for disaster.
What if SSA OHO makes telephone/video hearings the normal, with an opt-out for those who want an in-person hearing? Kind of like things are now, under COVID-19. It really makes it easier for disabled folks, and no one loses his or her right to an in-person hearing.
Based on current vaccination rate, we will have the ability to populate 85% of the public by September 2021 at which time it should be time to reopen. The problem is that a certain proportion of the population 1. Does not want to get the vaccine; 2. Does not want to wear a mask; 3. Does not want to socially distance; 4. Thinks they have some sort of right to do whatever they want without doing any of the above no matter the consequences.
Video hearings at home are already booked through September -- ALJs must submit 6 months of calendar in advance -- so OCALJ is not going to reopen in person hearings before October, just for that reason alone.
With COVID-19 cases rising, it's being obvious that too many states rushed their reopening and now we are seeing the painful results of these poor decisions.
SSA should not exacerbate the situation by reopening FO or HO. Not until the situation is completely under control and the number of new cases is way down to levels that mean it is safe for everyone.
We don't know for sure yet that even those who are vaccinated are completely safe from the new variants of the virus. The last thing SSA should do is to reopen prematurely. Better safe than sorry.
What is an acceptable level of safe for everyone? No new cases? No new hospitalizations? After opening, to the person that gets infected, was it safe?
We will never eradicate the virus.
@12:59
Trump voter here - getting my second shot later today. Trump came out a few weeks ago recommending the vaccine, but also acknowledge it is a personal choice.
This virus has disrupted life as we know it. There is a level of risk to everything we do in life, so each individuals must weigh their own level of risk they are willing to take.
And since masks work, can't those that want to protect themselves continue to wear masks?
And don't forget, Dr. Fauci originally said masks were unnecessary and should be reserved for medical personnel.
I have read of several people who thought they were safe after they were vaccinated, then they caught COVID19v anyway. We have to make sure the statistics show that the cases are way down, like to less than 1% of those tested, to make sure the vaccines are effective.
Also, just because the Post Office for example reopened, does not mean SSA FO or HO should reopen. If someone comes into a post office with COVID19, they buy some stamps and leave. The Post Office employee is only exposed to them for a few seconds.
If someone with COVID19 comes into a FO or a HO, they could expose SSA employees to the virus for long periods of time, which is extremely dangerous. Young, healthy doctors have passed away from COVID19, because they were exposed to large viral loads: by being close to sick people for long periods of time. It isn't just being exposed to COVID it's the amount of time and the proximity that can determine the severity of the infection and the resulting illness.
Disability interviews in FO can stretch for 30 minutes or longer, with the claimant sitting across from the SSA employee, face to face. Extremely risky situation. Same thing with a HO with long waits and then the hearing itself. Crowded waiting areas and long waits increase the risks for both the general public and SSA employees.
To be safe I say wait another year and reassess then. In the meantime we should try to make telework as effective as possible and I think SSA could become a teleworking agency on a permanent basis.
2:24 12:59 here. you are reasonable to get a vaccine.
But 49% of Republican men have stated they will not get the vaccine. The 10 states with the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated persons are all red states. the 13 states with the lowest percentage of persons who have received vaccines also all red states. The states with no mask mandates at this time have Republican governors. Fauci has very clearly said that the reason he originally said no masks was because of the mask shortage for healthcare workers. Masks are worn not only to protect the wearer but also the people who are around them. Trump is to blame for a lot of the mess we are in. IF he had not only told people to wear masks, but worn one himself, not tried to downplay the Covid virus, not insisted on his rallies going forward to stroke his ego and had filmed himself getting vaccinated and shared that on social media (like all the other living presidents had done) we would be in a different place right now.
It would be nonsensical to open field offices and hearing offices any time soon. Herd immunity is not even close at this point. Opening restaurants, bars, public venues too soon is already proving to be disastrous as COVID cases are on the rise again. Can't believe so many entities are not heeding the advice of medical experts.
The PSC's and Tele-service Centers should not reopen either until the virus is gone. Employees in these large buildings face infectious entranceways and guards desks, crowded elevators and cramped narrow hallways and stairwells just to get to their desk.
Then sitting there working with a mask on all day, nervous about someone with the virus coming too close or trying not to have to use the public restroom and risk getting infected.
