You can read many comments to this blog asserting that Social Security employees have been just as productive working from home as they were in the office. Some even assert they're more productive. This could be true of some components of the agency but I think it needs to be made clear that this is emphatically not the case when it comes to the agency's field offices and its payment centers where claims for Title II benefits are processed.
To assess how well these components have fared with employees mostly working from home you have to look first at workload. Workloads are down considerably. SSI claims, which are taken and implemented by the field offices, were down 29% for the time period July 2020 to April 2021. For that same time period, Title II disability claims, which are taken by the field offices and implemented at the payment centers, were down 17%. Yes, retirement claims haven't been down, but come on, we all know those take little time to process. It's the disability claims that take all the time. Despite this major downturn in workload, backlogs have soared at the field offices and payment centers.
The explanation given by some posting comments on this board for the soaring backlogs is that they can't get the work done because they normally get a lot of work done using overtime and there's been little overtime this fiscal year. While a lack of overtime certainly isn't helping, it doesn't explain the soaring backlogs. Total workyears, including overtime, for Social Security itself (not including the Disability Determination Services) were down from 64,056 in FY 2019 to 61,553 in FY 2020 and to 60,905 in FY 2021. That's a very significant 5% decline in workyears from FY 2019 to FY 2021. However, remember that workloads for the field offices and payment centers declined significantly over this time period. You should also know that the agency has been able to shift overtime hours from hearing offices to other components as hearing office backlogs have declined.
Social Security employees and their unions can give whatever explanations they want but I'm on the receiving end of the agency's services. It's obvious to me that field office and payment center backlogs have soared during the pandemic even though workloads are down. I can't think of any rational explanation other than lower productivity caused by most employees being on 100% telework.
I'm not interested in hearing:
- What about ventilation?
- What about variants?
- Telework is the future.
- Social Security can cut the office space it rents if employees can all work from home forever.
- Commuting is dangerous and difficult.
- Andrew Saul is a jerk.
- Lots of employees are going to quit if they're forced to return to the office.
Enough already! The work isn't getting done. The current situation isn't sustainable. Allow employees some telework but Social Security employees need to get vaccinated and to get back to the office.
49 comments:
To be fair. one should take fully into account the huge effect the cut in overtime has have had on the PC7 disability backlogs. I don't think your worker statistics fully measure the cut in overtime. This has had a huge effect on backlogs of disability cases.
In 2020 Claims Specialists and Disability examiners often had 12 to 20 hours of overtime offered per week.
The usual pattern was 2 hours overtime per day Tuesday and Thursday, 8 hours on Saturday, and sometimes 8 hours on Sunday.
In 2021 Claims Specialists and Disability examiner overtime was abruptly cut to zero hours, and this continued for months.
Now the difference between working 40 hours per week (no overtime) and 60 hours per week (as some employees were with overtime, means that some employees are working 50% less hours than they were.
While most employees don't work that much overtime, my estimate is that work hours for the crucial Claims Specialist position in PC7 were cut by 25% due to the cuts in overtime.
A confounding variable is an unmeasured third variable that influences both the supposed cause and the supposed effect. You are assuming the increase in backlogs are due to telework, while in fact the backlogs are caused by the ( confounding variable ) cuts in overtime.
It would be grossly unfair to cut SSA employees overtime, then take away their telework because the backlogs increased due to the cuts in overtime.
Charles, you are completely off base with this rant. Disability claims have dropped due to the extension of unemployment. Basically everyone has either a phone or computer by which they can file their claim.
Furthermore as @9:31 a.m. noted, the total absence of OT from mid-March until it was finally resumed on 6/12 accounts for most of the woes you mentioned.
This blog post couldn't have come at a better time. I just had a hearing scheduled for 8:30 am today postponed because SSA's staff mixed up digits in my phone number. I tried calling the OHO 7 different times over a 30 minute period (between 8:40 and 9:10). Only twice did someone answer the phone. The first time an individual answered she attempted to put me on hold but hung up instead. By the time I was actually able to speak to someone who knew what was going on, it was far too late to start the hearing. Had someone answered when I called first, this situation easily could have been resolved, the hearing held, and no party involved would be inconvenienced with rescheduling the hearing.
