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Post by christina on Feb 9, 2017 14:11:55 GMT -5
sunscreen in michigan weisstho?? i imagine you can get by without it even in summer. i know you see the sun and you might get a sunburn but um, yeah.... of course, all of you are probably so pale from 10.5 months of winter, you do need the sunscreen!! Esp if you travel south to Toledo or something  |
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Post by weisstho on Feb 9, 2017 15:20:59 GMT -5
Ah, Christina... Kid Rock knows about Summertime in Northern Michigan!
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Post by banks on Feb 9, 2017 15:24:27 GMT -5
I would think that if there are 16 new judges in a snow bound place, some friendships must form?
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Post by Pixie on Feb 9, 2017 15:31:03 GMT -5
I would think that if there are 16 new judges in a snow bound place, some friendships must form? Christina doesn't need that type of friendship. After thinking about it, Mt. P may not be the place for Christina! |
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Post by banks on Feb 9, 2017 15:41:01 GMT -5
I would think that if there are 16 new judges in a snow bound place, some friendships must form? Christina doesn't need that type of friendship. After thinking about it, Mt. P may not be the place for Christina! What "type of friendship?" I was thinking that they might hang out sometimes after work but I can see what you mean! |
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Post by Pixie on Feb 9, 2017 16:17:17 GMT -5
Yes, we need to rethink this Mt. P. thing.
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Post by christina on Feb 9, 2017 17:54:03 GMT -5
Christina doesn't need that type of friendship. After thinking about it, Mt. P may not be the place for Christina! What "type of friendship?" I was thinking that they might hang out sometimes after work but I can see what you mean! Mr. Chris would certainly object! |
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Post by eyre44 on Feb 10, 2017 0:32:24 GMT -5
The real bottom line here is that unless you are making it an issue they cannot ignore and/or are hated by management no one really cares where your AWS is so long as you are getting the work done. Unfortunately in your case it appears management has already put the kabosh on your home as an AWS, and if that's the case, then yeah you can't work there to do credit, OT or comp hours. That said, if you are a producer (i.e. management likes you) then I would re approach whether you can make your home your AWS. The plus side of the freeze is they can't hire anyone to replace you, so they are not likely to fight you on technical basis like this. Not to mention, we'll need all that offfice space for the judges who are getting their telework yanked. Just a warning that this is not always the case. In my region/office, management denied telework to a judge because he was 2.5 to 3 hours a way from the Hearing Office depending on traffic. He was a judge making the 500 per year quota and well liked. The management in our region just goes by the book. New judges should be aware that management can enforce the 2 hour distance requirement if they so choose. Hopefully, you will be lucky and they won't. |
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Post by ssaer on Feb 10, 2017 9:50:23 GMT -5
NHC judges are being threatened now with both loss of telework and transfers to hearing offices if they fail to meet the 50 per month scheduling quota or the 500 annual dispositions goal. See the following memo from the Acting NHC Chief ALJ:
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 8, 2017
TO: All National Hearing Center ALJs
FROM: Kathleen Scully-Hayes, ACALJ
RE: Performance Expectations for NHC ALJs
OCALJ is in the process of evaluating whether there should be changes made throughout the hearings
operation. One area under evaluation is the National Hearing Center model. Because of the efficiencies
built into the model, NHC management Judges are expected to hold more hearings and issue more
decisions than their counterparts in regular hearing offices. While that expectation was borne out during
the first few years the NHCs were in existence, recently, our numbers have decreased. Although some of
that decrease is due to participation by a number of NHC judges in the various fraud initiatives, Puerto Rico
backlog, training cadres, and interview panels, it does not account for the overall decrease in production
across all NHCs. Therefore, OCALJ is examining all aspects of the model, including whether some judges
currently assigned to NHCs, who are regularly not meeting minimum production guidelines, should be reassigned
to regular hearing offices as non-management ALJs.
As NHC management judges, you are provided with special resources to process your workload. Each
NHC judge should be scheduling a minimum of 50 hearings per month, whether they telework or not, and
they should be on pace to reach a minimum of 500 dispositions. If you are not meeting these minimum
expectations, your HCCALJ will contact you to discuss any challenges you might be experiencing and
whether you should continue in your placement as an NHC management judge. As you know, there are
more than one million people waiting for a disability decision. We need everyone to work as efficiently as
possible, and we need to use our limited resources to our best advantage. Please feel free to contact me if
you have any questions.
