Mar 12, 2026

Arbitrator Orders Telework Restored But Don’t Expect It To Happen Anytime Soon

      From Federal News Network:

A third-party arbitrator is ordering the Social Security Administration to restore telework for many of its employees, after the agency indefinitely suspended workplace flexibilities under the Trump administration.

The arbitrator, in an order signed on Wednesday, directed SSA to restore telework for employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees. The ruling brings back telework to levels that had been in place before mid-March 2025. …

The arbitrator’s ruling won’t have an immediate impact on SSA’s workforce. An SSA spokesperson said in a statement that the agency “strongly disagrees with today’s flawed decision,” and will appeal it to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which has a majority of Trump appointees. … 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Telework will be restored in the next Democratic administration. Elections have consequences.

Anonymous said...

Isn’t the FLRA nonfunctional until the rotting orange appoints more members?

Anonymous said...

The agency argued that “temporarily suspending” can be indefinite. This is obviously wrong, as the arbitrator found, but since the agency has the upper hand here (don’t have to grant telework while they appeal the decision), the win doesn’t really matter. Good luck to the agency with retaining anyone for any length of time.
Anyone who is asking questions (looking at you Congress) about the state of the agency really needs to get stats on retention. Not just hiring, but actual retention. I guarantee that stat will be pretty alarming.

Anonymous said...

When are you all going to realize that the SSA does not want to retain employees?

Anonymous said...

At the moment a majority of both chambers are nothing but happy to see SSA shrink and fail. Enjoy all the reaping, boomers who voted for this!

Anonymous said...

Yes, and when they cannot meet their hiring expectations, they’re going to wonder why.