Management Resistance To Telework

     From Government Executive:

Faced with the choice of going into the office or taking personal vacation days, many federal workers are opting to stay home. The Office of Management and Budget has issued guidance instructing agencies to implement “maximum telework flexibilities” in any area with an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but managers are still requiring many employees across the country to come into the office. ...

Following an agency-wide push last year to curtail telework, SSA [Social Security Administration] has resisted taking the same steps many of its counterparts across government have taken during the coronavirus pandemic. One employee who works at the Harold Washington Social Security Administration Center in Chicago says staff are capable and willing to telework, but it has not been given that option. Instead, he has taken leave all week. 

“My supervisors will not approve me to telework, even though my position is one that can be done remotely,” the employee said. Some of his colleagues performing the same functions are now working remotely because they have children out of school or someone else to care for, but the staffer's pleas that he was worried about his wife and kids were not enough to persuade agency managers to allow him to telework, he said. ...

The White House, meanwhile, has provided inconsistent messaging. President Trump on Thursday confused the entire concept when asked if he wanted to push more telework for government employees. 

“We are, and we’re using the medical term of telemedicine, and it’s been incredibly busy and really where people don’t have to, I mean some people can’t do it anyway,” Trump said. “They can’t get up, they can’t see a doctor, but we’re using this and it’s been telehealth, different names, and I will tell you that it’s been really successful.” ...

How Well Do You Think That Social Security Has Responded To The Covid-19 Pandemic?

     Social Security has an Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness, run by Joseph D. Sliwka. He's in charge of continuity of operations planning. Mr. Sliwka works for Michelle King, the Deputy Commissioner, Budget, Finance, and Management. Let's remember that while Mr. Sliwka can plan and advise, the major decisions were made and are being made above his pay grade. In the past, when natural disasters, such as hurricanes have happened, my impression was that Social Security did a fine job of responding. This is a different emergency to say the least.

Social Security Employees Worried About Covid-19

     Many Social Security employees are worried about their potential exposure to Covid-19. Can anyone blame them? If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention.

CMS Says Facetime And Skype Are OK To Use For Confidential Conversations. Why Not SSA?

     The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has now approved patient visits with physicians via Facetime and Skype, so why can't claimants and their attorneys use such services to do Social Security hearings during this time of emergency?

CDRs And Overpayment Collection Suspended Among Other Things

     From a new Social Security Covid-19 website:

What workloads is SSA not doing during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Created: March 18, 2020

We have suspended the following workloads until further notice:

• We will not start or complete any current medical continuing disability reviews. If you have a medical continuing disability review pending, please do not request medical information from your doctors at this time. We will follow up with you for any medical evidence once the COVID-19 public health emergency subsides.
• Where possible, we are suspending our processing and collection of overpayments.
• We are not conducting organization or individual representative payee accountings.
• We will not be able to process a third party requests for information, except from appointed representatives and representative payees
• We will not process any Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

     What if Social Security is already withholding part of a claimant's benefits because of an overpayment? Are they suspending that?

"We Don't Social Distance Because We Can't"

     From a summary of an interview conducted by National Public Radio:

... At the Social Security Administration office in Tulsa, Okla., the first order of business yesterday was a staff meeting. Forty people, four times the number the government recommends should be in one place at one time, crammed into the meeting room to be told their office would be closed to the public but not to employees. Ralph de Jullis works there. He's also an official with the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some Social Security workers.

RALPH DE JULLIS: Most of our offices are more than 10 people. We don't social distance because we can't. We're in cubicles. So we're all exposing each other. It would be safer for us to be at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus because if we're here and we all get sick, we're not going to be able to do the work. ...

The Social Security Administration announced late Monday it was closing field offices ...

DE JULLIS: But the people who are over 60 were told, oh, yeah, we don't agree with the CDC guidance. Unless you have one of the other serious medical conditions, you can't telework. They're just making it up as they go along. ...

Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, is calling on the Trump administration to close all federal offices with more than 50 people. Reardon says the government should also allow federal employees to take special leave, called weather and safety leave, if they're low on paid sick leave.

TONY REARDON: You have employees who don't have a great deal of leave. They don't feel well. And if they are not provided weather and safety leave, they still have to provide for their families. They still have to earn a paycheck. So you know what they do? They go to work, and that really puts all the other employees in their workplace at risk. ...

Why Can't Attorneys Use Facetime Or Viber To Do Video Hearings?

     The Covid-19 emergency isn't going away soon. The Department of Health and Human Services is planning based upon an assumption it will last 18 months or more.

     Social Security has allowed attorneys to do video hearings from their offices but only if they install expensive video equipment. Very few have done so.

     Why don't we allow attorneys to use Facetime or Viber to appear with their clients at these hearings? Skype doesn't but Facetime and Viber have end-to-end encryption. They're far more secure than the telephone calls we'll be using otherwise. At least from out end this can be implemented quickly. Come on, we're in an emergency situation here!

No, This Isn't Going To Blow Over In Two Weeks Or Two Months

     The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a Covid-19 response plan. The plan assumes that the Covid-19 pandemic will last 18 months or longer and may include multiple waves of illness.

     Social Security has to plan for prolonged dislocations. We all do.