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Post by greendog on Feb 10, 2017 10:17:41 GMT -5
If Mt. Pleasant was closer to Kalamazoo I would sign up in a second because (1) Bell's beer is delightful and (2) I have always wanted to tell people I was from Kalamazoo. The problem is that I have this gag reflex when anyone mentions MSU or UM. Actually, typing that sentence almost made me nauseous. you must be from Wisconsin or Ohio. |
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Post by nylawyer on Feb 10, 2017 17:32:48 GMT -5
NHC judges are being threatened now with both loss of telework and transfers to hearing offices if they fail to meet the 50 per month scheduling quota or the 500 annual dispositions goal. See the following memo from the Acting NHC Chief ALJ: MEMORANDUM DATE: February 8, 2017 TO: All National Hearing Center ALJs FROM: Kathleen Scully-Hayes, ACALJ RE: Performance Expectations for NHC ALJs OCALJ is in the process of evaluating whether there should be changes made throughout the hearings operation. One area under evaluation is the National Hearing Center model. Because of the efficiencies built into the model, NHC management Judges are expected to hold more hearings and issue more decisions than their counterparts in regular hearing offices. While that expectation was borne out during the first few years the NHCs were in existence, recently, our numbers have decreased. Although some of that decrease is due to participation by a number of NHC judges in the various fraud initiatives, Puerto Rico backlog, training cadres, and interview panels, it does not account for the overall decrease in production across all NHCs. Therefore, OCALJ is examining all aspects of the model, including whether some judges currently assigned to NHCs, who are regularly not meeting minimum production guidelines, should be reassigned to regular hearing offices as non-management ALJs. As NHC management judges, you are provided with special resources to process your workload. Each NHC judge should be scheduling a minimum of 50 hearings per month, whether they telework or not, and they should be on pace to reach a minimum of 500 dispositions. If you are not meeting these minimum expectations, your HCCALJ will contact you to discuss any challenges you might be experiencing and whether you should continue in your placement as an NHC management judge. As you know, there are more than one million people waiting for a disability decision. We need everyone to work as efficiently as possible, and we need to use our limited resources to our best advantage. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm curious, not just with regards to NHC, but generally, when they say 50 cases a month, do they mean on average, meaning 600 a year? Or do they mean a minimum of 50 each month, because given that they are distinguishing between 500 decisions a year and 50 hearings scheduled a month, that's how I would interpert it. |
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Post by saaao on Feb 10, 2017 17:54:08 GMT -5
NHC judges are being threatened now with both loss of telework and transfers to hearing offices if they fail to meet the 50 per month scheduling quota or the 500 annual dispositions goal. See the following memo from the Acting NHC Chief ALJ: MEMORANDUM DATE: February 8, 2017 TO: All National Hearing Center ALJs FROM: Kathleen Scully-Hayes, ACALJ RE: Performance Expectations for NHC ALJs OCALJ is in the process of evaluating whether there should be changes made throughout the hearings operation. One area under evaluation is the National Hearing Center model. Because of the efficiencies built into the model, NHC management Judges are expected to hold more hearings and issue more decisions than their counterparts in regular hearing offices. While that expectation was borne out during the first few years the NHCs were in existence, recently, our numbers have decreased. Although some of that decrease is due to participation by a number of NHC judges in the various fraud initiatives, Puerto Rico backlog, training cadres, and interview panels, it does not account for the overall decrease in production across all NHCs. Therefore, OCALJ is examining all aspects of the model, including whether some judges currently assigned to NHCs, who are regularly not meeting minimum production guidelines, should be reassigned to regular hearing offices as non-management ALJs. As NHC management judges, you are provided with special resources to process your workload. Each NHC judge should be scheduling a minimum of 50 hearings per month, whether they telework or not, and they should be on pace to reach a minimum of 500 dispositions. If you are not meeting these minimum expectations, your HCCALJ will contact you to discuss any challenges you might be experiencing and whether you should continue in your placement as an NHC management judge. As you know, there are more than one million people waiting for a disability decision. We need everyone to work as efficiently as possible, and we need to use our limited resources to our best advantage. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm curious, not just with regards to NHC, but generally, when they say 50 cases a month, do they mean on average, meaning 600 a year? Or do they mean a minimum of 50 each month, because given that they are distinguishing between 500 decisions a year and 50 hearings scheduled a month, that's how I would interpert it. I believe it is average. If you are scheduling 12 per week, that will put you at 600 scheduled for the year assuming two weeks of vacation (but no other time off). I am curious about which hearing offices they would be transferring NHC Judges too if they don't make expectations. |
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Post by christina on Feb 10, 2017 17:59:02 GMT -5
i am sure the nhc judges are even more curious about which hearing offices they could be shipped off to  |
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Post by hopefalj on Feb 10, 2017 18:13:13 GMT -5
