I had earlier cited a Government Executive article saying that federal agencies were supposed to submit draft plans for return to new normal post-pandemic operations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by June 18 with final plans due by July 19. I had wondered why we had heard nothing about those draft plans. Now, there's a new Fedweek article saying the draft plans are actually due by tomorrow, July 9, with the final plans still due by July 19. Apparently, the deadline for draft plans was extended.
Oh good they will have a firm date to work with for those retirement plans.
ReplyDeleteI see all the discussion on telework for SS employees below and I looked at this linked article. It suddenly occurred to me, maybe I'm a little slow, but there is a fundamental difference between agencies like the SSA and most other civilian employment in the Government. Simply, SSA is a front facing agency with extensive public contact and most, really nearly all other agencies aside from VA treatment centers. For non public facing agencies, the risk of exposure is very low and can be controlled even more by requiring vaccination of those employees. At the same time, because they do not face the public, their need to be in the office is far less and most, maybe nearly all. if their work could be done at home.
ReplyDeleteFor SSA employees, outside the payment centers and regional offices and Baltimore, there is the same dynamic. They do not meet the public so the exposure could be minimal and they could also work at home much more.
For DO and Hearing Office Employees, they do meet the public constantly. Because of vaccine resistance they cannot control who is vaccinated and who is not in the people they see. With employees who are vaccinated, the risk would be low but greater than for other employees. But it is also far more necessary that they meet with claimants directly because the existing phone systems are just not good enough.
I believe the union wants more telework because they have always wanted more telework and they are using the pandemic as an opportunity to get what they always wanted.
What I would like to see is better service which does require more public contact and a plan to minimize any real risk by requiring all employees to be vaccinated and by requiring proof of vaccination of anyone entering the building or office.
Traditionally the field offices have been anti telework because they thought it would mean more field office closures. The field offices get swamped with people all day long doesn't waiting cheek to jowl in the reception area. Employees at some offices have been exposed to the common cold flu hepatitis and even tuberculosis not to mention whooping cough. What everyone needs to realize is the vaccine is not 100% effective it's 80 to 90% effective which means it'll prevent you from dying from the virus but it will not prevent you from catching it and spreading it.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that you can't tell someone that they can't go into their local office if they aren't vaccinated. What if they have a religious objection to medicine? What if they can't get it because they will have a severe reaction to it? Lots of things point to not being able to mandate the public be vaccinated before coming in locally. The real question to me is - can the gov't mandate that the employees be vaccinated? I personally think they should- with some kind of opt out/assumption of the risk kind of thing for those who refuse. Worse problem is that the variants are starting to grow and get more serious. The Lambda variant is now the next to worry about with initial reports not looking good (high transmissability and potential for "antibody escaping" properties. This will likely continue. It's not easy but we HAVE to figure something out for this. Maybe pass-through windows like a bank drive through and disinfectant for all docs coming through? I don't know....
ReplyDeleteThe hearing offices and field offices have extensive public contact. Since they do, it is in everyone's best interest to take all reasonable precautions to limit the spread and contraction of the COVID19 virus, particularly given the current rise of the delta variant. So, one would think it would be wise to continue telework at home indefinitely until COVID19 is under better control. Additionally, medical experts are already predicting a fall surge due to the delta variant. The bottom line is reopening should be done with an abundance of caution and not in the haphazard manner that SSA does so many things. It is no coincident that SSA sadly ranks as one of the worst federal agencies at which to work.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSSA PSC has thousands of employees in large buildings with narrow halls, poor ventilation, and crowded elevators. If SSA were to reopen these offices prematurely the employees in the PSC could be part of a super spreader event, if even one of the COVID19 variants proves vaccine resistant.
Out of an abundance of caution, SSA PSC and TSC should remain closed until at least 2022. Due to the nature of employee's jobs in these buildings, just about all of them can be done from home. There is very little public contact required, and what is required can be done by phone.