It would be one thing if this were an isolated incident. It is not. Multiple OHO's (in Ohio and WV at least) have consistently just not answered calls during business hours. This usually did not happen when everyone was in their office. Either way, entirely unacceptable. Get people back in the office doing their jobs.
Regardless of what anyone thinks should or shouldn’t happen with telework, one thing is obvious: If the agency thinks the future is online, the worst thing to do would be to re-open office exactly as it was pre-COVID. This unfortunate pandemic has provided a path for pushing the online agenda.
Less people applying for disability as they are getting unprecedentedly large paychecks for being unemployed during the pandemic and no overtime. Those are the main reasons for less claims being processed. Your rant is inaccurate and inappropriate.
I agree that employee need to get back to the offices. New claims are processed very slowly and require multiple follow ups. I am tired of hearing about having one person to scan all the mail which causes backlogs. Also if there is too much overtime, they should hire more ppl. Overtime costs far more than additional employees. I am ok with 1 work day at home, but like the person who posted earlier, I also have trouble contacting ODAR and LDO because they are not answering the phones.
Incorrect, overtime costs less than straight pay plus benefits, including a lifelong pension. That is precisely why the agency has leaned heavily on OT.
Offer OT in office.
SSA needs to open offices to members of the public who has been vaccinated!
11:14 SSA Operations has relied on overtime to keep up with workloads for decades.
While it may seem to be cost inefficient to pay time in a half overtime, it actually would be more expensive for the government to hire new employees. This would require recruiting and training them, paying for their salaries , health insurance, life insurance, retirement, etc.
False. Your statistics do not reflect the fact many at home were working in a pandemic. So there were a lot of challenges. There could have been some illnesses. Workers could have had trouble with children or spouses at home.
The tech industry has long flourished with people working remotely. I have worked remotely doing SSD law since 2010. I am way more productive at home. Now, that was when my family was not there but it still worked.
I want to see the SSA workforce work remotely for at least 1 year before you can say it does not work. Times change.
Charles, I usually love your insight but I think you are way off base here. The workloads are down significantly because people are sitting at home with instant unemployment and stimulus money and therefore aren’t applying as much. As a corollary, the agency cut OT which it relies on for back end processing of work. To be fair, you complain that wait times are long and there are backlogs. What specifically is so backlogged? Payments are still going out every month, deaths are processed (an extra 500,00 or so this year) which increases survivor claims, LSDP, CIC, aux, etc. T2 back end processing is what has taken a huge impact handling this work without OT or staff. There is also an influx of people with time at home now to call SSA for reasons they never would have before. People need documents for refinancing, new medical bills, end of life situations that are quite unusual during this time. America doesn’t care about atty fees being paid, or records sent when people are more dependent on govt assistance than ever. Congress, the White House, watchdogs, and the American public don’t seem to be caring nearly as much as you. Perhaps the problem isn’t as severe as you would like people to think.
You are making a bold claim saying that there is a backlog due specifically to telework. This assumes you have examined all the other variables in the world right now such as the virus, slow downs at other agencies, staffing issues with the states, contractors and their challenges, budget reallocation, political administration change etc and come to the decision that it’s specifically telework causing the “backlogs”. How did you arrive at that?
You cannot use a one size fits all approach across an agency as large as SSA. Some offices can more fully take advantage of remote working or telework, and still fulfill their public service responsibilities. Others will need to take a more nuanced approach.
Agency and union leaders have had months to ponder the ins and outs of this topic. There is no excuse for not resolving this matter responsibly and equitably.
As usual, almost every grip here boils down to staffing and poor management. These same issues would persist regardless of the environment. I can't speak for the PC's workload since I don't work there, but as an OHO employee with a decent system setup, almost all of what we do can be accomplished from home. If folks aren't pulling their weight or things aren't getting done, that's a PERSONNEL problem.
That same personnel problem will exist when that crappy employee is in the office being visited by the 8th person to chat about their kids' baseball game in the last hour alone.
@1114 " I am tired of hearing about having one person to scan all the mail which causes backlogs."
