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Post by uboat on May 2, 2020 18:56:58 GMT -5
Will we see SSA offer Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and possibly Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VISP) this year? I would think that we will see at least VERA and possibly VSIP this year. Work was hard to find for DWs and SAAs even before the lockdown. Now there are so many underemployed staff that it's hard to believe that TPTB are not considering downsizing. I expect to see at least VERA offered soon, possibly VSIP. What are your thoughts?
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Post by nylawyer on May 2, 2020 19:16:08 GMT -5
I'd be surprised. There is at least a strong possibility that there is a huge surge of applications on the horizon.
Besides, why offer buyouts when it is more economical to just make employees miserable enough to leave.
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Post by roymcavoy on May 2, 2020 19:43:48 GMT -5
Many of the attorneys/decision writers hired in 2018 were hired under an NTE for 4 years, so that would be the easiest path forward if they wanted to make cuts.
I agree, however, that there is too much uncertainty to do so at this point. Unemployment benefits are currently covering up what might be a massive uptick in disability apps. Additionally, if the downturn in the economy sticks, that will lead to apps. Finally, and maybe most significantly, the medium/long term health problems following CV19 infection are unknown.... why cut a bunch of people if you have to hire them next spring?
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Post by uboat on May 2, 2020 20:45:05 GMT -5
I agree, however, that there is too much uncertainty to do so at this point. Unemployment benefits are currently covering up what might be a massive uptick in disability apps. Additionally, if the downturn in the economy sticks, that will lead to apps. Finally, and maybe most significantly, the medium/long term health problems following CV19 infection are unknown.... why cut a bunch of people if you have to hire them next spring? I'm assuming TPTB will, as they always seem to, look only to the immediate.
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Post by monopoly on May 2, 2020 22:12:47 GMT -5
All the attorneys have been assigned tasks that do not involve decision writing. We were provided with 50+ pages of training material and 90 minutes of skype training to completely change what we are doing. There is more than enough work to go around. TPTB only care about stats and numbers, not employees, but there will not be any changes in our workforce.
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Post by jimmy224 on May 3, 2020 10:05:17 GMT -5
With everything shut down, we are limited in what we can do (e.g get consultative exams etc. who knows how long we stay shut down could be a couple of years. I guess they will keep everyone around even with lack of work (like being on call for when things open up and possible spike in apps
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Post by nylawyer on May 3, 2020 10:32:44 GMT -5
With everything shut down, we are limited in what we can do (e.g get consultative exams etc. who knows how long we stay shut down could be a couple of years. I guess they will keep everyone around even with lack of work (like being on call for when things open up and possible spike in apps If it's two years or anything like that then I wouldn't be surprised if there were layoffs. But I don't expect it to be that severe.
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Post by milagros on May 3, 2020 11:48:54 GMT -5
All the attorneys have been assigned tasks that do not involve decision writing. We were provided with 50+ pages of training material and 90 minutes of skype training to completely change what we are doing. There is more than enough work to go around. TPTB only care about stats and numbers, not employees, but there will not be any changes in our workforce. Can you say more about that? What will you be doing?
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Post by jimmy224 on May 3, 2020 12:47:02 GMT -5
All the attorneys have been assigned tasks that do not involve decision writing. We were provided with 50+ pages of training material and 90 minutes of skype training to completely change what we are doing. There is more than enough work to go around. TPTB only care about stats and numbers, not employees, but there will not be any changes in our workforce. Can you say more about that? What will you be doing? Basically calling claimants to ask if they agree to a phone hearing or wish to postpone. Doctors offices are closed now, can’t get consultative exams, etc. so more limited in ability to get evidence to make decision
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Post by ohodiablo on May 3, 2020 12:55:57 GMT -5
It seems that in the rush to set up phone hearings, the Agency failed to notify claimant's of their right to 20 days notice of an amended hearing. Now the decision writers are calling to request waivers. Should be interesting. We're taking verbal waivers. I would imagine there are going to be many lawsuits from claimants asserting they did not waive/they waived under duress.
It is very much busy work, but I'm grateful to have work, so ....
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Post by 2rvrrun on May 3, 2020 19:59:33 GMT -5
Better make sure you have a good professional liability policy. We were told to identify ourselves so the claimant does not think the call is from a scammer. Then we were told we did not need to give our names, but someone pointed out that emails would contain identification. Finally we were told to identify ourselves as writers and leave out our title Attorney.
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Post by Pixie on May 4, 2020 8:32:53 GMT -5
This is a typical Agency machination. Always worried about things it doesn't need to worry about, and never worried about just doing the right thing. Pixie
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Post by roymcavoy on May 4, 2020 9:12:01 GMT -5
Final numbers are in from April... **agency lost 8 ALJs from Mar-Apr (1407-1399) **receipts daily per ALJ down 20% (1.43-1.14) **dispos daily per ALJ down 10% (2.01-1.79)
There are 100 ways to read these numbers, but while district offices remain closed to the public it’s hard to properly gauge “demand” in the various components.
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Post by redsox1 on May 4, 2020 9:32:51 GMT -5
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Post by hopefalj on May 4, 2020 9:55:32 GMT -5
This is a typical Agency machination. Always worried about things it doesn't need to worry about, and never worried about just doing the right thing. Pixie Our leadership often makes me long for the competence and foresight of Captain Edward J. Smith. It would certainly be an improvement.
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Post by ssaogc on May 4, 2020 10:14:18 GMT -5
It seems that in the rush to set up phone hearings, the Agency failed to notify claimant's of their right to 20 days notice of an amended hearing. Now the decision writers are calling to request waivers. Should be interesting. We're taking verbal waivers. I would imagine there are going to be many lawsuits from claimants asserting they did not waive/they waived under duress. It is very much busy work, but I'm grateful to have work, so .... If the agency provides required notice these telephonic hearings are not optional. If claimant or rep want to postpone they have to show good cause. The Agency does a crappy job communicating policy to the people who execute it.
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Post by ssaogc on May 4, 2020 10:22:36 GMT -5
We are about to or entering a severe recession if not a depression. The agency will be flooded with old age and disability applications for the foreseeable future. And the agency is already operating with reduced staffing that will be further reduced through attrition. They would be crazy to reduce staff. However, I would not be surprised if they start a re-engineering project to change hearing processes such as eliminating ALJ requirement
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Post by barkley on May 4, 2020 10:37:42 GMT -5
Can someone explain this to me? If the writers are being given busy work, why not give them a little more time to work on the decisions they are assigned? Better decisions = less time spent in EDIT = more time to better prep for cases. Moreover, better decisions = fewer remands.
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Post by nylawyer on May 4, 2020 10:47:06 GMT -5
Can someone explain this to me? If the writers are being given busy work, why not give them a little more time to work on the decisions they are assigned? Better decisions = less time spent in EDIT = more time to better prep for cases. Moreover, better decisions = fewer remands. Because that is a tacit admission that writing good decisions takes longer than is currently allocated. Also, it isn't all busy work. Some of what is being done was previously being done by SCTs who now have to act as hearing monitors. Having said that- it does strike me that if this is going to be the situation for more than another month or two, it would behoove the agency to use the time more productively.
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Post by roymcavoy on May 4, 2020 11:11:47 GMT -5
Can someone explain this to me? If the writers are being given busy work, why not give them a little more time to work on the decisions they are assigned? Better decisions = less time spent in EDIT = more time to better prep for cases. Moreover, better decisions = fewer remands. because there are no decisions
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