NHC judges are being threatened now with both loss of telework and transfers to hearing offices if they fail to meet the 50 per month scheduling quota or the 500 annual dispositions goal. See the following memo from the Acting NHC Chief ALJ: MEMORANDUM DATE: February 8, 2017 TO: All National Hearing Center ALJs FROM: Kathleen Scully-Hayes, ACALJ RE: Performance Expectations for NHC ALJs OCALJ is in the process of evaluating whether there should be changes made throughout the hearings operation. One area under evaluation is the National Hearing Center model. Because of the efficiencies built into the model, NHC management Judges are expected to hold more hearings and issue more decisions than their counterparts in regular hearing offices. While that expectation was borne out during the first few years the NHCs were in existence, recently, our numbers have decreased. Although some of that decrease is due to participation by a number of NHC judges in the various fraud initiatives, Puerto Rico backlog, training cadres, and interview panels, it does not account for the overall decrease in production across all NHCs. Therefore, OCALJ is examining all aspects of the model, including whether some judges currently assigned to NHCs, who are regularly not meeting minimum production guidelines, should be reassigned to regular hearing offices as non-management ALJs. As NHC management judges, you are provided with special resources to process your workload. Each NHC judge should be scheduling a minimum of 50 hearings per month, whether they telework or not, and they should be on pace to reach a minimum of 500 dispositions. If you are not meeting these minimum expectations, your HCCALJ will contact you to discuss any challenges you might be experiencing and whether you should continue in your placement as an NHC management judge. As you know, there are more than one million people waiting for a disability decision. We need everyone to work as efficiently as possible, and we need to use our limited resources to our best advantage. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm curious, not just with regards to NHC, but generally, when they say 50 cases a month, do they mean on average, meaning 600 a year? Or do they mean a minimum of 50 each month, because given that they are distinguishing between 500 decisions a year and 50 hearings scheduled a month, that's how I would interpert it. Depends on your office and your management's interpretation of it. I believe there was or will be a management call to give direction to everyone on what it means and how to implement the number. The actual requirement, I believe, says that outside factors should be considered in making the decision, including taking leave, being sick, etc. Whether every HOCALJ does that is another matter. The NHC thing is interesting, too. I would kill, or at least moderately assault, for the NHC model. Having two competent attorneys and one competent SCT would make this job a breeze. I've heard troublesome rumors that make bartleby's posts less Chicken Little and more Nostradamus. What ultimately happens if these rumored actions take place in terms of union action will be interesting to see to say the least. |
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Post by banks on Feb 10, 2017 18:36:45 GMT -5
Here's a telework question: some of us didn't get to stay home when we were hired and like to go home on the weekends. It's been mentioned that if your home is more than 2 hours away from the office and thus cannot be used for telework during the week, it can't be used for teleworking on the weekends either. Anyone out there able to weekend telework from somewhere outside the 2 hour box??? Do they actually measure the distance and time from the office to your home address on mapquest? |
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Post by ncatty007 on Feb 10, 2017 20:08:55 GMT -5
NHC judges are being threatened now with both loss of telework and transfers to hearing offices if they fail to meet the 50 per month scheduling quota or the 500 annual dispositions goal. See the following memo from the Acting NHC Chief ALJ: MEMORANDUM DATE: February 8, 2017 TO: All National Hearing Center ALJs FROM: Kathleen Scully-Hayes, ACALJ RE: Performance Expectations for NHC ALJs OCALJ is in the process of evaluating whether there should be changes made throughout the hearings operation. One area under evaluation is the National Hearing Center model. Because of the efficiencies built into the model, NHC management Judges are expected to hold more hearings and issue more decisions than their counterparts in regular hearing offices. While that expectation was borne out during the first few years the NHCs were in existence, recently, our numbers have decreased. Although some of that decrease is due to participation by a number of NHC judges in the various fraud initiatives, Puerto Rico backlog, training cadres, and interview panels, it does not account for the overall decrease in production across all NHCs. Therefore, OCALJ is examining all aspects of the model, including whether some judges currently assigned to NHCs, who are regularly not meeting minimum production guidelines, should be reassigned to regular hearing offices as non-management ALJs. As NHC management judges, you are provided with special resources to process your workload. Each NHC judge should be scheduling a minimum of 50 hearings per month, whether they telework or not, and they should be on pace to reach a minimum of 500 dispositions. If you are not meeting these minimum expectations, your HCCALJ will contact you to discuss any challenges you might be experiencing and whether you should continue in your placement as an NHC management judge. As you know, there are more than one million people waiting for a disability decision. We need everyone to work as efficiently as possible, and we need to use our limited resources to our best advantage. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Here's a novel idea; phase in the "efficiencies" and "special resources" across the "regular" hearing office judges, as these benefits apparently leave no question in one's ability to meet production expectations. Wait. Better not to do that and simply hold all judges to the same production standard irrespective of whether they have those efficiencies and special resources or not. Reviewed about 15 decisions today and no two were from the same writer. Can't wait to rotate in a new SCT in a few weeks so we can spend the next several months getting our work flow in sync before doing it all over again. The model of efficiency. |
