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Post by Asterisk on May 12, 2008 15:49:43 GMT -5
I know this has been kicking around a little bit, but there never seemed to be any consensus, It has, in fact, started to become a little animated on TOB. Sitting or New for the Albuquerque office (I assume it is to be an NHC, unless it is just another location listed on the GAL, with the NHC to be set up subsequent to this hiring...
I don't think SSA would deviate from their model of setting up the Falls Church NHC; it would make sense to use sitting aljs (as the commish did with the NHC in FC), and then just replace them in those offices, ostensibly represented on the GAL. Albuquerque is nice place, and generally desirable location; this could easily have become a "mass alj transfer" - coincident with the establishment of the new NHC.
Or is it possible that an entirely new compliment of new hires will be selected for the NM NHC, possibly having experienced writing staff under them, as opposed to the FC NHC with experienced aljs and new outside inexperienced attorney writers???
What d'yall think?
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Post by happy on May 12, 2008 17:22:44 GMT -5
The info here at HQ is that the Albuquerque NHC will not be staffed with new judges from the cert. There is also an Albuquerque HO, but no new ALJs are needed there.
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Post by odarite on May 12, 2008 18:03:58 GMT -5
Here's why I think it is way to early to discuss the Albequerque NHC: whenever they have opened a new office, there is a solicitation for a HOCALJ and line judges sent out to all sitting ALJs. I haven't seen either. This is the pattern we saw for Colorado Springs, Dover and the NHC. Thus I think no newly hired ALJs will go there any time soon.
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Post by Asterisk on May 12, 2008 19:35:47 GMT -5
good points above, but if [per Happy and Odarite] Alb. NHC isn't going to be staffed at the time of the selection for this cert; and per Happy, no aljs are needed in the Alb HO; then what part does the Alb. location on the cert GAL play?
I can't recall if the commish gave a date in connection with the Alb NHC, but plans for it were definitely announced; I'm not sure if it has to be done exactly like Falls Church. In fact, the sitting aljs would not be on the cert, as they would be transfers; however, new hires would of course be on the cert, and it is entirely possible 13 sitting aljs could not be found to fill the NHC - what with supervisory duties, non-union status, etc. All that said, I would still doubt that new hires would be selected for it - but then, SSA can do a lot toward getting what it wants - just like the selection process. They could, for example, merely appoint an acting hocalj; have sitting aljs go on temporary details; and lots of other good measures pending later decisions. If they want another NHC "up and running," by golly they'll have it.
Didn't someone here say they have a crystal ball???
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Post by happy on May 13, 2008 7:29:29 GMT -5
Frankly, I heard that Albuquerque was included on the cert by mistake. It's been known to happen. After all, there were cities on the last cert that didn't get offered (like Ft. Worth).
I do know that Albuquerque has always been a hot spot for ALJ transfers. I can't imagine that they would have trouble filling it via solicitation unless there is a major objection to managing your own staff (yeah, right) or to holding hearings exclusively by video (more likely). Still, Albuquerque is a lovely city and is likely to outweigh all but the most strenuous objections.
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Post by nonamouse on May 13, 2008 8:39:24 GMT -5
I do know that Albuquerque has always been a hot spot for ALJ transfers. I can't imagine that they would have trouble filling it via solicitation unless there is a major objection to managing your own staff (yeah, right) or to holding hearings exclusively by video (more likely). Still, Albuquerque is a lovely city and is likely to outweigh all but the most strenuous objections. I can imagine a problem with that scenario. These hearing center ALJs who are supervisors of only one person (with no real control of their work) are unable to enjoy the protections of union membership because they are deemed "management." Having seen what can happen in this agency, I would not make the trade merely to get to NM. Having the power on paper to "manage" one unionized employee is not much. It takes more than one staff person to get a case through the pipeline from master docket through signing and mail out. I can see some very frustrating times ahead for any ALJ who thinks that this supervisory role will negate HPI. |
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Post by extang on May 13, 2008 17:24:32 GMT -5
My guess is that Albuquerque might be considered a pretty nice place to retire, and might therefore be attractive to ALJs who are getting close to retirement and would not mind having the federal government pay for relocation expenses.
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Post by jagghagg on May 14, 2008 7:31:58 GMT -5
DOES SSA pay for a voluntary transfer ? Doesn't usually happen elsewhere.