No this is not the time to think about returning. It is much better to have all SSA employees continue to telework.
PSC and TSC employees should all be able to vaccinated within a few months. When employees are vaccinated, not much reason to wait to reopen. That goes for FOs as well.
Re trusting medical experts--one thing this pandemic has shown is that experts frequently disagree. Experts who push vaccination but then say people that are fully vaccinated need to wear masks, distance, etc are not doing much to convince people to get the shots.
Why reopen when the work is being done well from home? Most SSA employees love telework, they are safer working from home, it saves taxpayer money by keeping offices closed, and it's better for the environment without employees committing to work.
We have been working at home for over.a year now. The agency and SSA employees have mastered the logistics of telework. It would be a huge mistaker to throw all of that away and order employees back to the offices.
Also vaccines are a help, but they do not eliminate the danger entirely.
If the vaccinations will make it safe to reopen: then why did I just hear on the news that per the CDC fully vaccinated people should still wear masks and continue social distancing?
I can't wear a mask all day in a SSA office. Nor should I be asked to do so, when .I can do my job from home. The offices should not reopen under these conditions.
3:20 am. Why do field offices and hearings need to be open/live? Because there are a lot of people who are incapable of using the internet, and need to speak to someone in person. Sending important documents through the mail does not always work == things get lost. Need to be able to walk them in. Hearings are much easier in person than on the phone -- especially when there is an interpreter. I fully support partial telework time for many/most Social Security workers but there needs to be a balance. IF the DMVs can be open and schools can open then there is no reason that Social Security should not be at least partially open. Stay well
18 comments:
The results of the poll are both sad and pathetic. OHO is a service. It's a disgrace to keep OHO sites closed when CDC announces today that there are few, if any, restrictions for those fully vaccinated. By the end of May, 2021, all of my clients awaiting hearings will be fully vaccinated.
The problem, amongst many others, is that OHO hearing offices are outdated, poorly ventilated, and conducive to spreading COVID19 because of it.
I can say with confidence at least 25% of the people I see every day don't have a valid, acceptable, unexpired form of photo ID.
Now I'm going to be tasked with examining a vaccination card that has no photo and I'm to determine if it's authentic as presented before I can assist them after they have already entered the building and sat in the lobby for an hour?
@6:48 pm. Not to mention that the hearing rooms are like cubicles. Would any of the ALJ's really want to sit in any of the hearing rooms all day with no windows and poor ventilation? Would the claimants? Would the representatives? It's a recipe for disaster.
@10:51 so many birth certificates have photos? Or pay stubs? or tax documents?
So lame.
What if SSA OHO makes telephone/video hearings the normal, with an opt-out for those who want an in-person hearing? Kind of like things are now, under COVID-19. It really makes it easier for disabled folks, and no one loses his or her right to an in-person hearing.
Based on current vaccination rate, we will have the ability to populate 85% of the public by September 2021 at which time it should be time to reopen.
The problem is that a certain proportion of the population
1. Does not want to get the vaccine;
2. Does not want to wear a mask;
3. Does not want to socially distance;
4. Thinks they have some sort of right to do whatever they want without doing any of the above no matter the consequences.
Thank you Donald Trump.
Video hearings at home are already booked through September -- ALJs must submit 6 months of calendar in advance -- so OCALJ is not going to reopen in person hearings before October, just for that reason alone.
With COVID-19 cases rising, it's being obvious that too many states rushed their reopening and now we are seeing the painful results of these poor decisions.
SSA should not exacerbate the situation by reopening FO or HO. Not until the situation is completely under control and the number of new cases is way down to levels that mean it is safe for everyone.
We don't know for sure yet that even those who are vaccinated are completely safe from the new variants of the virus. The last thing SSA should do is to reopen prematurely. Better safe than sorry.
@1:30
What is an acceptable level of safe for everyone? No new cases? No new hospitalizations? After opening, to the person that gets infected, was it safe?
We will never eradicate the virus.
@12:59
Trump voter here - getting my second shot later today. Trump came out a few weeks ago recommending the vaccine, but also acknowledge it is a personal choice.
This virus has disrupted life as we know it. There is a level of risk to everything we do in life, so each individuals must weigh their own level of risk they are willing to take.
