float
Full Member
Posts: 82
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Post by float on Aug 24, 2020 9:13:40 GMT -5
I do not assume that phone hearings equates to working at home.
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Post by jimmy224 on Aug 24, 2020 11:41:50 GMT -5
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Post by christina on Aug 24, 2020 11:53:33 GMT -5
Only skimmed but I think article said second infection might be milder? I think we all knew this was possible and although discouraging this is hopefully not devastating news |
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Post by tripper on Aug 24, 2020 14:50:52 GMT -5
For those of you who have only about 50% of cases scheduled in the next four weeks, how are you planning to fill your day? You can only review so far out.
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Post by nylawyer on Aug 24, 2020 17:02:10 GMT -5
For those of you who have only about 50% of cases scheduled in the next four weeks, how are you planning to fill your day? You can only review so far out. This technically doesn't apply to me since my hearing slots are more or less l full for the next 3 or 4 weeks (albeit filled at times with cases that have already been on 3 or 4 times where we can't ever reach the claimant) but we have been encouraged to pick up hearings from other offices when they become available. Timing wise, I imagine a lot of ALJs kept August light in anticipation of vacations that may or may not be happening, so there may not be that much difficult to fill time this month. |
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Post by x on Aug 24, 2020 21:24:05 GMT -5
hamster, I appreciate your long contributions to this board ... and ... I invite you to reflect on whether use of the phrase "druggies and losers" is consistent with the open mind and heart I am hoping you bring to every claimant and claim.
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Post by Loopstok on Aug 24, 2020 21:27:13 GMT -5
For those of you who have only about 50% of cases scheduled in the next four weeks, how are you planning to fill your day? You can only review so far out. HCSRs are very backlogged in POST, because they're now spending about half their time recording telephone hearings. Every judge in my office has at least 50 cases in POST. and some have as many as 75. Most of us have between only 0 and 5 in ALPO, which won't last long, but chances are that some of those cases in POST are ready to be decided, even though they haven't been moved back to judge-controlled status yet. That will fill a couple of days, to read, decide, and write instructions, for ripe cases in POST. |
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Post by prescient on Aug 25, 2020 6:20:09 GMT -5
There should be a new CALJ memo on workloads soon
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Post by tripper on Aug 25, 2020 7:44:21 GMT -5
To be clear, this is a temporary problem. My dockets are full beginning the third week of September as I gather from comments, others are as well.
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Post by redsox1 on Aug 25, 2020 8:27:51 GMT -5
There should be a new CALJ memo on workloads soon Can hardly wait. 🤦 |
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Post by christina on Aug 25, 2020 10:18:03 GMT -5
There should be a new CALJ memo on workloads soon Can hardly wait. 🤦 ❤️🤣 |
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Updog
Member
Do I know what rhetorical means?!?
Posts: 29 
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Post by Updog on Aug 25, 2020 12:13:34 GMT -5
Heard from a VE and two NOSSCR members today that they were informed that SSA will offer video hearings in the next few months.
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Aug 25, 2020 13:11:37 GMT -5
Random thought, unrelated to anything, I wonder why morale is so low at SSA?
Maybe, just maybe, could it be because we are the last to know anything about the issues that directly affect our work?
Nah, that can't be it.
