From: ^Human Resources Internal Communications <Human.Resources.Internal.Communications@ssa.gov> Sent: Monday, October 5, 2026 3:48 PM
Subject: Ending Alternative Work Schedules
A Message to SSA Employees Subject: Ending Alternative Work Schedules
Effective Monday, November 16, 2026, SSA is ending alternative work schedules (AWS), including 4/10 and 5/4/9 schedules, agency wide. All employees will transition to a standard five-day workweek.
The American people depend on SSA to deliver on its mission every day, and that mission depends on a workforce that is present and available throughout the week. AWS, which allow employees to complete their work hours in fewer than five days, reduce staffing on the days employees are off. The cumulative effect across the agency is significant and impacts our service to the public. Every SSA employee, whether or not they work directly with the public, is part of how we deliver on our mission. A consistent five-day workweek strengthens our ability to deliver the service the public expects.
Employees currently on a 4/10 or 5/4/9 schedule may continue that schedule until Friday, November 13th. After that date, all employees will work a five-day schedule beginning November 16th.Instructions will be forthcoming on how to ensure employees are transitioned to the standard work schedule timely.
Thank you for your professionalism and your commitment to the public we serve.
Chief Human Capital Officer
60 comments:
Oh nice. So all these great numbers and service the touts about (fake) will essentially be wiped out? It's bad enough as it is. Sure, you can get through on the phone rather quick, but they don't know what they are doing, most have never worked the phones or are new and mess everything up. Just my experience is all....I don't see this helping anybody anywhere.
I'm sympathetic to the need for consistent staffing, but it seems to me that the agency could have handled this by making AWS contingent on managers' approval and spreading people's days off across the week (so they didn't have a bunch of folks out every Friday, for example). I would guess that there are a lot of field office and other managers who would rather have someone out every Tuesday and working 10 hours on the other 4 days of the week than have that person quit or retire and not be available at all, which may be what happens now.
Next up is flex bands…
My management had no warning this was coming, or so they claim. This affects me as now I have to rearrange my whole life outside of work for the fourth time since this godforsaken administration came in. Word on the street is that religious comp, credit hours, and the flex band are up next on the chopping block.
I was shocked that this corrupt administration did not do the scheduling change earlier. Just in time for holiday season. 🎅🏻
Flex band if removed will be catastrophic ... they dont realize the impact that specific flexibility will have on the entire agency staffing. I wont be surprised if many leave to other agencies .. they seem to have it much better than SSA!
AWS has always required supervisory approval and is approved based on staffing and workloads (or whatever new terms we are required to say now). This has nothing to do with availability of staff or work not being done.
SSA has had AWS and credit hours for decades, through both Republican and Democratic administrations. Suddenly ending AWS is pretty outrageous, Even worse will be if they terminate credit hours or flextime.
Where is AFGE, the union should get involved on this one.
When I was on AWS (no longer am anymore) Management informed me that your AWS day off was contingent on staffing needs. Basically not everyone on AWS can take the same day off so that they had appropriate staffing throughout the week.
If you had schedule conflict , then seniority comes into play after. If you were on lower end , then you were forced to choose a different day off as a result. This ensure staffing is met even when factoring in the people using leave. At least this was the case when I did have AWS. Unsure if it has changed since then.
So honestly this isn’t even about staffing needs , this is just leadership trying to find some BS reason to try to justify themselves
The agency has always hated it employees.
Whats next ? Think out of the box? No more chairs ?
What are managers saying? So weak.
Seattle TSC has been under this “temporary suspension” environment since July of 2025. They haven’t had the FWS OR the Flexband since last year. This is just new guidance for other components after others were the Guinea pigs first. No one listened to the canary in the coal mine for the last year. Coverage for the day off was made as part of who could ask for what day to be the non tour one. Settled by scd if there were conflicts of multiple people wanting a certain day that was similar. Newer employees had to wait for a Monday or a Friday opening to become available, sometimes for years. But it was fair. Flexband was taken away at the same time.
Flexband has been taken away from the TSCs for some time now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they take it away for everyone else.
This. 100%.
The SSA retirement or transferring band will be coming out of the woodwork. 🥁
Reality check… everything is more expensive and grass is always greener on the other side.
