Happy_in_KS
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I can do this all day
Posts: 31
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Post by Happy_in_KS on Apr 20, 2022 14:02:00 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Board of Veterans' Appeals either as a VLJ or as a decision writer. I currently serve as a decision writer with SSA and recently received a tentative offer to serve as a decision writer with the Board. I'm excited by the opportunity and I plan to accept the firm offer once available. I'm just wondering how the work and culture compares at the two agencies, I did a google search and found some horror stories on working for the Board as a writer. Obviously, I take these with a grain of salt (the whole online review process tends to self-select for employees that have had a bad experience, and I'm sure I could find similar reviews regarding decision writing at SSA if I went looking for them). But, I figured some of you all might have some good insights. Feel free to remove this post if it's too off-topic or otherwise violates the rules.
Thanks in advance for any info you all can provide.
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Post by ssaogc on Apr 20, 2022 15:43:15 GMT -5
Congratulations! How long ago did you apply?
They have ghosted the folks that applied and interviewed for their VLJ positions. They will not even answer a simple e-mail asking if one has been eliminated
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Post by neufenland on Apr 20, 2022 16:24:39 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Board of Veterans' Appeals either as a VLJ or as a decision writer. I currently serve as a decision writer with SSA and recently received a tentative offer to serve as a decision writer with the Board. I'm excited by the opportunity and I plan to accept the firm offer once available. I'm just wondering how the work and culture compares at the two agencies, I did a google search and found some horror stories on working for the Board as a writer. Obviously, I take these with a grain of salt (the whole online review process tends to self-select for employees that have had a bad experience, and I'm sure I could find similar reviews regarding decision writing at SSA if I went looking for them). But, I figured some of you all might have some good insights. Feel free to remove this post if it's too off-topic or otherwise violates the rules. Thanks in advance for any info you all can provide. I did it for almost 12 years. I loved helping vets; did not love the pressures that went with it (from TPTB). |
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Post by intothewild on Apr 20, 2022 18:02:21 GMT -5
Have a few friends who have worked there.
I also had an opportunity to work there. I heard there is a lot of pressure to produce decisions. Most of the stuff you read online about the position has some truth in it. The good thing is that it pays better than SSA.
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Happy_in_KS
Full Member
I can do this all day
Posts: 31
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Post by Happy_in_KS on Apr 20, 2022 18:35:48 GMT -5
Congratulations! How long ago did you apply? They have ghosted the folks that applied and interviewed for their VLJ positions. They will not even answer a simple e-mail asking if one has been eliminated I applied in late December, interviewed in late March, and then received a tentative offer earlier this week. That's a shame they haven't been following up with VLJ candidates, ghosting has unfortunately become all too common. |
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Happy_in_KS
Full Member
I can do this all day
Posts: 31
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Post by Happy_in_KS on Apr 20, 2022 18:38:24 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Board of Veterans' Appeals either as a VLJ or as a decision writer. I currently serve as a decision writer with SSA and recently received a tentative offer to serve as a decision writer with the Board. I'm excited by the opportunity and I plan to accept the firm offer once available. I'm just wondering how the work and culture compares at the two agencies, I did a google search and found some horror stories on working for the Board as a writer. Obviously, I take these with a grain of salt (the whole online review process tends to self-select for employees that have had a bad experience, and I'm sure I could find similar reviews regarding decision writing at SSA if I went looking for them). But, I figured some of you all might have some good insights. Feel free to remove this post if it's too off-topic or otherwise violates the rules. Thanks in advance for any info you all can provide. I did it for almost 12 years. I loved helping vets; did not love the pressures that went with it (from TPTB). Would you recommend the job to others? Anything particularly onerous about TPTB that I should look out for? |
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Happy_in_KS
Full Member
I can do this all day
Posts: 31
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Post by Happy_in_KS on Apr 20, 2022 18:42:26 GMT -5
