Questions about DOGE and RTO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

Why do you think they care AT ALL about the CBA? What is the union going to do if they start ignoring parts of the CBA? Strike, nope, illegal... Federal unions are a political entity not a labour market entity, and they have zero political capital in current landscape.

They have a legally enforceable contract. They sue. And during litigation, there is typically an injunction to maintain the status quo.

The same judges that gave the Prez unlimited power.

Getting to SCOTUS can take years. In the meantime, federal disputes should first go through the DC Circuit which is relatively liberal.

Collective bargaining disputes do not go to the DC Circuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

Why do you think they care AT ALL about the CBA? What is the union going to do if they start ignoring parts of the CBA? Strike, nope, illegal... Federal unions are a political entity not a labour market entity, and they have zero political capital in current landscape.

They have a legally enforceable contract. They sue. And during litigation, there is typically an injunction to maintain the status quo.

The same judges that gave the Prez unlimited power.

Getting to SCOTUS can take years. In the meantime, federal disputes should first go through the DC Circuit which is relatively liberal.

Collective bargaining disputes do not go to the DC Circuit.

NP and I posted about that upthread and didn't get a response. Isn't it correct that you have to grieve to the agency first and then go to FSIP and those decisions are not appealable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

You're assuming that DOGE is going to bother figuring that out before they start hacking away at your agency.

DOGE doesn’t care. However, Congress is deeply concerned because they’d are getting nary calls from constituents. Our Commissioner has spent so much time testifying about backlogs and working with Congress to get them addressed this year. There is a ton of info showing claims going up and productivity going up while staffing plummets. Plus, SSA is an agency both parties have zero interest in breaking. Per capita, we serve red states more than blue states. On a macro scale they may make changes in the margins on age requirements or benefits amounts. But in terms of the substantive work we do, making checks smaller does not decrease our caseload. We are way, way down the list of agencies they want to mess with. We just are not low hanging fruit.

One way to cut spending is to slow SSA payouts. That may be intentional.

If there is a delay, you get backpay with interest. So right now, all are beneficiaries are getting large lump sums in backpay. It doesn’t cut spending.

We are talking about SSA. Some people will die of old age.

Families get back pay up to date of death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

You're assuming that DOGE is going to bother figuring that out before they start hacking away at your agency.

DOGE doesn’t care. However, Congress is deeply concerned because they’d are getting nary calls from constituents. Our Commissioner has spent so much time testifying about backlogs and working with Congress to get them addressed this year. There is a ton of info showing claims going up and productivity going up while staffing plummets. Plus, SSA is an agency both parties have zero interest in breaking. Per capita, we serve red states more than blue states. On a macro scale they may make changes in the margins on age requirements or benefits amounts. But in terms of the substantive work we do, making checks smaller does not decrease our caseload. We are way, way down the list of agencies they want to mess with. We just are not low hanging fruit.

One way to cut spending is to slow SSA payouts. That may be intentional.

If there is a delay, you get backpay with interest. So right now, all are beneficiaries are getting large lump sums in backpay. It doesn’t cut spending.

We are talking about SSA. Some people will die of old age.

Families get back pay up to date of death.

Isn’t it just surviving spouses and dependent children? It doesn’t go to an estate, I thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

You're assuming that DOGE is going to bother figuring that out before they start hacking away at your agency.

DOGE doesn’t care. However, Congress is deeply concerned because they’d are getting nary calls from constituents. Our Commissioner has spent so much time testifying about backlogs and working with Congress to get them addressed this year. There is a ton of info showing claims going up and productivity going up while staffing plummets. Plus, SSA is an agency both parties have zero interest in breaking. Per capita, we serve red states more than blue states. On a macro scale they may make changes in the margins on age requirements or benefits amounts. But in terms of the substantive work we do, making checks smaller does not decrease our caseload. We are way, way down the list of agencies they want to mess with. We just are not low hanging fruit.

One way to cut spending is to slow SSA payouts. That may be intentional.

If there is a delay, you get backpay with interest. So right now, all are beneficiaries are getting large lump sums in backpay. It doesn’t cut spending.

We are talking about SSA. Some people will die of old age.

Families get back pay up to date of death.

Isn’t it just surviving spouses and dependent children? It doesn’t go to an estate, I thought.

Yep. There is no inheriting a back log of SS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Managers telework too. Will they have an incentive to implement or strictly enforce any RTO policy? Or will Vivek hire armies of HR and IG lawyers to enforce it (which would be ironic)?

2. Under Vivek’s plan, will employees be required to work their full 8 hours in the office?

3. What happens to employees who don’t comply?

4. What if CBAs currently in place permit greater telework than Vivek wants?

Just get ready to actually work say 3-4 hours a day, instead of being able to go shopping in middle of the day or walk your dog and not doing any work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

You're assuming that DOGE is going to bother figuring that out before they start hacking away at your agency.

DOGE doesn’t care. However, Congress is deeply concerned because they’d are getting nary calls from constituents. Our Commissioner has spent so much time testifying about backlogs and working with Congress to get them addressed this year. There is a ton of info showing claims going up and productivity going up while staffing plummets. Plus, SSA is an agency both parties have zero interest in breaking. Per capita, we serve red states more than blue states. On a macro scale they may make changes in the margins on age requirements or benefits amounts. But in terms of the substantive work we do, making checks smaller does not decrease our caseload. We are way, way down the list of agencies they want to mess with. We just are not low hanging fruit.