You may be tired of it but that's how it has been the last year. Only management has been going into local offices (until recently some others have been allowed to come in) and usually only half of the mgmt staff comes in each day. So most offices have two people there to answer phone calls from their employees, help fix computer issues remotely, open and scan mail, scan items that are dropped off and do their usual jobs of supervising employees. It's a lousy situation and I am tired of it too but for most of the past 15 months, there was no other option.
The reason OHO staff isn’t answering phones is because they’re stretched thin doing their regular job as well as the job of the VHRs. It’s difficult to answer a phone when you’re in the process of recording a hearing and taking notes of what’s being said. Many offices still aren’t fully staffed or over staffed, so they’re stretched extremely thin as it is. Some offices used veteran volunteers or other specialized employees to work the front desk/phones, but those programs can’t be utilized right now.
I believe that will be changing in the near future with VHRs being given access to a laptop to work remotely for phone hearings. I would assume hearing offices will reopen sooner rather than later. Then everyone can go back to the usual whining and conspiracy theorizing about the agency directing ALJs to deny cases, etc.
This blog is so hateful toward government employees. Yes, there are many government employees who are unproductive. But there are also many who are very hard working. Unproductive employees who still be unproductive when they return to office. And honestly, whenever they DO do work, they do it wrong, causing additional work. Work is also pushed onto the productive ones. The good employees are much more productive with telework.
I'm speaking from the perspective of working in a PC. I don't know how it is in the FOs. We have been hiring drones of new people EVERY year. At the moment in time, there are way more trainees than actual employees. Training someone takes anywhere between 1-2 years now. Retention of these new-hires is also an issue. Many leave before training is completed. Many will not pass the probation period because they just cannot do the job well. The capable, hard working employees have to mentor all of these new trainees. ALL of the trainees work has to be reviewed by a mentor. The capable employees are forced to spend 100% of the time training multiple new hires. There are not many dependable people left to do the regular workloads.
There are many factors that you are unaware of, you cannot keep saying that productivity is low because of telework alone.
1) Home Wi-Fi often is at a slower speed than connectivity at an office, 2) unless faxes can be sent to employee's home work stations, the faxes will pile up, 3) home life often can interfere with work productivity, 4) physical receipt of mail is a problem, 5) asking for help from other employees is logistically more difficult at home, 6) etc. There are many reasons why work-from-home in a mass-volume business or gov't agency is a long-term nightmare for productivity. Some jobs may be fine at home, such as basic customer service calls, or for employees with a good track record of self-responsibility. But otherwise, SSA is soon going to become the VA in terms of its customer service to the public, which is pathetic.
@5:28pm The unproductive employees are supposed to be fired. The problem is they are not being fired, regardless of whether they work at field offices or hearing offices (ALJ's, hearing office directors, group supervisors, writers, case techs, etc.). So, while there are very productive and very good employees at SSA they get overshadowed by the way too many lazy and unproductive employees at SSA. The issue is not about telework but rather about getting rid of the many lazy and unproductive employees at SSA. Until that is done, the public service will not be nearly as good as it should be. And there's no political ideology attached to the concept. It's just common sense.
Before field offices open up all the way, SSA COULD staff the mail rooms and phones adequately.
There are so many variables involved that effect SSA productivity. Overtime, training, difficulty of cases.
It is a bit insulting to SSA employees who are working hard and well from home, to minimize the effects that cuts in overtime have had,
And to ascribe any and all SSA problems to teleworking employees who supposedly are not working as hard at home.
It simply is not true, and forcing all employees back to the office will not improve SSA operations. It would make things worse.
You can say that you don’t want to hear about increased employee attrition, environmental advantages of telework , or remaining COVID safety issues, These remain valid and real concerns which merit discussion.
Dear SSA Employee,
Please help me to understand some things. The country is opening back up. Illinois and many other states are open completely with little or no restrictions in activity. Offices, including social services to the aging and disabled communities are open, seeing people face to face and doing business that needs taken care of.
Many tax paying American workers are returning to offices across the country. They are doing business. They face all the same things you face when they go to work. In fact, you are using them to do the things you need done.
