New SSA Commissioner Email

[Anonymous]

Didn’t Elon make a comment that people are living too long and that is the problem with social security? Like people are doing their job to well and recipients are too comfortable so they are living longer? Wtf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like a Musk/Trump “F$ck off” to staff again

Getting kinda immune to being to by Mumps how worthless I am. That said, Voight was right. I’ve started having panic attacks at work for the first time in 20 years. SSA is incredibly toxic and uncertain about right now. And that’s a feature, not a bug.

People can live with that degree of stress and anxiety about their jobs for so long. Eventually you resign yourself to being laid off or at the very least develop a whatever happens, happens attitude and folks begin to be checked out. I know Vought and DOGE want people scared but as shown on this board it seems to have flipped from fear of job loss to please just RIF me or let me take a VERA with 22 years of service for many.

I’m the PP. Yep. I’m entitled to a full year of salary in a RIF and am 2 years short of VERA. VERA18/50 and I’d be gone tomorrow. So, I’m praying for a RIF. I’ve loved SSA. I do not want to work for Elon Musk’s human contact free hellscape that remains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t Elon make a comment that people are living too long and that is the problem with social security? Like people are doing their job to well and recipients are too comfortable so they are living longer? Wtf

He called it a Ponzi scheme on Rogan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect Musk wrote this. We already know he wrote FORK in the road. This subject is "Our road ahead" and mentions "we stand at a crossroads". Some strange theme.

It sounds like they'll be firing basically anybody who doesn't answer phones and are outsourcing/automating everything else.

the 25 year old doge racist wrote the FORK memo. He is really proud of it. Anyone who had any interaction with him knows about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect Musk wrote this. We already know he wrote FORK in the road. This subject is "Our road ahead" and mentions "we stand at a crossroads". Some strange theme.

It sounds like they'll be firing basically anybody who doesn't answer phones and are outsourcing/automating everything else.

the 25 year old doge racist wrote the FORK memo. He is really proud of it. Anyone who had any interaction with him knows about this.

The FORK Memo was terrible. Legally, ethically, from a workforce management standpoint, from a clarity and coherence standpoint. If I wrote that memo, I’d be very, very quiet and deny all knowledge.

This is why you don’t let 25 year olds completely reshape a workforce of over 2 million people. Elon is all “move fast and break stuff”. Things like SSA the vast majority of Americans do not want to be broken. And it administers incredibly complex programs. Our older workers are actually some of the most valuable because the understand the big picture in a way someone focused just on appellate operations or hearing does not. Once the institutional knowledge is gone, is would take 15-20 to get back. Sometimes the things you break are valuable and just be slap dashed back together.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Jeff for unlocking this! To be clear u didn’t mean for this to turn into a political discussion about SSA (although I realize it’s impossible not to touch on).

But I know there are a lot of SSA employees in this area. I’m wondering which jobs will be cut/outsourced? And if excepted service cannot be reassigned to competitive service (which I think most public-facing roles are) does that mean most of us will be RIF’d?

Do we think ALJs and disability attorneys will be replaced by AI?

Because we are essentially being run by Musk (using Dudek’s name) there is no layer of management to protect any of us. This administration will have free rein and I’m guessing this could serve as a test case for other agencies.

Also I’m totally creeped out by the part about serving at the pleasure of the president. No I don’t. Like most feds I am a civil servant, not a political appointee. I signed an oath to the constitution. I work for the good of the American people. I’m also like how does this not violate the Hatch Act? Any attorneys who practice in this area willing to take this on?

[Anonymous]

I think SS and Medicare I can fix.

First non SS related, but Medicare should be 67 since SS now 67 for new people.

Second get rid of any taking SS as early as 62 and then max payout at 70. Make it early ss 65 and max payout 73.

Raise SS Tax limit to first $500,000 in income to collect more taxes.

Hire more SS people to go after Fraud and hire a lot of auditors and forensic accountants to address medicare fraud.

If anything SS and Medicare needs more employees, but with Data Analytics, IT, Forensic Accounting and Audit skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Jeff for unlocking this! To be clear u didn’t mean for this to turn into a political discussion about SSA (although I realize it’s impossible not to touch on).

But I know there are a lot of SSA employees in this area. I’m wondering which jobs will be cut/outsourced? And if excepted service cannot be reassigned to competitive service (which I think most public-facing roles are) does that mean most of us will be RIF’d?

