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Post by terpalj on Oct 29, 2019 12:27:59 GMT -5
Over the past three years, OHO has made incredible progress. Through the hard work and dedication of ALJs, decision writers, and support staff, we have reduced the backlog nearly by half, from a high of 1.1 million to 562,000 as of today. Our average processing time is down significantly as well, from 605 days in FY17 to 417 days as of today.
In part, we’ve reached this milestone through the efforts of ALJs going above and beyond. ALJs have donated thousands of unpaid hours to the agency, working off the clock to prepare cases or sign decisions. We have stepped in at the last minute to cover the hearings of ALJs who were sick or unexpectedly called away. And even within the past few weeks, ALJs on this board have stated that they’ve come into work when feeling ill, putting the claimant’s need for a hearing ahead of their own health.
We’ve been played for fools.
The agency doesn’t care that we’ve put in this work to exceed its stated goals. In response to the hard work we and our support staff have put in, the agency is methodically working to strip away benefits. It’s inevitable that the partisan FSIP will soon rubber stamp the agency’s plans to take away ALJ benefits. Then, telework, transfer rights, judicial independence and more will be gone.
I have seen some discussion on this board that if the agency takes away these benefits, they’ll reduce their hearing schedules. That makes sense, and is certainly something I will be doing as well when that happens. But there are other things we should be doing as well:
1. No ALJ should be volunteering to cover other ALJ’s hearing dockets anymore. If the assigned ALJ is unable to hear the cases, they should be cancelled.
2. No ALJ should be coming into work if they are feeling sick. If you’re sick on a hearing day, those hearings should be postponed. If you’re sick on a hearing prep day and unable to adequately prepare, you should cancel your hearings.
3. No ALJ should be donating time to the agency anymore. Nobody. For any reason. If you can’t do the work necessary to adequately adjudicate your cases within the 40 hrs/week allotted by the agency, you should reduce your hearing schedule.
4. ALJs should be using all of their vacation time. It’s one of the benefits that the agency cannot take away from you, and you’ve earned it.
5. You should be scheduling only the number of hearings that you are able to adequately prepare for, keeping in mind the agency’s expectation that you should be reviewing every page of a claimant’s file.
6. You should move your cases according to your own needs for review, not according to any artificial deadline or monthly schedule suggested by the agency.
7. If you are a judge that teleworks, you should let your HOCALJ know now that you may not be able to continue with your 50 hearings/month schedule when teleworking is reduced or eliminated.
You should continue to do the work you were hired to do, keeping agency quality expectations in mind. But there’s absolutely no reason to do the agency any more favors.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2019 13:40:31 GMT -5
Over the past three years, OHO has made incredible progress. Through the hard work and dedication of ALJs, decision writers, and support staff, we have reduced the backlog nearly by half, from a high of 1.1 million to 562,000 as of today. Our average processing time is down significantly as well, from 605 days in FY17 to 417 days as of today. In part, we’ve reached this milestone through the efforts of ALJs going above and beyond. ALJs have donated thousands of unpaid hours to the agency, working off the clock to prepare cases or sign decisions. We have stepped in at the last minute to cover the hearings of ALJs who were sick or unexpectedly called away. And even within the past few weeks, ALJs on this board have stated that they’ve come into work when feeling ill, putting the claimant’s need for a hearing ahead of their own health. We’ve been played for fools. The agency doesn’t care that we’ve put in this work to exceed its stated goals. In response to the hard work we and our support staff have put in, the agency is methodically working to strip away benefits. It’s inevitable that the partisan FSIP will soon rubber stamp the agency’s plans to take away ALJ benefits. Then, telework, transfer rights, judicial independence and more will be gone. I have seen some discussion on this board that if the agency takes away these benefits, they’ll reduce their hearing schedules. That makes sense, and is certainly something I will be doing as well when that happens. But there are other things we should be doing as well: 1. No ALJ should be volunteering to cover other ALJ’s hearing dockets anymore. If the assigned ALJ is unable to hear the cases, they should be cancelled. 2. No ALJ should be coming into work if they are feeling sick. If you’re sick on a hearing day, those hearings should be postponed. If you’re sick on a hearing prep day and unable to adequately prepare, you should cancel your hearings. 3. No ALJ should be donating time to the agency anymore. Nobody. For any reason. If you can’t do the work necessary to adequately adjudicate your cases within the 40 hrs/week allotted by the agency, you should reduce your hearing schedule. 4. ALJs should be using all of their vacation time. It’s one of the benefits that the agency cannot take away from you, and you’ve earned it. 5. You should be scheduling only the number of hearings that you are able to adequately prepare for, keeping in mind the agency’s expectation that you should be reviewing every page of a claimant’s file. 6. You should move your cases according to your own needs for review, not according to any artificial deadline or monthly schedule suggested by the agency. 7. If you are a judge that teleworks, you should let your HOCALJ know now that you may not be able to continue with your 50 hearings/month schedule when teleworking is reduced or eliminated. You should continue to do the work you were hired to do, keeping agency quality expectations in mind. But there’s absolutely no reason to do the agency any more favors. Preach! Amen |
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Post by Pixie on Oct 29, 2019 15:45:05 GMT -5
terpalj: Welcome to the board. Pixie
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Post by kylearan on Oct 29, 2019 17:32:20 GMT -5
I can kind of understand the frustration, but I’d be concerned about taking it out on the innocent claimants who are waiting for their day to be heard.