Ask yourself if you have had difficulty getting something taken care of in your personal life because the company you were dealing with was working from home and the work flow was disrupted. Ask yourself as you sit at the ballpark, dinner, theatre, backyard bbq what makes those workers, those people less important than you? What makes you so special? Is your life more valuable than the life of those workers because you work for the government? That due to you making your living off of the taxes of those going to work every single day, you are special, more important, precious and must be protected?
That is how you come off. That is what you look like. As a veteran, as an essential employee, I find it sickening, disgusting and loathsome. You are not better than those people, and your excuses fall flat. Of all people, those doing the work of the government should be the FIRST to return, happily, setting the example for the nation following the guidelines set forth by the government.
American Citizen
I work in a SSA payment center. I get more work done at home than in the office. I'm better rested, less stressed, without having to commute. And I don't use nearly as much leave as I can flex out for doctor and dentist appointments near my home.
Also when I am in the office I have to make small talk with those near me, I can't be anti social. So that takes up some of my day. People stop by my desk to ask questions, they sometimes want me to tell them how to do their job. I don't mind helping but there is a limit I should not have to do their cases as well as my own.
When I am at home working a difficult case, I can wait to respond to their Email or Skype question. If I'm in the office people walk up and interrupt my train of thought, which makes it quite difficulty to complete a complex case I'm working on.
Now I know why it is called an entitlement program. The workers think they are entitled to special treatment the rest of us are not.
Dear America Citizen,
I don’t control telework or any other decisions made by the Social Security Administration. I have no voice at all and I’m not a member of the ridiculous Union that supposedly has our best interest in mind because I think they’re a joke. They haven’t asked for my opinion or preference…EVER!
I enjoy working at home but when they call us back to the offices I will gladly comply because that’s what they pay me to do.
You’re welcome,
SSA Employee
Such a typically obnoxious American attitude. "I cannot have nice things so neither can anyone else!!!"
Such and entitled attitude, I deserve better than you because you are below me.
Wow, the projection in your post is off the charts. Civil servants know that they are pretty low on society's totem pole, especially in America where close to half the population has been brainwashed into believing that the government is evil.
@11:02
Strawman. I don't think anyone is below me. I do think that many of my job duties have become extremely portable, and there is no difference in my personal performance whether I am in an office cubicle or preparing your file from home.
It is a false analogy to say that because grocery store, restaurant, and ballpark workers have gone back to work, so should SSA employees.
Some employees have to go to their workplace to do their job. A man or woman who who stocks supermarket shelves or takes orders at a restaurant, cannot do that from home.
While working for SSA I I sit at a desk and work claims on my computer, make an occasional phone call, send faxes. I can do all of this from home just as well as at the office. Actually better at home, because I'm not subject to office distractions.
A better analogy for SSA employees is Twitter employees. The great majority of SSA and Twitter jobs can be done from home. The Twitter CEO recently said said all Twitter employees—except those in jobs requiring a physical presence, will be allowed to work from home forever,
Like Twitter, The Federal Government should be a model employer and not force employees back to the office without good reason. SSA has and can continue to demonstrate to the nation, that telework is a viable option.
Working at home is so much better for employees and the environment: reduces pollution, traffic congestion and accidents, illness caught in the office, and the environmental damage caused by thousands of employees commuting to large office buildings.
Okay so ignore the fact that other offices all across the nation doing every type of business are open. If you have to pick it apart that deeply then you know you are in the wrong.
I get it. You want to run that load of laundry during the day, and the dishwasher. Get up and take a walk, do something with the kid or the dog.
Great, you had it, for over a year. But the people you serve are suffering real actual suffering and you are crying about having to commute!
Utterly disgusting!
America at its finest in this blog! Honestly, I’m not the most empathetic or compassionate person in the world but the idiocy from both all sides on this are just sad.
The employees at SSA has zero control over the situation.
The idiots blaming them are beyond help!
The public will adjust to whatever the outcome, just like every other change that happens in the course of a person’s life. I mean what the hell? Nothing stays the same!!!