Have a few friends who have worked there. I also had an opportunity to work there. I heard there is a lot of pressure to produce decisions. Most of the stuff you read online about the position has some truth in it. The good thing is that it pays better than SSA. Hmm, I'm wondering just how much truth there is to it, and yea if the increased earning potential is worth it to resign my current job with SSA. I've heard they're quick to fire writers at the Board. I'm also curious if the opportunities for advancement are as limited as they have been at SSA. I'm guessing you didn't take the job and stayed with SSA? |
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Post by neufenland on Apr 20, 2022 18:49:24 GMT -5
I did it for almost 12 years. I loved helping vets; did not love the pressures that went with it (from TPTB). Would you recommend the job to others? Anything particularly onerous about TPTB that I should look out for? Check PM |
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Post by intothewild on Apr 20, 2022 19:51:09 GMT -5
Have a few friends who have worked there. I also had an opportunity to work there. I heard there is a lot of pressure to produce decisions. Most of the stuff you read online about the position has some truth in it. The good thing is that it pays better than SSA. Hmm, I'm wondering just how much truth there is to it, and yea if the increased earning potential is worth it to resign my current job with SSA. I've heard they're quick to fire writers at the Board. I'm also curious if the opportunities for advancement are as limited as they have been at SSA. I'm guessing you didn't take the job and stayed with SSA? I don’t work for SSA. Already got a pretty good gig with good flexibility and pay. Just felt it was not a good fit for me. |
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Post by sophiebear on Apr 20, 2022 20:47:06 GMT -5
Neufenland - Please check PM.
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Post by ckntoby on Apr 21, 2022 7:10:35 GMT -5
One of the attys in my office went from OHO to BVA this winter. It's not going well. She tried to come back but was denied. High quotas that have already gone up since February, denial of leave requests, mandatory OT.
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Post by rig2gmp on Apr 21, 2022 9:40:20 GMT -5
I also sent you a PM.
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Post by garlow on Apr 23, 2022 6:51:52 GMT -5
this thread has 51 pages of horror stories so honestly I would steer clear, but a small number of people do well. www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/735/697143.pageI've heard from multiple independant sources that it really is that bad, but if you're OK with an onerous quota and inflexible managment, go for it |
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Post by intothewild on Apr 23, 2022 11:57:43 GMT -5
this thread has 51 pages of horror stories so honestly I would steer clear, but a small number of people do well. www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/735/697143.pageI've heard from multiple independant sources that it really is that bad, but if you're OK with an onerous quota and inflexible managment, go for it Pretty sad they got rid of GS-14 automatic grade increase. 13/14 should be a given for all attorneys. |
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Post by notreallyhere on Apr 24, 2022 15:31:08 GMT -5
One of the attys in my office went from OHO to BVA this winter. It's not going well. She tried to come back but was denied. High quotas that have already gone up since February, denial of leave requests, mandatory OT. Unfortunately I think you got some bad information - none of that (increased expectations, denial of leave (except if there has been leave abuse), mandatory OT) is true. In fact, the production expectations went DOWN in last year and have stayed at the lower level. |
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Happy_in_KS
Full Member
I can do this all day
Posts: 31
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Post by Happy_in_KS on Apr 25, 2022 12:02:41 GMT -5
One of the attys in my office went from OHO to BVA this winter. It's not going well. She tried to come back but was denied. High quotas that have already gone up since February, denial of leave requests, mandatory OT. Unfortunately I think you got some bad information - none of that (increased expectations, denial of leave (except if there has been leave abuse), mandatory OT) is true. In fact, the production expectations went DOWN in last year and have stayed at the lower level. I mean, the info ckntoby provided is generally consistent with the info I've received from other posters on this board (who've messaged me privately), the info I've found on glassdoor, and the info on the DC urban moms thread listed above. In fact, you are the very first person to come forward and say anything remotely positive about the BVA; as such, it is your information that appears to be somewhat inconsistent with the majority of the available evidence. I've already declined the position with the BVA, I simply left this thread up for others considering such a position with the BVA, so that they could make an informed decision. |
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Post by montyburns on Apr 25, 2022 12:45:30 GMT -5
The relative horribleness of the VA writing job was also a recurring topic on the now defunct jdunderground website. Of course that does not mean it has not gotten better, but the reputation of the job has a lot of rehabbing to do before anyone gets too enthusiastic about it.