One way to cut spending is to slow SSA payouts. That may be intentional.

If there is a delay, you get backpay with interest. So right now, all are beneficiaries are getting large lump sums in backpay. It doesn’t cut spending.

We are talking about SSA. Some people will die of old age.

Families get back pay up to date of death.

Isn’t it just surviving spouses and dependent children? It doesn’t go to an estate, I thought.

Yep. There is no inheriting a back log of SS.

It doesn’t say estate. It says family. The nuclear family gets backpay. It’s definitely not unusual for someone to be survived by a spouse and especially kids.

[Anonymous]

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you seeing 8-6? I mean if that’s the case then Fridays off for everyone! I’ll gladly do 4 tens if that’s the requirement. Otherwise Vivek better come up with some OT for the entire federal govt. Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

The plan is for a 50 hour workweek without OT. See paragraph six:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamys-jackhammer-chain-saw-plan-force-federal-workers-back-office-rcna180732

So he wants a 50hr work week without paying people for ten extra hours worked? Got it lol

Again, if you are a salaried FLSA exempt employee, like a lawyer or an accountant or a manager/supervisor, you work when your employer wants you to work. There are no "extra" hours.

I’m a lawyer under a CBA. Our hours are closely tracked. I go over 40, I get credit or OT. I have tried to work an extra 20 minutes in the past without doing the paperwork and had my hand slapped and been forced to go back and get CHs for the extra. They do this because of the CBA.

Also, I’ve been 100% remote since COVID (was 60% remote before) but do have productivity metrics I meet. I work for SSA. Martin O’Malley was our Commissioner until her resigned over Thanksgiving. On his way out the door, he signed a CBA with AFGE covering 42,000 employees that gave the unions their wish list, and locked in telework at current levels through 2029. And a 40 hour workweek, must get credit or OT if I go over. Very limited conditions where OT can be mandated. CHs cannot be mandated. Love that guy. Seriously, he was the only decent Commissioner we’ve had as long as I’ve been there. We are usually under “Actings”. Sad to see him go.

Maybe Musk can undo this, but it’s going to be tough because it covers so many employees in so many positions— from field office secretaries in Alabama to the call center to the payment centers to hearing office staff to attorneys in the DMV and everything in between. And each class of employees needs to be dealt with separately, because there are different rationales for reopening the CBA for each. And because we gave up something like 80% of our DC based space when we went full remote (SSA is Baltimore based, so most of our space isn’t here). And a lot of FO space all over the country. They can begin to get everyone back in.

Just straightening out us and getting us in would be an enormous job and take more than 4 years. And we are an agency where they don’t want people quitting. We are at our lowest staffing levels in the last 40 years, with obviously bunch larger caseloads given the Boomers. Our backlogs are insane and they are in crisis mode, detailing anyone who is willing to deal with the worst of it. Red staters get upset about people dying waiting for SSI or not getting retirement because of a screwup, which is happening now in some states. And our programs are very complex and take time to learn. They need every employee they can get.

So yeah— good luck with that.

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2024/12/ssa-afge-reach-deal-lock-current-telework-levels-until-2029/401501/

You're assuming that DOGE is going to bother figuring that out before they start hacking away at your agency.

DOGE doesn’t care. However, Congress is deeply concerned because they’d are getting nary calls from constituents. Our Commissioner has spent so much time testifying about backlogs and working with Congress to get them addressed this year. There is a ton of info showing claims going up and productivity going up while staffing plummets. Plus, SSA is an agency both parties have zero interest in breaking. Per capita, we serve red states more than blue states. On a macro scale they may make changes in the margins on age requirements or benefits amounts. But in terms of the substantive work we do, making checks smaller does not decrease our caseload. We are way, way down the list of agencies they want to mess with. We just are not low hanging fruit.

One way to cut spending is to slow SSA payouts. That may be intentional.

If there is a delay, you get backpay with interest. So right now, all are beneficiaries are getting large lump sums in backpay. It doesn’t cut spending.

We are talking about SSA. Some people will die of old age.

Families get back pay up to date of death.

Isn’t it just surviving spouses and dependent children? It doesn’t go to an estate, I thought.

Yep. There is no inheriting a back log of SS.

It doesn’t say estate. It says family. The nuclear family gets backpay. It’s definitely not unusual for someone to be survived by a spouse and especially kids.

Most SS recipients may have a spouse but very few have dependent children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

No these are layoffs by another name

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

No these are layoffs by another name

No. They are just making it official, the pretend working from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

No these are layoffs by another name

No. They are just making it official, the pretend working from home.

Just because you’re lazy, undisciplined and can’t work without being in the office doesn’t mean other people aren’t working at home. Not everyone is as pathetic as you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

No these are layoffs by another name

No. They are just making it official, the pretend working from home.

Just because you’re lazy, undisciplined and can’t work without being in the office doesn’t mean other people aren’t working at home. Not everyone is as pathetic as you.

This.

[Anonymous]

Most people who want RTO have miserable family lives and crappy homes/apartments/condos, and their entire lives revolve around standing around with coffee and gossiping near a printer. And misery loves company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/remote-work-in-office-return-fired-f81b1c3c?st=11D73W&reflink=article_copyURL_share

RTO is unfortunately happening everywhere.

No these are layoffs by another name

Not really. I know people who work at RTO companies and they are not quitting in this economy just so they don’t need to go in 2x week if they live 1-2 hours away from an office. The only people quitting are the people who would need to move to a different state to go in and can’t because they have a mortgage and kids in school.