I’m an outlier. I think it makes scheduling unnecessarily complicated and not appropriate for direct service. I know it’s been around for a long time but that doesn’t make it right. It’s just easier to not let others have it if the majority cannot.
Flextime is likely next and I will miss that. Employees (and their kids) with child drop off and pick up duties are going to be incredibly affected. Getting in and out of HQ will be a nightmare with thousands of people arriving and departing at the same time. It’s chaos when we close HQ early, even with so-called staggered departure by building.
Question will be whether flextime or credit hours goes away first. Frank does not like employees earning time away because the agency “pays” for that later via future absence. He’d rather spend the overtime than let you earn the time.
Recruitment will admittedly suffer but then again Frank doesn’t really care about that.
BINGO
I cannot imagine 12k employees getting dumped out onto the beltway that late in the day. It would literally take half an hour to get off campus and bring that side of Baltimore County to gridlock.
No more trips to the bathroom and no lunch breaks. The public is counting on you to hold it all day and to eat while you answer the phone. Who doesn’t love talking to someone with their mouth full? As to bathroom breaks, maybe the commissioner’s daughter also sells pickle jars? Wouldn’t that be convenient!
F*** HQ.
As long as there are credit hours, people with these schedules can still work them.
We (management) did not receive any heads-up before the HRIC went to everyone. That said, we all “knew” it was coming by reading the tea leaves and watching IRS for signs of what is to come. I’m sorry you have to make adjustments. Hopefully, you also were anticipating this and started planning ahead.
Which is why credit hours will be next. Credit hours are a gift for an abundantly staffed agency. We are not that. Bring on fixed shifts.
Recruiting doesn’t matter, you realize this right? Zero interest in hiring, work harder dirtbag
Sure I’ll be stuck in traffic an extra hour and standing in a long line to board the elevator. But Frank will be there in the lobby handing out some delicious-ass pretzels.
I really wonder if i will be taking callswhile working reception, like mcd’s or in the parking lot like chick filet! If you see yellow vests in the mail room were cooked!
Definitely “management” lmao. Are y’all robots?
That would absolutely cause a mass exodus in FO’s. If that was to happen (ending Flex Time), there would be no doubt the plan is for the agency to fail.
A national union-management grievance has already been filed by AFGE.
I’m sure that’ll fix it…
I’m sure that will fix it…
🤣😆🤣
I knew this was coming after this happened to IRS. In fact, the exact verbiage was sent to SSA that was originally sent to the IRS. Then, they are going to wonder why service quality has dropped. Oh, wait, that’s right, because it doesn’t matter how hard you work because now they can only give 40% of the entire agency staff top ranking.
The solution is to vote for new congressional leadership in the midterms.
That’s what everybody said about telework. The people that are left are stuck.
AFGE DEMANDS…
AFGE SSA General Committee said in a statement that only a small number of employees take advantage of AWS.
“SSA’s email paints a false picture of an agency overwhelmed by employees with alternative schedules that it harmed public service, even in those components that do not interact with the public directly. None of it is true, and managers already had tools available in our contract to deal with temporary needs. Instead, SSA decided it would no longer honor an agreement it made in 2019 during the first Trump administration,” the committee said in a release. “This decision will harm public service by further depressing morale in an already overwhelmed workforce who have seen their rights and benefits disrespected by agency leadership again. Many employees will leave, exacerbating attrition and further depleting service capacity. We demand that SSA reverse this decision.”
Banks hire tellers at minimum wage. Those tellers work part time. That's where this is heading.
I left the agency due to flex and ending in our division in the TSC. It ruined my work life balance. I had no small kids and other options. Left after 20 yrs and can’t take my FERS yet but oh well, life is clearer and decent now. This place was and still a nightmare. Flex will end for all other divisions for sure and will defend it by saying service levels to skate around the contract. TSC has grieved the loss of flex and AWS so they will end it for the rest to make it even Steven. Sickening.
MAGA SSA employees should not complain about the attack on federal employees since this administration made it clear what will happen with the implementation of Project 2025.
It should be clear to everyone that this regime's primary goal is reducing the federal workforce headcount by tearing up contracts and making conditions increasingly miserable. As long as this administration thinks they can get away with it, be assured that they will do it. They think they own the place.
