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When you look online now for news about Social Security, you mostly come across clickbait and "listicles" like those shown below. These pieces have little or no value to people who work in the field but they're indicative of what the public reads:
- Social Security update: Third round of February payments worth $4,873 goes out in five days
- 3 Things To Know About Social Security Payments If You’ve Ever Been on a Payroll
- Social Security Benefits for Spouses: 4 Things Retired Couples Need to Know
- Social Security update: March direct payment worth $943 goes out in seven days
- Social Security Recipients: Will You Get a March Check if the Government Shuts Down?
- Goodbye to the $1,900 Social Security check: retirees will earn less money as of this date
Those annoy me, some of the tips for retiree's are good though, but as far as ones that are absurd, I don't even bother.
ReplyDeleteI think you could say the same for any government agency. Their advertising budgets can’t compete with private companies’ ad campaigns.
ReplyDeleteCharles, I just saw your post about it being a slow SSA news week. Perhaps you can post a poll or open question asking how employees feel about the commissioner's responses to Engage SSA ideas or even his Security Stat initiative. He’s making changes (some good and some bad) and I’m curious how everyone feels.
ReplyDeleteTechnology innovation at SSA/OHO is a disaster so nothing is going to published about that - case in point Centralized Scheduling (millions of dollars later fallen by the wayside), Johns Hopkins studies - fallen into the black hole of no return? and lately - ERAP - created by people who obviously have no idea what it is like to practice law in varying courts (none of which schedule 6 months out)... so where is the common sense oversight? If O'Malley would quit wasting time being led around by handlers and meet privately with some of the managers in OHO hearing offices, he might get a true picture of the disaster that leadership had created in the tech section... and let's not forget the dual process going on in two case tracking systems for over two, maybe three years now...
ReplyDeleteHe should meet with some line staff, too - and outside the large meetings in which management are at the ready to hear everything said and retaliate once the COSS leaves town.
DeleteHe won’t, though. His dismissive (and laughably inconsistent!) responses to the posts on that Engage site prove he’s just another unimaginative grease stain in the long line of unimaginative grease stains to hold that office.
@11:29 - It might be wise of O'Malley to actually talk to some claimants too. Maybe ask them if they are having long wait times for SSA services, including the 800 number and how it affects them. Maybe get some insight to the other side of SSA. The claimants.
ReplyDeleteGoogle search results have significantly degraded over the last 5 years. There have been empirical studies showing that most first page results are ad sponsored. Freakconomics had a good podcast episode on this topic that was updated recently
ReplyDeletehttps://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-google-getting-worse-update/
Also, its way too early to criticize O'Malley. You really do not want a new commissioner making aggressive policy or IT/tech changes within the first 6 months of his term. Though I would be interested in hearing about Engage SSA ideas, and the commissioner's responses.
Frankly, the one change O'malley should have made quickly is replacing a good portion of upper management at SSA headquarters.
You forgot the perennial favorite:
ReplyDeleteBIG CHANGES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY FOR 2024
(or whatever is the new year)
This almost always consists of:
- COLA increase
- Increased maximum taxable income limit
- Increased FRA age
- Increased maximum income limit for early retirees
Telework news, in a way.
ReplyDeleteCommissioner O'Malley set up an internal "Engage SSA" for suggestions. But almost all of the "suggestions" are complaints from SSA employees who have recently received RTO orders, and are losing their 100% telework.
The Commissioner finally responded by saying "I had to make a decision by February 2 under the Union Agreement in striking a better balance between TW and on-site presence - or we would have to wait until October to make any adjustment. For those in Field Offices, TSC's and Processing Centers, there has been no change to the current balance. For others like headquarters staff, there is- effective April 7.
This is followed by pages and pages of outraged responses to the Commissioners statement, bring up issues of child care cost, short notice, , being more productive at home, cost of commuting, etc.
Really these employees should not have had continued 100% telework, when everyone else had to go back two years ago. This created resentment, as can be seen from the FO office employees responses, many of whom say they are glad O'Malley made this move to end the privilege special treatment for HQ.
For myself I will just say I have to go in to my SSA Office now, I lost my 100% telework when the Covid emergency ended. Sure I would prefer staying home and working all the time, with no commute. But that is not my decision to make .
The SSA model should be: A hybrid schedule for all, special privileges and 100% telework for none.
Comr was given a mandate by the WH to increase in-office staffing to x % by x date. We have labor agreements which prevent a level of change in those bargaining units. Consequently, NBUs are the easiest to send back to the “office” if necessary, and it’s good optics to send higher GS mgmt who can “afford” to come to the empty hoteling cubicle farm to manage an entirely virtual staff, because the work is entirely electronic in a closed network.
DeleteNew Comr seems more flexible. He is meeting with unions almost weekly, and has already made positive staffing changes to improve morale. Cautiously optimistic.