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Post by ssaogc on Aug 25, 2020 13:19:04 GMT -5
Heard from a VE and two NOSSCR members today that they were informed that SSA will offer video hearings in the next few months. Just read that on the Hall SSA Blog. Seems reps and VEs were told what we will start video hearings In November. Also mentioned that managers have been told that there will be some virtual background so that your posters or whatever is on walls in home will not show. And again, TPTB let others know before they let AALJ know. Nice way to let folks know we are a team and that we should collaborate in the Agency Mission. then you will get the monthly message from RCALJ gushing with praises on what great professionals we are but we just cannot be included in any decision making process, hell we do not even deserve to be kept updated on new developments. Want latest information? Ask NOSSCR! Or go look at the Hall SSA Blog |
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Post by lurkerbelow on Aug 25, 2020 14:44:56 GMT -5
OHO was so worried that Decision Writers wouldn't have enough work they started making them call claimants and regurgitate scripts, etc., in addition to drafting decisions. Now that they realize ALJs have a lot more time on their hands than writers do, I wonder if they will make them start writing some of their own decisions (at least favorable ones). I'd argue that a more efficient use of time would be for the reviewer who finds a case favorable to draft the decision, unfavorable to be sent to DWs for drafting. Then I remembered this was SSA and that efficiency had a whole different meaning. |
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Post by hamster on Aug 25, 2020 14:53:18 GMT -5
hamster, I appreciate your long contributions to this board ... and ... I invite you to reflect on whether use of the phrase "druggies and losers" is consistent with the open mind and heart I am hoping you bring to every claimant and claim. I agree with the implied criticism. I should have expressed myself differently. But I do my utmost—successfully—to keep an open mind for every hearing. I do get frustrated, though, with what I feel are sometimes inadviseable and wasteful policies (such as we can’t readily dismiss a claim during the pandemic when it is clear and convincing that the claimant has abandoned the claim). I also get frustrated when DDS fails to approve a clearly meritorious claim. I am disappointed when I see other claims that are apparently clearly unmeritorious. But I’ve been surprised many times at hearings—because I keep an open mind. I’ve approved claims I anticipated would be denied, and I have denied claims I anticipated would be approved. Nonetheless, the phraseology you pointed out was inappropriate. You were right to bring it up. Thanks! Respectfully, Hamster |
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Post by hopefalj on Aug 25, 2020 15:55:23 GMT -5
There should be a new CALJ memo on workloads soon Can hardly wait. 🤦 Finally! |
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Post by nylawyer on Aug 25, 2020 17:30:14 GMT -5
hamster, I appreciate your long contributions to this board ... and ... I invite you to reflect on whether use of the phrase "druggies and losers" is consistent with the open mind and heart I am hoping you bring to every claimant and claim. I agree with the implied criticism. I should have expressed myself differently. But I do my utmost—successfully—to keep an open mind for every hearing. I do get frustrated, though, with what I feel are sometimes inadviseable and wasteful policies (such as we can’t readily dismiss a claim during the pandemic when it is clear and convincing that the claimant has abandoned the claim). I also get frustrated when DDS fails to approve a clearly meritorious claim. I am disappointed when I see other claims that are apparently clearly unmeritorious. But I’ve been surprised many times at hearings—because I keep an open mind. I’ve approved claims I anticipated would be denied, and I have denied claims I anticipated would be approved. Nonetheless, the phraseology you pointed out was inappropriate. You were right to bring it up. Thanks! Respectfully, Hamster From an email I received today it appears that at some point soon we will be changing how we handle potential no show dismissals. No details as to what that change may be. |
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Post by Gram Pop on Aug 25, 2020 19:25:03 GMT -5
From an inside source, significant changes are in the works. Originally planned for August, the changes involve the restoration of "adverse actions". Both the DDS and OHO will resume adjudication of CDR claims. It may also allow DDS to deny a claim due to failure to cooperate. No word yet on OHO's handling of no shows or failures to respond. Implementation has been pushed back to sometime in September while the final details are worked out.
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Post by carrickfergus on Aug 26, 2020 6:19:15 GMT -5
In a previous life, I conducted hearings over the phone, via VTC, and in-person at our hearings office, at scores of different local agencies (with facilities ranging from boardrooms to glorified coat closets), at various non-permanent remote sites ranging from community colleges to libraries, and even in claimants' own residences. Conducting phone hearings or VTCs from home is not the most burdensome thing I can imagine. As long as the eagle lands on Friday and TPTB don't interfere with my decision, I'll adapt and conduct hearings in any manner they want. If efficiency or accuracy suffers because of that, that's on them. If due process is eroded, let the courts sort it.
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