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Post by barkley on May 14, 2008 9:05:23 GMT -5
DOES SSA pay for a voluntary transfer ? Doesn't usually happen elsewhere. Sometimes they do. It is done on a "needs of the agency" type basis and will always be listed in the job vacancy announcement if relocation costs will be paid. For example, with all the ALJ promotions, there are a significant number of senior attorney, group supervisor, and hearing office director positions open. These are all internal hires and they are offering to pay relo costs because the agency needs to have these slots filled. The agency also pays relo if a judge will move to accept a HOCALJ job, because the agency wants to have those management slots filled. If a judge wanted to move just for the heck of it, the agency might permit it in the right circumstances, but would not pay for it because it was meeting the judge's needs, not necessarily the agency's needs. |
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Post by odarite on May 14, 2008 11:05:53 GMT -5
The transfer rules do not apply, strictly speaking, if they open an Albuquerque HC because you cannot file for the transfer register for an office that does not exist. Thus, when they open a new office they advertise (by email to all sitting ALJs) that they are looking for a HOCALJ/line judges for office X. They may, in this situation, also offer relo expenses. Thus again, since all line ALJs apply at the same time, earliest post mark does not necessarily win.
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Post by happy on May 14, 2008 14:04:41 GMT -5
Also, NHC ALJ positions are non-bargaining, so the transfer list is inapplicable.
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Post by happy on May 14, 2008 16:11:21 GMT -5
Hypothetically, yes. Realistically, no.  |
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Post by Asterisk on May 14, 2008 16:22:59 GMT -5
Actually, Happy, boley may be onto something...SSA could very well decide it would be in their interest to place new hires there, who could be indoctrinated and shaped to conform to exactly what they want from the getgo without the contamination of having been in a field office setting.
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Post by happy on May 14, 2008 17:02:22 GMT -5
They could, but they haven't. At least not this go-round.
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Post by morgullord on May 14, 2008 20:57:07 GMT -5
New hires in the NAC Albuquerque? It won't happen. See the deceased FEDRO program. They tried new hires there and it was a disaster.
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Post by happy on May 15, 2008 5:31:07 GMT -5
Actually, it wasn't. Many of our new hires quickly got up to speed and trounced the old-timers in terms of both performance and quality. That being said, we have some producers (both new and experienced) whose quality sucks and we have some of those old "I'm all about quality" folks that can't get a decision out the door to save their lives (those are mostly old-time ODAR).
We hired a number of experienced disability claimants' reps who came right in and blew our socks off. So, just don't overgeneralize. By the way, our 50 FedROs will be generating 3000-3500 during this 5-week month and our quality performance is evidenced by a 98% agreement rate from OQP.
I know this post is off-topic, but I'm tired of people mischaracterizing OFedRO as a failure when we never received more than half the staff we were supposed to get to handle the Region I workload. Our receipts had barely started when the Commish decided this route was too expensive.
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Post by extang on May 23, 2008 7:37:22 GMT -5
An announcement for ALJ vacancies in National Hearing Centers in Falls Church and Albuquerque has been posted, dated 5/22, with relocation expenses to be paid.
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Post by zia234 on May 23, 2008 12:49:04 GMT -5
Extang,
Where was the announcement posted and what does this mean for anyone on the cert who chose Albuquerque as one of their cities?
Thanks.
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Post by testtaker on May 23, 2008 15:08:10 GMT -5
Where was the announcement posted and what does this mean for anyone on the cert who chose Albuquerque as one of their cities? From TOB: Announcement dated May 22, 2008. SSA will hire National Hearing Center ALJs for Albuquerque and Falls Church from current Federal ALJs (must be ALJ-3 or higher). Non-bargaining unit job (supervise one attorney adviser) and relocation expenses will be paid. Application must be received by June 5, 2008. 10 for Albuquerque and 5 more for Falls Church? |
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Post by extang on May 23, 2008 19:57:49 GMT -5
To zia234: The announcement was sent to current ALJs via e-mail, requesting volunteers. I do not know what if anything it has to do with the cert.
When they opened the welfare reform offices a few years back, which I suppose is somewhat analogous to opening new NHCs, they staffed them with a mix of old and new hires, mostly new. They could conceivably be intending to do the same thing with the Albuquerque NHC; i.e., they might place some experienced ALJs with newbies. Let me emphasize again: this is speculation. The only thing I do know is that they have advertised the job to sitting ALJs.
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