@9:33pm what exactly did you want a response to say? Managers were not told in advance of the email to all employees about coss decision to cancel aws or how much prep time employees would have. Yes, people will have to make adjustments. And while 9:33pm didn’t say to ignore the cancellation: To people here and on reddit saying just keep working your aws because removing it violates the contract, don’t be stupid and shame on anyone for suggesting to anyone to ignore the change. Don’t give the agency any opportunity to fire you with cause that risks your pension. It’s what they want.
For anyone who already lost flexband, are you offered different shift options as the fixed shift or randomly assigned? thank you
For anyone who already lost flexband, are you offered different shift options as the fixed shift or randomly assigned? thank you
Religious comp is in regulations, it can’t just be undone. And not that they care, but it would definitely lead to lawsuits. For the Administration that cares so much about religious freedom and expression, amirite?
Lol at the person pointing out what this would do to the parking lot and Beltway. Somehow I think the billionaire with the private jet DGAF.
Nope, management has to approve your leave and I can guarantee they will be told not to approve weekly leave.
No, he won’t be here.
As a general rule, extra hours worked after a regular eight hour day are not very productive. Employees are tired, and less alert in the late afternoons, after putting in a full eight hour day.
For this reason, both credit hours and AWS hurt the productivity and accuracy at SSA,. There is some justification for SSA management dropping these perks.
Flextime is different, that should be continued. It allows employees to balance their home-work responsibilities. Flextime also enables employees to avoid commuting during rush hour and being stuck in traffic.
Those who were on AWS can't just work credit hours to get that day off anyway, once AWS stops. For example, I was told by my supervisor in PC7 that I was taking too many Fridays off, using my credit hours and annual leave. He said there is a rule that precludes showing a pattern of one particular day off, in leave usage.
An employee who is trying to decompress from morning traffic and trying to find a parking space is not going to be any good for the first hour.
Not necessarily. When I stay for credit hours after the office is quiet, I am able to get just as much, if not more done, because there’s no interruptions. It’s quieter and I can concentrate better.
Then you should only be paid for 7 hours.
Is this their little reminder to employees to vote in November?
As a general rule, anonymous claims about workplace productivity without any evidence should be dismissed summarily. But thanks for your insights, Leland.
Former manager here. I know it is hard to believe but AFGE finds out about this stuff before we do. It's an interesting way to run an organization.
Nope! When it happened at TSC little to short notice. They are giving advance notice at least this time around. No cares. No empathy. No alternatives. Just told to make it work not their problems. Oh wait yeah people could try to change their shift but if it was child care issue even with changes it was still a problem physically and financially for people. I posted above not having children and it affected me even with appointments and other life occurrences. I lasted 6 months after the changes and woke up one day and submitted my two week notice. I am probably counted in the second wave after DRP and fork in the road or employees who left when the numbers came out in spring. I loved what I did helping people but be frank it was causing me severe medical issues. The public should be concerned and should want to advocate for a good work place for feds. And for the MAGA feds who voted for this good riddance. It’s embarrassing you would vote to destroy the government that helps the public.
This couldn’t be furthest from the truth. When I was telework and on 549 there was time my spouse would be like you are still working your shift ended 30 minutes ago because I was so into it and it was quiet less employees online reaching out and disrupting me. When we were ordered back in office same. The employees who left early I still had a nice 1.5 hours to keep working and it was quiet not small talk just working and I loved every second of it. Those on the same schedule as me did the same. We might reach out to help one another but we worked and loved the time allowed on the work days to get more done. Maybe you are one of those workers that slack off if working a AWS that’s a YOU issue, but don’t make it out to be all employees to this.
YeS
Not everybody. A lot are just waiting for the one last thing to push them out the door - without giving any notice.
Elections have consequences. Everyone who voted for this administration should not complain one bit. It's so much damage done that it cannot be reversed. I am speaking for all agencies. Why would you not think it wouldn't affect you? Now you have to live with it and the worse part, those who voted for this will vote for them again.
Social Security ends flexible work schedules, teeing up clash with union
The agency’s top HR official says these changes are necessary to “deliver the service the public expects.” A union argues SSA violated its labor contract making this decision on its own.
Management was given zero notice, so we are scrambling,” an SSA manager told Government Executive. “Many of us just approved people for new AWS schedules in the last few weeks.” An SSA spokesperson declined to comment further, referring back to the email employees received on Monday.
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