From CBS News:
The Social Security Administration could soon lose as many as 10,000 workers, according to former agency leaders who expect a large portion of federal workers to accept a buyout offer from the agency.
The SSA last month announced a restructuring initiative that gives all employees the option to accept "voluntary separation incentive payments" to leave the agency, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE's effort to cut costs by culling the federal workforce. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, DOGE has abruptly terminated thousands of federal workers over the last three weeks, causing turmoil across multiple departments.
The deadline for SSA workers to accept the "voluntary separation incentive payments" is Friday, March 14. Those who opt in must leave the agency by April 19.
Last month, the agency said it aims to cut the size of its workforce by 7,000 people, focusing on workers and jobs that don't "provide mission critical services."
Former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley, who led the agency under the Biden administration from December 2023 to November 2024, expects the actual number to be closer to 10,000 workers. The agency currently employs roughly 57,000 people. …
15 comments:
This agency was barely surviving with the current employee count level. I’m wondering if retired employees could be called back due to the CR in which the spending levels remain the same. These buyouts were not approved by Congress but many will stay retired regardless.
When the Social Security Trust fund is finally “privatized” and handed over to the Wall Street wolfs to gamble with, everyone one who paid into the fund over a lifetime taxes withholdings should have the option to have their contributions refunded to them with interest first.
I retired last year and there is nothing that could be done to persuade me to go back to work for an agency whose head is all in to dismantle it. Also I suffered once through Trump and I will never serve under that traitor again.
I’ll bet most of the 10,000 will be field office employees, whose wages have fallen behind even fast food clerks and Walmart greeters. Enjoy all the reaping, boomers! I hope you find it just as rewarding as all the sowing!
In California fast food minimum wage is just over $20 an hour. Wal-Mart minimum is $16. I doubt any SSA employees earn that in California. Any job GS 5 or above pays more with much better benefits.
VSIP (Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments) precludes anyone who accepts one from reentering Federal employment for 5 years. If you return to the Federal Government prior to that time, you have to reimbursement for the payment. Anyone who takes this is unlikely to ever return.
12:46 - Retired a few years ago - they invited me to go back, and the answer was, hell, no, never again. And that was before the current hellscape.
O’Malley wrong again. The number currently is 2,000.
Absolutely
Sounds like you do not know how the fund works.
Doubt that, office i know in WI went from 20 staff to 5... it's going to get bad before it gets worse.
The 2,000 number given to the Union by Lee was ONLY for VSIP. Does not include (or only some overlap) of VERA and full retirement people.
Does anyone know the total number of employee's that took the VERA and/or VSIP? Also, how many people are currently employed at SSA? Will SSA let the probationary employees go before RIFing tenue employees? If anyone can assist with answering these questions, I would greatly appreciate it
Current employment has been cited often as 57,000 prior to all the VERA and VSIP stuff
Does anyone know they number of employee's that took the VSIP/VARA?
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