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Post by everflowing on Oct 29, 2019 17:55:13 GMT -5
No one is taking it out on innocent claimants. The Agency cannot expect an ALJ to do more than as suggested above. If the backlog increases, then the Agency is responsible and should hire more judges to address it (or return the telework perk that makes it feasible to “go the extra mile”). I’m a writer, not an ALJ, but telework also makes a huge difference in my productivity. I can work 11 hours per day at home (plus OT on the weekends when available) versus only 8 hours in the office. Traffic/commute is a killer. The Agency will not get any favors out of me until the tide turns, but I will do my best while on the clock. I can kind of understand the frustration, but I’d be concerned about taking it out on the innocent claimants who are waiting for their day to be heard. |
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Post by 71stretch on Oct 29, 2019 18:01:14 GMT -5
Postponing hearings DOES take it out on claimants. In my state ALJ office, we cover hearings for each other whenever possible (and it almost always is) because it is the right thing to do, not just for the claimant who has been waiting (not NEARLY as long as SS claimants have been waiting) but for the staff who has to do the rescheduling, and for the overall workload of the office and yes, the d*** statistics. (can you tell I am ten working days from retirement?  ) |
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Post by pumpkin on Oct 29, 2019 18:41:15 GMT -5
71stretch - Retirement - woohoo! May you enjoy your future retirement days in good health and happiness! #squadgoals
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Post by barkley on Oct 29, 2019 20:43:06 GMT -5
I used to feel bad about cancelling dockets, but right now I am being asked to give dates for APRIL. It is impossible to anticipate most things that far in advanced. If you take another docket at the last minute, you are not cut any slack in time to process the cases. Plus, I am signing decisions within a year of the filing for the request for hearing.
I think key of the original comment is that the ALJ Corp has not been recognized for the extraordinary measures they have taken to meet the artificial expectations. We should not be donating time to the government. We are paid for 40 hours, we should work 40 hours. And adjust our caseload accordingly.
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Post by lawyeredbylaws on Oct 30, 2019 8:05:48 GMT -5
Sounds really horrible being an ALJ, so if any of you want to give your spot to a lowly GS-12 let me know.
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Post by cookie on Oct 30, 2019 8:06:41 GMT -5
I don’t think anyone is suggesting we start cancelling cases as a punitive measure. But I am in agreement that without telework (even though I will be physically present in an office), I am going to be less likely to cover for someone who has something come up. I’m exhausted working as hard and efficiently as I can to get 500 decisions a year, which means scheduling (and preparing) 600! Did I say I could do it? I did. Can I under the conditions I signed up for? I can and I do. Does telework play a big part in
My productivity and not absolutely burning out? Heck yes.
For this most recent telework request period I had a few months with under 50 due to federal holidays and struggling to get hearing space/ready cases. I stated I would volunteer to help others out when needed but was told that wasn’t enough—I had to add in make up days. I have always volunteered to help out—I took 3 days from other judges this month! If they take away the one carrot (or 🍪) that makes this all worth it...