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Post by montyburns on Feb 11, 2017 0:48:12 GMT -5
The real bottom line here is that unless you are making it an issue they cannot ignore and/or are hated by management no one really cares where your AWS is so long as you are getting the work done. Unfortunately in your case it appears management has already put the kabosh on your home as an AWS, and if that's the case, then yeah you can't work there to do credit, OT or comp hours. That said, if you are a producer (i.e. management likes you) then I would re approach whether you can make your home your AWS. The plus side of the freeze is they can't hire anyone to replace you, so they are not likely to fight you on technical basis like this. Not to mention, we'll need all that offfice space for the judges who are getting their telework yanked. Just a warning that this is not always the case. In my region/office, management denied telework to a judge because he was 2.5 to 3 hours a way from the Hearing Office depending on traffic. He was a judge making the 500 per year quota and well liked. The management in our region just goes by the book. New judges should be aware that management can enforce the 2 hour distance requirement if they so choose. Hopefully, you will be lucky and they won't. Interesting. I should clarify that I was referencing atty telework - I did not make that clear. I can see more justification for keeping the ALJ close - subbing in to hold hearings for a sick ALJ, wet signing decisions at the end of the month, etc. in contrast a writer does nothing outside of the ODAR electronic universe, and thus almost never needs to be physically present in the office. |
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Post by montyburns on Feb 11, 2017 0:48:48 GMT -5
I'm curious, not just with regards to NHC, but generally, when they say 50 cases a month, do they mean on average, meaning 600 a year? Or do they mean a minimum of 50 each month, because given that they are distinguishing between 500 decisions a year and 50 hearings scheduled a month, that's how I would interpert it. Depends on your office and your management's interpretation of it. I believe there was or will be a management call to give direction to everyone on what it means and how to implement the number. The actual requirement, I believe, says that outside factors should be considered in making the decision, including taking leave, being sick, etc. Whether every HOCALJ does that is another matter. The NHC thing is interesting, too. I would kill, or at least moderately assault, for the NHC model. Having two competent attorneys and one competent SCT would make this job a breeze. I've heard troublesome rumors that make bartleby's posts less Chicken Little and more Nostradamus. What ultimately happens if these rumored actions take place in terms of union action will be interesting to see to say the least. Well that's not encouraging... |
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Post by eyre44 on Feb 11, 2017 5:30:31 GMT -5
Just a warning that this is not always the case. In my region/office, management denied telework to a judge because he was 2.5 to 3 hours a way from the Hearing Office depending on traffic. He was a judge making the 500 per year quota and well liked. The management in our region just goes by the book. New judges should be aware that management can enforce the 2 hour distance requirement if they so choose. Hopefully, you will be lucky and they won't. Interesting. I should clarify that I was referencing atty telework - I did not make that clear. I can see more justification for keeping the ALJ close - subbing in to hold hearings for a sick ALJ, wet signing decisions at the end of the month, etc. in contrast a writer does nothing outside of the ODAR electronic universe, and thus almost never needs to be physically present in the office. I did misunderstand you. I have to disagree with your justification for why it might be more relevant for ALJs to be close to the office. I've wet signed 2 cases in the last year so that's not a rationale. Also they can't force a judge to take a docket if another judge calls in sick, whether we are in the office or at telework. And I don't know any judges who are facing loss of telework who have much motivation to help out management by taking on even more cases when they feel they are already maxed out due to ever increasing case sizes and ever decreasing staff ratios. |
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Post by Pixie on Feb 11, 2017 7:56:09 GMT -5
Interesting. I should clarify that I was referencing atty telework - I did not make that clear. I can see more justification for keeping the ALJ close - subbing in to hold hearings for a sick ALJ, wet signing decisions at the end of the month, etc. in contrast a writer does nothing outside of the ODAR electronic universe, and thus almost never needs to be physically present in the office. I did misunderstand you. I have to disagree with your justification for why it might be more relevant for ALJs to be close to the office. I've wet signed 2 cases in the last year so that's not a rationale. Also they can't force a judge to take a docket if another judge calls in sick, whether we are in the office or at telework. And I don't know any judges who are facing loss of telework who have much motivation to help out management by taking on even more cases when they feel they are already maxed out due to ever increasing case sizes and ever decreasing staff ratios. I agree. As a long time HOCAlJ, I can't think of any situation in the real world where I would have to call a judge back to the office while she was working at home. Pixie |
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