From Government Executive:
A draft plan for service delivery at the Social Security Administration includes “field office consolidation” as a goal for next year — even as the agency maintains publicly that it isn’t closing field offices.
SSA posted Monday on X that it “is NOT permanently closing field offices. Only underutilized hearing office space has been closed and without permanently closing field offices.” But a plan circulating within the agency includes a goal to “further reduce footprint” in 2026 and beyond.
The scope of the envisioned "consolidations" is unclear, though the document singles out field offices as on the chopping block next year. …
At the same time the agency is contemplating plans to shutter offices, it also is moving ahead with new identity proofing requirements expected to push more people to those offices. SSA is ending phone service for many of its benefits applications, as well as those looking to make changes to their direct deposit information, leaving them with online or in-person avenues to do so.
Some regional leaders that oversee field offices still haven’t gotten guidance on implementing the changes, which are scheduled to take place next week, according to one current employee. …
Watch out, big reductions set for today. Please report anything you hear.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you hear that?
DeleteWhy does everyone think big reductions are happening today? People keep saying it’s coming today but why? I thought OPM rejected our plan and it was going back, that’s why the second round of voluntary reassignments hit. And they just closed that yesterday. Why are the changes coming today?
ReplyDeleteThey should publish the “draft plan”. Otherwise this is just noise.
ReplyDeleteI ran out of panic. I honestly just dont care anymore. I am taking a more realistic approach. Sitting back and waiting for the final outcome and see what is left. Its like being in a flood. You really cant fight the water, you just end up tired and wet. When the water recedes, you go in and see what is left. You either fix it, move away, or tear it down and start again. Thats where I am at.
ReplyDelete@9:34 that’s right where I’m at! Hello neighbor 👋🏿
ReplyDeleteI see they took down the public facing workforce optimization page.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ssa.gov/news/workforce/
ReplyDeleteLink doesn’t work?
DeleteIt won’t open. It says the page you are looking for can’t be found.
DeleteAs usual, someone posts an unfounded rumor about RIF's coming to SSA today, then nothing happens.
ReplyDeleteHere is what the page looked like on April 1.
ReplyDeletehttps://web.archive.org/web/20250401175419/https://www.ssa.gov/news/workforce/
As @2:59 points out the page has been taken down and the link that @3:44 provided doesn't work. Perhaps they are updating the page?
No RIFs today and no updates. Just rumors to keep employees scared.
ReplyDeleteThe buzz at HQ is RIFs by next Monday, but no one knows the day. Also, a lot of people were so terrified of getting RIF'ed (esp if they have families to support) that they took the final call for reassignment that closed on noon Monday even if they have no front-line experience. Systems is getting slammed by departures; some application teams took a 30-50% hit just through additional reassignment volunteers, before any RIFs, to the degree it's unclear whether they can fully support their apps anymore. This has been a terrible way to downsize... unless the whole goal was to simply gut the agency's ability to function.
DeleteI don’t think anyone needs to worry about RIFs until at least next week. The voluntary reassignments need to be processed first before anyone can look at numbers and that will take at least a week. After that, the positions and rosters have to be developed and that also is gonna take time. I think everyone needs to slow down and take a breath.
ReplyDeleteI took a reassignment and was given a location that is at least convenient to me. They have no idea what to do with me so I’m still at HQ doing knowledge transfer.
ReplyDelete