YMMV, as always
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Post by mercury on Apr 25, 2022 13:05:43 GMT -5
I know about 10 SSA folks who went to BVA in the last 5 years. Of them, only 1 is actively writing decisions and has been very successful in details, promotions, etc. 5 left to go back to SSA. The rest found other jobs relatively quickly outside BVA, sometimes in other VA offices.
If you had a good judge and didn’t mind the work, it was a pathway to 14. For a 13, there are just too many other jobs out there to make it worth it in my opinion, but as has been said, YMMV.
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Post by neufenland on Apr 25, 2022 13:16:42 GMT -5
The relative horribleness of the VA writing job was also a recurring topic on the now defunct jdunderground website. Of course that does not mean it has not gotten better, but the reputation of the job has a lot of rehabbing to do before anyone gets too enthusiastic about it. YMMV, as always When I started back in the mid-aughts, the mission was the same, of course, but it was a much smaller and more niche place. There wasn't a perpetual hiring cycle, and the new people who were brought on came in small batches of just a few folks at a time. This made for a lot more patience with inexperience. Yes, production mattered more than anything else, but there were about 40 VLJs and, oh, I dunno, around 250ish counsel (I'm approximating) total? We had four "Decision Teams" of about 10-12 VLJs (if that) per team, and about 6 attorneys per Judge. You could work from home if approved, but had to have been there a few years, and it was max two/three days a week. Everyone had to live in the DC area. Files were not electronic; we had huge paper folders full of stuff. Before I sound like the "old dude" just rambling about how it was "back in my day" with no point, I'll note that I'm sharing this because, even though there were production demands, you had access to expertise and no one really frowned on helping a newbie out. The training was mostly OTJ with a mentor, and the production demands were manageable. Some of the old "fair share" system was not great (didn't take into account leave, for instance, so you had to plan to be "ahead" if you wanted to take vacation), but you could get used to it. And that quota stayed more or less consistent for a decade. Starting in about 2013, there were these huge waves of hiring, and by like 2016/2017, it was a perpetual cycle of bringing in a ton of folks. I think there are something like 900 attorneys now and, with everyone working remotely (all files are virtual), the place became much more impersonal. It also seems like the use of the probationary year/years as a "sword" hanging over you is much more omnipresent than when I started. Yes, people got fired during the probationary year when I started, but it was a much more rare occurrence (to be fair, we also hired far fewer folks at any one time). The GS-13 thing is the latest is a string of insults and I'm very sad to hear it has come to this. My first few years at BVA were not wonderful, but they were manageable and I more or less felt like I could do my 40 hours and have a life outside of the place. It started to become much more stressful right about the time I left in 2017/2018. I hope there have been improvements. Reading the threads linked on this page has been disheartening. |
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Post by neufenland on Apr 27, 2022 18:24:35 GMT -5
I currently work for BVA. Not sure where all the negative reports are coming from. Perhaps from attorneys that have no perspective for what it’s like to work in a similar capacity for another agency with a high volume of cases. DW are required to draft two decisions per week and receive proration for leave, training etc. Honestly I can do this standing on my head. However unlike at SSA, DW are supervised directly by their assigned judge and this does lead to some inconsistencies from judge to judge. Two per week seems low if you don't have leave to prorate, etc. I know they now prorate for leave (they didn't for ages), but the quota was 7 cases per two weeks (ok, 3.5 per week, but that is 7 in reality) when I left in 2018. I have been told that there are now accounts for issue complexity, too (didn't used to be and a one-issue SC remand was worth the same as a mixed 16-issue SC/IR/EED/IU/NME claim with 20,000 pages of records). I did it for 12 years and the hardest time for me was 2017/2018. Perhaps it has improved. My data is old now. Your life being dependent on your Judge is certainly true, though, and "some inconsistencies" can be putting it rather mildly. If you're fortunate, there are only minor differences, but you can also have a complete 180 (personality differences, writing style, etc.). |
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