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Post by hamster on Oct 30, 2019 9:30:05 GMT -5
I schedule less than 50. I am not allowed to telework. In my Region, it’s a bright-line rule: Schedule 50 and you’re golden; schedule fewer, you’re a POS. I don’t care. Screw them. They can’t do nuthin’ to me without jumping through a lot of hoops. I have professional liability insurance. I belong to the Union. My old HOCALJ kept telling me I was going to get a scheduling order. Nothing came of it. I would not have complied with it, anyway. The solution is to not be afraid of Management. I won’t go as far as saying they can’t do anything to you, but it is time-consuming and onerous, and generally eschewed. Be conscientious. Work hard. Serve the public. Enjoy the dependable income and the deserved adulation of your mother and your children. But don’t worry about what Management threatens. They’re generally a bunch of blowhards. Be not afraid. Tune them out.
YMMV. Written in my personal and unendorsed capacity.
Hamster
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Post by arkstfan on Oct 30, 2019 10:31:23 GMT -5
Over the past three years, OHO has made incredible progress. Through the hard work and dedication of ALJs, decision writers, and support staff, we have reduced the backlog nearly by half, from a high of 1.1 million to 562,000 as of today. Our average processing time is down significantly as well, from 605 days in FY17 to 417 days as of today. In part, we’ve reached this milestone through the efforts of ALJs going above and beyond. ALJs have donated thousands of unpaid hours to the agency, working off the clock to prepare cases or sign decisions. We have stepped in at the last minute to cover the hearings of ALJs who were sick or unexpectedly called away. And even within the past few weeks, ALJs on this board have stated that they’ve come into work when feeling ill, putting the claimant’s need for a hearing ahead of their own health. We’ve been played for fools. The agency doesn’t care that we’ve put in this work to exceed its stated goals. In response to the hard work we and our support staff have put in, the agency is methodically working to strip away benefits. It’s inevitable that the partisan FSIP will soon rubber stamp the agency’s plans to take away ALJ benefits. Then, telework, transfer rights, judicial independence and more will be gone. I have seen some discussion on this board that if the agency takes away these benefits, they’ll reduce their hearing schedules. That makes sense, and is certainly something I will be doing as well when that happens. But there are other things we should be doing as well: 1. No ALJ should be volunteering to cover other ALJ’s hearing dockets anymore. If the assigned ALJ is unable to hear the cases, they should be cancelled. 2. No ALJ should be coming into work if they are feeling sick. If you’re sick on a hearing day, those hearings should be postponed. If you’re sick on a hearing prep day and unable to adequately prepare, you should cancel your hearings. 3. No ALJ should be donating time to the agency anymore. Nobody. For any reason. If you can’t do the work necessary to adequately adjudicate your cases within the 40 hrs/week allotted by the agency, you should reduce your hearing schedule. 4. ALJs should be using all of their vacation time. It’s one of the benefits that the agency cannot take away from you, and you’ve earned it. 5. You should be scheduling only the number of hearings that you are able to adequately prepare for, keeping in mind the agency’s expectation that you should be reviewing every page of a claimant’s file. 6. You should move your cases according to your own needs for review, not according to any artificial deadline or monthly schedule suggested by the agency. 7. If you are a judge that teleworks, you should let your HOCALJ know now that you may not be able to continue with your 50 hearings/month schedule when teleworking is reduced or eliminated. You should continue to do the work you were hired to do, keeping agency quality expectations in mind. But there’s absolutely no reason to do the agency any more favors. My thoughts using the same numbering. 1. Sorry but to the best of my ability I will cover hearings for my brother and sister judges. I know I stressed every time I've been too sick to come in or had to attend a family funeral, knowing no harm came to those claimants that my personal issue impacted is a relief. 2. There is sick and there is sick. If you think you are carrying the flu or some hideous stomach demon, please stay home. I've done hearings with a low grade fever, done them suffering a migraine (more often than I care to think about). If I had a claimant who was immune compromised, I'd absolutely skip their hearing but otherwise, I'm doing the hearing unless I'm too bad off to think clearly or I'm threat to others. 3. Absolute agreement. No idea why anyone donates time to the agency. Once I get to 16 credit, I'm looking to take time off. I really like the work but work is a bargained for exchange of my labor for their money, I'm not going to volunteer. 