The “sky is falling” crowd needs to shut up! The offices will reopen to foot traffic. You and everyone else knows that’s the case, it’s just unclear as to what the date will be.
Here’s a little nugget to take with you. Eventually, SSA will convert to online only services. It will happen!!!
Lot of empathy there, you can just see it dripping off.
I just love watching all the complaints about why employees should return to the office that are no based in anything other than a third grade, it’s not fair mentality. “Everyone else is,” “grocery store workers are,” “you are the government” etc. What does any of that have to do with workloads?
And by the way, dib claims are not the sole reason SSA exists. You forget there are dozens of other workloads that are at least as important if not more. It’s so hypocritical to say “SSA needs to get back regardless of what those “entitled” employees want because I am entitled to have my fees paid faster or because my claim is more important than someone’s earnings record being updated.”
These baseless, sweeping generalizations and conclusions based on false premises unrelated to performance is such a poor look for a crowd that is supposed to be so much more intelligent than they are acting. I guess in the end, everyone who doesn’t get their way whines like a baby.
My new favorite argument. Twitter and SSA are the same. Let that one sink in a bit. It is there, a few posts up. Actually put out there. Bold as brass.
I think Charles should close the comments on this article since the remarks are clearly anything but constructive.
3:46 It's not just Twitter, about 70% of US companies are now offering some telework days to their employees. This includes Dell, Amazon, Aetna, Amazon, American Express, and Facebook.
Like it or not telework is the way of the future. SSA should not and will not go back to the 1980's with crowded offices ,, long commutes, and overbearing supervisors standing over employees at their desks.
Thankfully the Biden Administration seems to value hard working government workers and the good work that we accomplish at home. I see this Administration as willing to bargain with AFGE about SSA telework.
I trust AFGE on deciding whether SSA workers should telework.
Still have to come into the office with "some" telework so get back.
I think keeping the comments open is important. It is a look inside both sides.
It shows how far people will go to support their own beliefs. Facts are now a last century artifact. Liberty and justice for all is fine as long as all means me.
Besides, you gotta admit the Twitter thing is funny! ;)
If SSA is going to force employees back to the office, how about offering a buyout at the same time?
This would help those employees who are hesitant about coming back into the office for health reasons (the Covid risk is still not zero, even for the vaccinated). Employees could retire instead, and a buyout would make it financially possible for more employees to retire.
Mike Causey recently wrote an article in his Federal report which indicated it was possible the Biden Administration could consider a buyout, as they want younger employees in the federal workforce. It happened under Clinton ($25K buyouts).
Why not combine any callback with a SSA buyout offer. It could enable those employees who have a compromised immune system, for example, to retire instead of having to come back into the office and face risks.
I agree hearing both sides is important but this resulted to childish insults going back and forth which is pathetic.
The Twitter comment was not that far off. Most of what SSA does during a normal business day requires zero physical contact with a person.
The ONLY workload that can be tricky is the SSN card because we need to see original documents. In most other instances, that is not the case.
Having a drop box at the offices solves most other issues regarding documents.
The bottom line is that most people don’t like change.
As for being “forced” back to the office, I don’t agree with that either. If you work for SSA (or any employer) they set the stage for how they want business conducted. We were in the office before the pandemic so anyone that expected this working from home to be permanent was delusional from the start.
Telework should be a part of SSA and it’s really wasn’t prior to the pandemic. For instance, why does SSA staff teleservice centers? Why rent a building to house a bunch of people that never have public contact with anyone? That’s archaic.
There needs to be provisions made going forward that ensure telework is used where it’s appropriate but does anyone, on either side of the argument have faith those in charge will make the right decision? I know I don’t!
I dont get the Twitter thing. It is comparing apples and rocket ships.
Twitter is a totally online experience, social media if you will.
SSA is the social saftey network touching every single American citizen.
Twitter has a grand total of 4900 employees. Not a single person in the US is required to interact with Twitter, roughly 36 million people interact with Twitter, with 8% of users making up nearly 70% of content.
Explaining retirement benefits, Medicare eligibility and establishing program entitlement is a lot more complex than a tweet. While online filings will become more common, there are still problems that have to be dealt with face to face. If you have ever tried to get a major Medicare problem fixed, you understand how important it is to get a face to face meeting.
