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Post by dpageks on Apr 2, 2015 16:29:22 GMT -5
Apparently interviews were supposed to be conducted last week and this week, but have been delayed b/c the certs aren't back yet Lol! It would indeed be difficult to interview people who have yet to be identified; this would definitely explain the delay. Thanks for the inside scoop, Valiant!
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Post by dpageks on Apr 2, 2015 16:30:46 GMT -5
Wow, I never thought 71stretch would admit to being "strange", but now I have seen and heard it all. Strange in terms of "unknown". But I suppose I do have some other quirks. I knew what you meant, 71stretch.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 2, 2015 17:05:17 GMT -5
Apparently interviews were supposed to be conducted last week and this week, but have been delayed b/c the certs aren't back yet Gosh, if certs are not back as of today, cert emails will not go out until next week at the EARLIEST. I imagine even if they got them back tomorrow it would take a few days to prepare the emails. At least we know the Easter weekend will be a quiet time on the board. OPM is really putting ODAR in a bind with this long of a delay.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 2, 2015 20:59:08 GMT -5
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Post by cheesy on Apr 3, 2015 6:51:32 GMT -5
Today would be a good Friday for certs.
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Post by anotherfed on Apr 3, 2015 7:04:26 GMT -5
Today would be a good Friday for certs. Even for you, that was ... well, cheesy. But I hope Bob is equally punny.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 3, 2015 7:12:38 GMT -5
I can report Bob and team are at work today.
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Post by jessejames on Apr 3, 2015 8:42:44 GMT -5
Maybe Good Friday will be "good" in a number of respects
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Post by gary on Apr 3, 2015 8:50:45 GMT -5
Today would be a good Friday for certs. If nothing today, maybe over the weekend they'll resurrect the hiring process.
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Post by thankful1 on Apr 3, 2015 9:34:08 GMT -5
With no news for days, I feel like I'm in an information cave, but trust me, I'll leave no stone unturned to get out and ascend to the heights of ALJdom
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Post by saaao on Apr 6, 2015 8:25:55 GMT -5
While bureaucratic hiccups have been par for the course throughout this entire process, I find it hard to believe that there has been this long a delay since SSA requested Certs from OPM without there being some sort of dispute between SSA and OPM concerning some aspect of how the hiring process has been playing out. Purely speculation on my part, but even for government work this delay seems highly unusual, particularly since I am sure SSA had let OPM know what to expect in regards to projected hiring over the next year and a half.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 8:27:55 GMT -5
I feel for you all. Every day felt like a week, every week felt like a month, and so-on. Like the claimants, you all need finality and closure. I hope the best for all of you. Keep communicating with each other. It's healthy.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 6, 2015 9:13:00 GMT -5
While bureaucratic hiccups have been par for the course throughout this entire process, I find it hard to believe that there has been this long a delay since SSA requested Certs from OPM without there being some sort of dispute between SSA and OPM concerning some aspect of how the hiring process has been playing out. Purely speculation on my part, but even for government work this delay seems highly unusual, particularly since I am sure SSA had let OPM know what to expect in regards to projected hiring over the next year and a half. I think it may be a staffing issue with OPM. I do not think they thought this through as to how long it would take this type of cert requesting by piecemeal. No doubt each list has to be processed separately but in the context of all the other cities to make sure they have enough for each list. To me this is nothing by typical government processing.... taking forever for something that seems simple and likely there is a much better way of doing it but no one is changing it. Who knows, someone may be on vacation, sick, or whatever. I doubt they shift the work to somone else and they just wait for that person to return. Maybe someone who needs to sign off on it is out. The bottom line... it will happen. No doubt ODAR is very unhappy with the time it is taking but what can they do? Just wait. The need is there, they will hire .... eventually.
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Post by thankful1 on Apr 6, 2015 9:13:46 GMT -5
In the interest of health, the only thing more frustrating than waiting an inordinate amount of time for a cert to drop is not making that long awaited cert. I keep obsessing over when it will arrive, and haven't really properly entertained the very good chance of not making it.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 6, 2015 9:18:51 GMT -5
In the interest of health, the only thing more frustrating than waiting an inordinate amount of time for a cert to drop is not making that long awaited cert. I keep obsessing over when it will arrive, and haven't really properly entertained the very good chance of not making it. Yep, I hear ya. And like so many others before us have said.... Even if you make a cert, no guarantees. So many along the way are waiting to find out what happened to them at the various stages. We are at least ON the register. Those who did not make it never really know what happened. The same thing with being on the register, you can guess as to a 3 strike etc., but never really know what thing knocked out the chance for the call. The only thing that matters is the final offer call. Otherwise, it is quite the black hole. Good luck everyone! Keep on keeping on.