4. Complete agreement. Seriously when you get to four weeks, build them around government holidays and you can take five weeks off. Those breaks are generally a very good thing for your mental health and a good thing for your family, even if all you do one week is hang out watching TV, get the house a bit cleaner and cook a few more home cooked meals or maybe experiment with baking, you are a better parent, child, spouse, and judge if you decompress frequently. 5. Schedule to your pace is essential to your well being. I personally sprint and walk. I have periods where I may schedule more than 50 per month and then several months below. I hit my "target" every year except one but I need the pace changes for my mental sharpness. 6. Unless you've got a procrastination issue I'd avoid looking at the stats and what's where stuff too much. For a long time I made Friday my get it out of ALPO, get it out of EDIT day. Invariably I'd get a reminder email and it took me some time to quit sweating when it would show up. One benefit though, I did have a case that went to the wrong status and a reminder email pointed it out so I could fix it. 7. Your mileage will vary depending on your HOCALJ. |
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Post by foghorn on Oct 30, 2019 11:22:59 GMT -5
I agree on the overall characterization but underfunding justice is what happens nationawide. At the state level most heairng officers don't have time enough, state court systems are generally under-judged, subject to state Supreme Court whimsical "milestones"--the classic situation being where everyone is expected to be ready for trial in a year, no matter what, then the trial docket is 2 & 3 years out.
The exception: the Federal judiciary.
Another example would be Immigration Judges, whose situation is such that they probably would snicker at the burden of Medicare Judges, horrible though that may be. In short, rather than a slowdown/sickout, if it's right and just to stay out, stay out, but don't stay out if otherwise, at another job, you'd go in. Others have it just as bad, and some worse.
These are the times that fry alj's souls.
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Post by oddis on Oct 30, 2019 17:39:24 GMT -5
It's like ALJs are just now realizing what attorneys have been dealing with for some time now. Welcome to the club.
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Post by Wynona Writer on Oct 30, 2019 17:48:14 GMT -5
It's like ALJs are just now realizing what attorneys have been dealing with for some time now. Welcome to the club. Not to mention all of the private sector attorneys who are required to log 180+ billable hours per month. |
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Post by nappyloxs on Oct 30, 2019 21:07:15 GMT -5
Over the past three years, OHO has made incredible progress. Through the hard work and dedication of ALJs, decision writers, and support staff, we have reduced the backlog nearly by half, from a high of 1.1 million to 562,000 as of today. Our average processing time is down significantly as well, from 605 days in FY17 to 417 days as of today. In part, we’ve reached this milestone through the efforts of ALJs going above and beyond. ALJs have donated thousands of unpaid hours to the agency, working off the clock to prepare cases or sign decisions. We have stepped in at the last minute to cover the hearings of ALJs who were sick or unexpectedly called away. And even within the past few weeks, ALJs on this board have stated that they’ve come into work when feeling ill, putting the claimant’s need for a hearing ahead of their own health. We’ve been played for fools. The agency doesn’t care that we’ve put in this work to exceed its stated goals. In response to the hard work we and our support staff have put in, the agency is methodically working to strip away benefits. It’s inevitable that the partisan FSIP will soon rubber stamp the agency’s plans to take away ALJ benefits. Then, telework, transfer rights, judicial independence and more will be gone. I have seen some discussion on this board that if the agency takes away these benefits, they’ll reduce their hearing schedules. That makes sense, and is certainly something I will be doing as well when that happens. But there are other things we should be doing as well: 1. No ALJ should be volunteering to cover other ALJ’s hearing dockets anymore. If the assigned ALJ is unable to hear the cases, they should be cancelled. 2. No ALJ should be coming into work if they are feeling sick. If you’re sick on a hearing day, those hearings should be postponed. If you’re sick on a hearing prep day and unable to adequately prepare, you should cancel your hearings. 3. No ALJ should be donating time to the agency anymore. Nobody. For any reason. If you can’t do the work necessary to adequately adjudicate your cases within the 40 hrs/week allotted by the agency, you should reduce your hearing schedule. 4. ALJs should be using all of their vacation time. It’s one of the benefits that the agency cannot take away from you, and you’ve earned it. 5. You should be scheduling only the number of hearings that you are able to adequately prepare for, keeping in mind the agency’s expectation that you should be reviewing every page of a claimant’s file. 6. You should move your cases according to your own needs for review, not according to any artificial deadline or monthly schedule suggested by the agency. 