From NPR (they're still a thing, for now at least):
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently reassigned a small share of its field office employees in an effort to bring down lengthy wait times for the agency's national 800 phone number.
Workers at local offices across the country say these reassignments have been disruptive for staff and are increasing wait times for other services. ...
"They are in a deep hole of their own creation on staffing and so you just don't have enough people to go around to serve the public," said Kathleen Romig, a former SSA official who's now director of Social Security and disability policy at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). "And so all you can really do at this point is rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic." ...
Nicole Morio, a field office worker in Staten Island and union representative, said these reassignments have forced front-line staff to take on more work.
"The stress level is probably at a maximum for everyone," Morio said. "At one point I think we were doing the work of 1.8 people. Now it seems as though we're doing the work of 10 to 15." ...
13 comments:
Unfortunately, the general public will not become concerned until the problems start to impact them directly or some horrific event occurs.
I would say that one person (the union rep) doing the work of 15 people might be a bit of an exaggeration.
Are they still working 8-hour days? At decent pay and great benefits?
The stress level at SSA is off the charts. Weight gain.. alcoholism.. high blood pressure are prevalent amongst SSA employees. There is no work life balance and productivity at any cost is the goal. Employees get yelled at by the public and management constantly and yet we must remain professional but all this comes with a heavy health price to employees. Retirement can’t come soon enough.
The House of Representative went home for more than a month for summer recess due to infighting but yet they demand excellence from federal employees in a shrinking workforce and heavy workload environment. Shouldn’t DOGE get involved in an obvious abuse of taxpayer money?
I hate working here now. I was so excited for this new COSS, I knew I’d him from the financial world and had such high hopes. I was so wrong. So wrong.
Yeah it sucks. The only reason any components of SSA have avoided imploding is the wealth of knowledge and experience and the tireless work ethic of the staff who have stuck around. It’s going to be real interesting when the idiots in charge start hiring again and expect all the newbies to get things done just as quickly as those of us with decades on the job (which is exactly what the idiots in charge have been doing for about 15 years now).
Maybe some of the critical experts who were forced out can be enticed back if they're rehired as GS-15 Step 10s. If it's good enough for Big Balls...
Hahahahaha hahahahaha
Press Release
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
For Immediate Release
Social Security Gains Momentum: Meeting Customer Needs Online, on the Phone, and In-Person
Increased capacity through new technology allows SSA
to serve more customers at greater speed
The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced substantial progress in service delivery outcomes resulting from focused technology enhancements and process engineering. These improvements reflect Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano’s strategic vision to modernize SSA’s customer service—meeting people where they are, addressing customer needs at the first point of contact, and improving outcomes across all channels.
“Our vision is centered on providing outstanding service that works for everyone we serve—whether they call, walk into a field office, or choose to manage their benefits online,” said Commissioner Bisignano. “We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board. We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue.”
In addition to the work related stress and crushing pressures now according to a reliable source, an office in Wabash Maryland in the Baltimore area apparently has bed bugs. This particular office is not open to the public. Not all employees have been allowed to telework. The average cost notwithstanding cloth furniture and other belongings to get rid of these pests in the Baltimore area ranges from 1500.00 up to over 5,000. As to the health concerns there is a possibility of secondary infections from scratching, as well as possible mild to severe allergic reactions. How much worse is it going to get??? I hope the media sees this and investigates as the employees at the office are afraid to report less retaliation could occur. It used to be SSA was known as the agency with a heart. So sad.
No and no. I work overtime and still cant finish all the work they throw at us. I get paid less each year than the prior year. Because they don't adjust our pay with inflation but they do raise the healthcare premium. Our pension also is tiny, I’ll still need ssa and other savings to make it when I retire.
Reddit has a thread that really tells this story from the frontline technician's POV. Warning, there is profanity -- but if you have the stomach to read, it is breathtakingly articulate, heartbreaking, and reflects exactly where SSA is today after six months of this Administration. No speculation, no fake news.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1m6mt8z/comment/n4kysq3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
No one can “walk in” a field office without an appt. There is a 35 day wait for an appt. Smh. Commissioner knows nothing and are “cooking “ the numbers to look good while employees are stressed to the max.
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