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 6, 2015 9:26:07 GMT -5
While bureaucratic hiccups have been par for the course throughout this entire process, I find it hard to believe that there has been this long a delay since SSA requested Certs from OPM without there being some sort of dispute between SSA and OPM concerning some aspect of how the hiring process has been playing out. Purely speculation on my part, but even for government work this delay seems highly unusual, particularly since I am sure SSA had let OPM know what to expect in regards to projected hiring over the next year and a half. I think it may be a staffing issue with OPM. I do not think they thought this through as to how long it would take this type of cert requesting by piecemeal. No doubt each list has to be separately but in the context of all the other cities to make sure they have enough for each list. To me this is nothing by typical government processing.... taking forever for something that seems simple and likely there is a much better way of doing it but no one is changing it. Who knows, someone may be on vacation, sick, or whatever. I doubt they shift the work to somone else and they just wait for that person to return. Maybe someone who needs to sign off on it is out. The bottom line... it will happen. No doubt ODAR is very unhappy with the time it is taking but what can they do? Just wait. The need is there, they will hire .... eventually. I am with sratty on this one. I don't think either entity is purposefully trying to slow the process down. It is likely a staffing issue for OPM that is slowing the process. It isn't like they just can throw more people at it. Everyone has their job to perform and if someone is ill, out on leave or other issues, it can indeed hold up the process. This is likely the culprit here. The likely outcome will be less notice to new ALJ offerees than 4 weeks; or lesser time in the placed offices prior to Falls Church training; or a slightly later start date for the next class. Anything is possible at this stage as the May 18th start date becomes more critical with each passing day with SSA not likely to hold class for only 4 new ALJs. All we can do is wait and hope for the best and see how SSA will deal with this delay.
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Post by thankful1 on Apr 6, 2015 15:59:28 GMT -5
Curious if any insiders believe that a May 18 start date is still feasible, and how easy or hard it would be to move training if May 18 is not feasible. If there was a time crunch, could ODAR shorten the 3 week period prior to training, so that training could still take place starting June 8?
Has anyone noted the length of time it takes from cert to final offer?
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 6, 2015 16:31:56 GMT -5
Curious if any insiders believe that a May 18 start date is still feasible, and how easy or hard it would be to move training if May 18 is not feasible. If there was a time crunch, could ODAR shorten the 3 week period prior to training, so that training could still take place starting June 8? Has anyone noted the length of time it takes from cert to final offer? I think it is still feasible. If they get the cert email out with one week turnaround time, they can hire individuals in cities in which people have already interviewed. They can save the cities needing interviews for the next class. They also have leeway in cutting notice to report from 4 weeks to 3 or even less, or to cut the time in the new office by a week. It can happen.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Apr 6, 2015 18:27:31 GMT -5
I think if they got the cert cities from OPM and are able to get the emails out to candidates by this Friday, with only a few days to return the verification of city ranking by Tue/Wed (if hiring in cities where paperwork was already submitted and interviews done--the only thing to return is the city ranking and credit report form so not much time is needed to return this), then the hiring committee could meet for a week and still be able to start giving offers by mid week April 22 or so. That would give 3 ish weeks notice instead of 4. Also, if they cut the time in the new office by a week like in prior years (it used to be 2 weeks now is 3), that will give some leeway. With all of that said, private practitioners will have a difficult time with short notice so they might request to start in the next class like a few others have done. The bottom line outcome for this scenario might be a smaller than desired class for June 8th (May 18th start date). All of this will give SSA a good argument against the new constraints on the per city cert list, but that doesn't mean it will ever change. OPM had cutbacks in staffing, what ... last year? So all of this is having a snowball effect on hiring for its biggest customer. In the meantime, they keep working the transfer list which is good, getting people where they want to be which should improve moral etc. And those who still have wide GALs get an improved chance the more they work the transfer list since those "crapland" cities keep circulating. The bottom line: (1) ODAR wants to hire, they will hire, it just might be a little slower pace than desired by candidates and ODAR. (2) It's a good time to be on the register. (you knew that was coming) I am an eternal optimist. What can I say? Anyone who has been in the military knows the term hurry up and wait. Well, this process is exactly that...and wait, and wait....and....
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Post by gary on Apr 6, 2015 20:15:04 GMT -5
I agree with most of what Sratty said. However:
1. Trimming one week from the pre-training in-office time won't likely help SSA much regarding the 5/18 hiring class. They're not going to hire folks to start in the middle of a pay period, so if they moved the class they'd have to move it two weeks to 6/1, which would only be one week before the start of the FC training. They'd have to trim two weeks from the pre-training in-office time--which seems unlikely--or move training and so disrupt the schedules of everyone in SSA involved in the training.
2. SSA could certainly argue that if OPM doesn't have the staff to handle the large number of certs SSA requests at one time, OPM should go back to whatever the old system was. Before pressing this argument, SSA might want to consider that OPM could buy the argument that with OPM's current staff this isn't working very well but apply a different remedy SSA (and most candidates) wouldn't like. OPM has the option of not doing dual certification for SSA's sets of certs. This would a) simplify OPM's task in preparing the lists of eligibles for the certs and so expedite the return of certs; and b) reduce SSA's hiring flexibility.
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