Do we think ALJs and disability attorneys will be replaced by AI?

Because we are essentially being run by Musk (using Dudek’s name) there is no layer of management to protect any of us. This administration will have free rein and I’m guessing this could serve as a test case for other agencies.

Also I’m totally creeped out by the part about serving at the pleasure of the president. No I don’t. Like most feds I am a civil servant, not a political appointee. I signed an oath to the constitution. I work for the good of the American people. I’m also like how does this not violate the Hatch Act? Any attorneys who practice in this area willing to take this on?

I can answer one part. No ALJs and AC attorneys cannot be replaced by AI. We have togive due process. I’ve never seen a Court case that has held that Ai can provide due process without human involvement.

I do think there will be a push to up productivity numbers and use AI tools like Imagin. The productivity goals could be concerning. But Imagin isn’t bad if you learn how to use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

What you are saying is pretty close to how SSA is now. The main objective is to accurately process claims. But the claims process is complex and every claimant has a different profile. And some communicate better than others. Some have an advocate to help. If they don’t, we still need to develop the claim. That’s takes interpersonal contact. So, the side benefit is getting to help people— often people you talk to, medical records from or hear bits of their life story— and you see they really need SSA. And being able to provide what they need by processing the claim efficiently and correctly makes you feel like you accomplished something good today.

Elon doesn’t understand compassion or empathy, so he can’t write anything coherent about those emotions— which are drivers for many SSA employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

I don’t even understand what you are trying to say. Does anyone at SSA believe that being personally inspired is the mission of the organization?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

I don’t even understand what you are trying to say. Does anyone at SSA believe that being personally inspired is the mission of the organization?

Separate agency mission from what motivates employees. The mission is processing claims effectively, accurately and efficiently. The mission is not creating feel good moments for employees. That said, depending on your role, a byproduct of processing claims— which can involve extensive claimant interaction to gather the necessary information— is seeing that your job make other people’s lives better, in a concrete way. That byproduct motivates many employees to give the extra effort— or just avoid burn out.

More than one thing can be true. Feel good is not the mission. But doing the mission well can feel good. I have to think that dynamic isn’t unique to SSA.

[Anonymous]

Love the typo in the memo: "Thump" instead of "Trump."
Perfect irony.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

What you are saying is pretty close to how SSA is now. The main objective is to accurately process claims. But the claims process is complex and every claimant has a different profile. And some communicate better than others. Some have an advocate to help. If they don’t, we still need to develop the claim. That’s takes interpersonal contact. So, the side benefit is getting to help people— often people you talk to, medical records from or hear bits of their life story— and you see they really need SSA. And being able to provide what they need by processing the claim efficiently and correctly makes you feel like you accomplished something good today.

Elon doesn’t understand compassion or empathy, so he can’t write anything coherent about those emotions— which are drivers for many SSA employees.

FWIW, the medical portion of Social Security Disability/Supplemental Security Income claims for disability benefits are processed and adjudicated by STATE and DC government employees. At least until they are appealed to the level of the Administrative Law Judge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is an unhinged email.

I'm not at SSA - what is this line about?

"The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission."

AI generated, no human would write this. What they are implying is those feel good moments from work are not your motivation or job the successful operation of the agency is the goal and those feel good moments will naturally come from that. What they wanted to say is something like…
While the inspiring moments have meaning, are valuable and significant, they should not become the main objective. Instead, the organization should remain dedicated to its mission, trusting that these impactful experiences will arise as a natural consequence of doing the work well.

What you are saying is pretty close to how SSA is now. The main objective is to accurately process claims. But the claims process is complex and every claimant has a different profile. And some communicate better than others. Some have an advocate to help. If they don’t, we still need to develop the claim. That’s takes interpersonal contact. So, the side benefit is getting to help people— often people you talk to, medical records from or hear bits of their life story— and you see they really need SSA. And being able to provide what they need by processing the claim efficiently and correctly makes you feel like you accomplished something good today.

Elon doesn’t understand compassion or empathy, so he can’t write anything coherent about those emotions— which are drivers for many SSA employees.

FWIW, the medical portion of Social Security Disability/Supplemental Security Income claims for disability benefits are processed and adjudicated by STATE and DC government employees. At least until they are appealed to the level of the Administrative Law Judge.

And right now, by the Florida DSC support cadre in DQB. Which is detailed largely from AC senior attorneys. Oh.