In the eyes of some of these posters, we need to close everything down again. Maybe even tighter than before. Shouldnt risk delivery drivers going door to door with you orders of food and goods, they shouldnt be exposed. Theatres and ballparks closed, no need to risk those folks, gas station attendants so you cant get your soda and lottery tickets, fast food drive thru lanes, absolutely everything should be shut down.
ReplyDeleteNow they will say it is not the same. But what they are really saying is it is perfectly fine for other people to take risks so that things keep moving, but the government employee is ABOVE all others and must be protected like a fine jewel. In fact, they shouldn't really even have to work to get paid. Just because they worked in the past we should all bow down and thank them and contribute to the comfort they deserve.
I have never been more disgusted with human behavior in my life than I have the utter disdain these SSA employees show, they are the entitled in this entitlement program.
What a ridiculous post. Lemme guess who you voted for in 2016 and 2020.
DeleteWait...no guess necessary. It's obvious.
The cruelty is the point.
I keep hearing about religious objections to vaccination. the only denomination of any size in the US that has an historical objection to vaccines are Christian Scientists, all told less than 50,000 in last census in 2010, probably less now. Jehovah's Witnesses object to blood or blood products, but only plasma injections as a treatment for Covid involve blood transfusions and nothing in their literature suggests an opposition to the COVID or any other vaccine.
ReplyDeleteDo we really need to tie ourselves in knots by not requiring vaccination, as we do routinely for children and the variety of shots they need for school, for the handful of genuine religions objectors and the equally small number of those that cannot take the vaccine for genuine health reasons.
ReplyDeleteIt as false analogy to say that because gas station attendants and ballpark workers returned to work, so should SSA workers. A professional SSA employee who works on a computer can do his job at home, a gas station attendant or ballpark worker cannot.
The news on the COVID19 front is not good today. There was an announcement that COVID vaccines are not as efficient 6 months after vaccination, and Pfizer is saying a 3rd shot may be recommended soon. Even worse, USA hospitalizations are rising based upon the Delta variant.
Now even though some are anxious for SSA offices to reopen, I am thinking any SSA reopening plans should be scrapped for now. It's a good thing the original deadline to submit reopening plans was delayed, this will give time to reevaluate.
@7:05 pm You make excellent points. Sadly, too many folks are not getting vaccinated. And, the failure of folks to get vaccinated allows for mutations of COVID variants that can perhaps evade the immune effects of the current vaccine. So, at this juncture it would seem illogical to fast track the reopening of SSA offices. But, given the haphazard nature of how things are done at SSA, one only wonders how SSA will handle the reopening process. It's not a coincidence that SSA is one of the most poorly ranked federal agencies for employee satisfaction.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSSA offices are unique in nature. The population we serve (aged and disabled) is more vulnerable to COVID. The logistics and setup of HO and FO mean close contact with many who may be unvaccinated. Reopening prematurely could put the public we serve at risk, as well as SSA employees.
Also SSA is different from most employers because most jobs at the agency can be done perfectly well from home. AFGE recently released a survey indicating most employees (80%) believe they are more productive working at home, and most strongly desire complete remote work to continue.
Given the recent news about variants and increased hospitalizations, along with uncertainty of the COVID trajectory in the fall, the best thing to do is to continue the status quo.
Keep the offices closed until 2022; then reevaluate.
7:05 believes they are more important, because they are "professional" so others have to serve them.
ReplyDelete10:56 Senior centers are open. Senior congregate meal sites open.
ReplyDeleteCenters for independent living open.
Your excuse holds no water.
Damn, telework really is the new class divide in America. Those with in person service jobs are mad as hell.
ReplyDeleteI guess no other "professionals" in the entire country are in offices. Funny how that works isnt it.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that pushing telework, in the name of fiscal responsibility, was a Republican priority until recently.
ReplyDeleteNow that the union wants telework, Republicans are against it.
Funny how that work!