And since masks work, can't those that want to protect themselves continue to wear masks?
And don't forget, Dr. Fauci originally said masks were unnecessary and should be reserved for medical personnel.
I have read of several people who thought they were safe after they were vaccinated, then they caught COVID19v anyway. We have to make sure the statistics show that the cases are way down, like to less than 1% of those tested, to make sure the vaccines are effective.
Also, just because the Post Office for example reopened, does not mean SSA FO or HO should reopen. If someone comes into a post office with COVID19, they buy some stamps and leave. The Post Office employee is only exposed to them for a few seconds.
If someone with COVID19 comes into a FO or a HO, they could expose SSA employees to the virus for long periods of time, which is extremely dangerous. Young, healthy doctors have passed away from COVID19, because they were exposed to large viral loads: by being close to sick people for long periods of time. It isn't just being exposed to COVID it's the amount of time and the proximity that can determine the severity of the infection and the resulting illness.
Disability interviews in FO can stretch for 30 minutes or longer, with the claimant sitting across from the SSA employee, face to face. Extremely risky situation. Same thing with a HO with long waits and then the hearing itself. Crowded waiting areas and long waits increase the risks for both the general public and SSA employees.
To be safe I say wait another year and reassess then. In the meantime we should try to make telework as effective as possible and I think SSA could become a teleworking agency on a permanent basis.
2:24 12:59 here. you are reasonable to get a vaccine.
But 49% of Republican men have stated they will not get the vaccine. The 10 states with the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated persons are all red states. the 13 states with the lowest percentage of persons who have received vaccines also all red states. The states with no mask mandates at this time have Republican governors. Fauci has very clearly said that the reason he originally said no masks was because of the mask shortage for healthcare workers. Masks are worn not only to protect the wearer but also the people who are around them. Trump is to blame for a lot of the mess we are in. IF he had not only told people to wear masks, but worn one himself, not tried to downplay the Covid virus, not insisted on his rallies going forward to stroke his ego and had filmed himself getting vaccinated and shared that on social media (like all the other living presidents had done) we would be in a different place right now.
It would be nonsensical to open field offices and hearing offices any time soon. Herd immunity is not even close at this point. Opening restaurants, bars, public venues too soon is already proving to be disastrous as COVID cases are on the rise again. Can't believe so many entities are not heeding the advice of medical experts.
The PSC's and Tele-service Centers should not reopen either until the virus is gone. Employees in these large buildings face infectious entranceways and guards desks, crowded elevators and cramped narrow hallways and stairwells just to get to their desk.
Then sitting there working with a mask on all day, nervous about someone with the virus coming too close or trying not to have to use the public restroom and risk getting infected.
No this is not the time to think about returning. It is much better to have all SSA employees continue to telework.
PSC and TSC employees should all be able to vaccinated within a few months. When employees are vaccinated, not much reason to wait to reopen. That goes for FOs as well.
Re trusting medical experts--one thing this pandemic has shown is that experts frequently disagree. Experts who push vaccination but then say people that are fully vaccinated need to wear masks, distance, etc are not doing much to convince people to get the shots.
Why reopen when the work is being done well from home? Most SSA employees love telework, they are safer working from home, it saves taxpayer money by keeping offices closed, and it's better for the environment without employees committing to work.
We have been working at home for over.a year now. The agency and SSA employees have mastered the logistics of telework. It would be a huge mistaker to throw all of that away and order employees back to the offices.
Also vaccines are a help, but they do not eliminate the danger entirely.
If the vaccinations will make it safe to reopen: then why did I just hear on the news that per the CDC fully vaccinated people should still wear masks and continue social distancing?
I can't wear a mask all day in a SSA office. Nor should I be asked to do so, when .I can do my job from home. The offices should not reopen under these conditions.
3:20 am. Why do field offices and hearings need to be open/live? Because there are a lot of people who are incapable of using the internet, and need to speak to someone in person. Sending important documents through the mail does not always work == things get lost. Need to be able to walk them in. Hearings are much easier in person than on the phone -- especially when there is an interpreter. I fully support partial telework time for many/most Social Security workers but there needs to be a balance. IF the DMVs can be open and schools can open then there is no reason that Social Security should not be at least partially open. Stay well
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