7. If you are a judge that teleworks, you should let your HOCALJ know now that you may not be able to continue with your 50 hearings/month schedule when teleworking is reduced or eliminated. You should continue to do the work you were hired to do, keeping agency quality expectations in mind. But there’s absolutely no reason to do the agency any more favors. I am not an ALJ, but work for SSA. #1 is just ..... I really can’t describe it. Our job is public service. If one has the time to help cover dockets, they should. Not because of management, but because of the claimants and the public we serve. Also, if you pick up a few dockets, it counts towards your number scheduled (at least you can argue it does). If you pick up 6-8 dockets a year that should be around 50 hearings, ie 1-month of hearings. #2 there is a difference between sick and ill. Both #1 and #2 shows part of the problem with SSA’s culture. It is not a collaborative culture, but a chicken deboner environment. #3-4 I agree wholeheartedly with. The exception is carry close to a 240 annual leave balance if you can. Take advantage of credit (and comp for DWs) to build to annual leave balance. Once you get 240, definitely take all annual leave above 240. One should try to build a 240 annual leave balance for retirement and emergency purposes. This is much easier if one is in the 8 hour per period category. (All of you in that category are so lucky!!!) #5-6 I agree that management can micromanage sometimes and ask for “reasons” way too often. However, everyone needs a push and deadlines help get things done. What if payroll didn’t have deadlines to certify and approve paychecks? Pretty sure we all would be pissed. #7. Good communication. But what good does it do when they will have you scheduled six months out, but if they take away/cutback telework, they will implement it immediately. It is always good to communicate and doing so may prevent the need for #1. Overall, your advice is right on. Don’t let the job or others dictate your work/life balance. Find the best work/life balance for you and don’t hesitate to communicate it with your Hocalj. |
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Post by arkstfan on Oct 31, 2019 10:10:31 GMT -5
#3-4 I agree wholeheartedly with. The exception is carry close to a 240 annual leave balance if you can. Take advantage of credit (and comp for DWs) to build to annual leave balance. Once you get 240, definitely take all annual leave above 240. One should try to build a 240 annual leave balance for retirement and emergency purposes. This is much easier if one is in the 8 hour per period category. (All of you in that category are so lucky!!!) There are two sorts of employee based on my management time in state government. Those who are in use or lose or on pace for it and those who burn it when they get it. I would get monthly reports of my staff's leave and about half I'd have to remind to take some time off and about half I'd have to remind that they would be well served developing a balance because our "leave bank" wouldn't even consider your application if you didn't have at least thirty hours at the start of your emergency and was pretty tight with what they'd dole out if you didn't have 80 hours at the start. I spent several years using nearly no annual trying to get back to use or lose that I had with the state. When I had a health emergency I missed most of 12 weeks and still had four weeks of sick in the bank when I came back. THAT is peace of mind. |
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Post by bippity on Oct 31, 2019 11:48:56 GMT -5
It's like ALJs are just now realizing what attorneys have been dealing with for some time now. Welcome to the club. Not to mention all of the private sector attorneys who are required to log 180+ billable hours per month. 180 billable is 45 billable per week, plus 10-40% nonbillable hours, depending on experience level, the week and the workload. So, 60 hour week most weeks. I did have some 90-100 hour weeks at a firm, but those weeks were rare. |
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Post by vagabond on Oct 31, 2019 13:26:26 GMT -5
Wasted a lot of time and money responding to their "invitation to apply" this past Spring, but seems I dodged a bullet. Thanks for helping me appreciate what I have Terpalj!
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Post by foghorn on Oct 31, 2019 15:55:28 GMT -5
Not to mention all of the private sector attorneys who are required to log 180+ billable hours per month. 180 billable is 45 billable per week, plus 10-40% nonbillable hours, depending on experience level, the week and the workload. So, 60 hour week most weeks. I did have some 90-100 hour weeks at a firm, but those weeks were rare. As a contingent fee attorney facing hourly types I'm not so impressed--try 138 hours one week! We may doze.....but we never close! |
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