I dont see SSA moving totally online in the next 20 years. Not everyone has the internet. Low income, disabled folks sometimes have no access. Who is going to help those people? They will be among us for the foreseeable future.
As someone who has worked from home, and prides myself on my work product, you can not possibly think most people are as efficient working from home. Some maybe, but definitely not all, and certainly not MOST. I can tell from our own staff...lack of private/office space, tech issues, smaller screens, no desk or proper chair, family members home, distractions, etc. Even from a mental health perspective, there is no line of demarcation...I used to find myself just drifting between work and personal life in a depressing way. So presumptive to say that bc you have the perfect work from home space, everyone should work from home (for the SSA rep who works "better" from home due to lack of "office distractions").
But bringing people back full time?? People just don't want to do that after a year and a half at home. Even if it's more productive, and even if they will ENJOY it. A rotating in office schedule needs to be implemented.
I also don't believe the lack of overtime explains the inability from anyone at OHO and DDS to ever answer a phone call. And to provide unknowledgeable responses when they do.
It is true that SSA employees have a lot more in common with Twitter employees, than SSA employees have in common with ball park workers or grocery store workers.
Most SSA jobs can be done perfectly well from home, as can most Twitter jobs.
Twitter is allowing their employees to work from home forever.
Now the last comment said "anyone that expected this working from home to be permanent was delusional from the start. " But this misses the point.
When SSA workers started working from home, it was unknown how effective telework would be, or how long it would last.
After 15 months of telework from home, this has become part of SSA employees lives. Very important to be able to stay home and work without commuting to do the same work we could do at home. So my perspective on being able to telework is not the same as it was in March 2020.
I believe that SSA telework has been more effective than working in the office was, at least for PSC and TSC. Less leave usage and more cases worked.
SSA likely has the statistics and metrics to prove this now, after 15 months. It should not be that difficult to make a comparison of work accomplished before and after telework. Make these stats available to AFGE.
If telework can be proven to be more effective than working from the office was, then of course SSA telework should continue on a permanent basis.
The fact that people are arguing the merits of the Twitter analogy shows just how pathetic the complaints here are. How about talking metrics instead of anecdotes. How about showing the causal relationship between telework and the “backlogs” (aka, the complaint buzzword with no definition).
What this comes down to is it sounds like reps are mad that SSA employees are still able to work from home, and as the dynamic of business with this agency is changing, reps are struggling to keep up and are looking for someone or something to blame: telework.
Sounds like the tax money i pay every week is being wasted. I am not a rep. I am not a SSA employee. I have done both. Anyone that says they are not distracted at home, are not doing home tasks on government time is a liar, straight up liar and is stealing my tax money.
Any SSA work at home employee that hasnt done one minute of home tasks while working from home? Any? I am waiting...
821, you are right, I often throw a load of clothes in or, heaven forbid, pet my dog. However, while working at home I rarely take a lunch and minimal breaks. No one is stealing from you. How petty and small minded can you be. My job involves no public contact at all. There is no need for me to be in the office. I am super productive at home and I am able to add real value to what I do because I am not distracted by kindergarten antics that occur in the office. Not everyone has a job like mine but many do, and we should be allowed to continue working at home.
You act as though employees don't waste their time or get distracted in the office. Smoke breaks, extended bathroom breaks, chatting up co-workers, etc. Studies have shown that the same amount of actual work is performed at home as in the office.
8:21 Your statement implies that every worker in the country is stealing from their employer. Because no worker goes through their workday without any distractions, whether they are working at home or in the office. What you said is absolutely absurd.
I work for SSA. It may surprise you to know that I often do SSA job related tasks on my own time.
I've often looked up POMS procedure at night to help me work a difficult case the next day. (POMS is available on the internet for anyone to see).
I've continued working beyond my time off, to finish a difficult case. Worked through lunch. But I know this will not satisfy you because nothing would change your mind.
As for telework I do my job as well at home as in the office. I should be allowed to continue to work at home every day of the week. There is absolutely no reason for me to return to the office.
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