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Post by ssaogc on Apr 24, 2021 19:11:42 GMT -5
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Post by lurkerbelow on Apr 24, 2021 22:04:12 GMT -5
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Post by neufenland on Apr 25, 2021 16:37:12 GMT -5
I saw the headline, and before clicking on it, said "I bet it's Hawley." And I was right... |
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Post by intothewild on Apr 25, 2021 17:18:47 GMT -5
Antiquated thinking. Telework is the future. |
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loops
Full Member
Posts: 34 
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Post by loops on Apr 25, 2021 19:36:26 GMT -5
It's time for fed agencies to consider full time teleworking post-pandemic in order to compete with the private sector.
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Post by stevil on Apr 25, 2021 21:19:01 GMT -5
Antiquated thinking. Telework is the future. Well, it took 2 1/2 months for me to get a phone call-back to just sign-up for Medicare A - b/c their web services wouldn’t let me establish an account b/c they said there was something wrong with my e-mail account. There wasn’t by the way. It also took almost 2-months to get a replacement SS card in the mail. I laminated my original card decades ago and apparently that is a no-no when trying to get a REAL ID card in Missouri. These events could have been handled live with no delay had a SSA office anywhere in my area bothered to stay open. Telework may work for ALJs, but agencies need to be open to service actual customers. |
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Post by longhorn on Apr 25, 2021 22:51:54 GMT -5
I got a replacement SSN card in less than 10 days last month using My SSA. Sorry your experience was different.
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Post by phoenixrisingALJ on Apr 26, 2021 6:40:44 GMT -5
Agreed that telework works and should continue.
However offices that interact with the public must improve their call in experience. Those that function with in person appointments must be staffed. That was not always well run pre-covid. So I’m sure covid hasn’t helped.
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Apr 26, 2021 7:28:30 GMT -5
Antiquated thinking. Telework is the future. Well, it took 2 1/2 months for me to get a phone call-back to just sign-up for Medicare A - b/c their web services wouldn’t let me establish an account b/c they said there was something wrong with my e-mail account. There wasn’t by the way. It also took almost 2-months to get a replacement SS card in the mail. I laminated my original card decades ago and apparently that is a no-no when trying to get a REAL ID card in Missouri. These events could have been handled live with no delay had a SSA office anywhere in my area bothered to stay open. Telework may work for ALJs, but agencies need to be open to service actual customers. As someone who needed a replacement SSN card, arriving (in person) at the office did not speed up the process. While I was able to obtain verification of my SSN on SSA letterhead, the card itself did not arrive until approximately two weeks later, via the mail. So I am not sure having BIC will make things quicker. Lack of staff, is still lack of staff. |
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Post by intothewild on Apr 26, 2021 10:30:42 GMT -5
Antiquated thinking. Telework is the future. Well, it took 2 1/2 months for me to get a phone call-back to just sign-up for Medicare A - b/c their web services wouldn’t let me establish an account b/c they said there was something wrong with my e-mail account. There wasn’t by the way. It also took almost 2-months to get a replacement SS card in the mail. I laminated my original card decades ago and apparently that is a no-no when trying to get a REAL ID card in Missouri. These events could have been handled live with no delay had a SSA office anywhere in my area bothered to stay open. Telework may work for ALJs, but agencies need to be open to service actual customers. For jobs that require customer service I understand that. But for jobs that don’t require in person service, it does not matter. |
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Post by FrogEsq on Apr 26, 2021 11:33:15 GMT -5
There was a post on that 'other' SS news blog that posited this very same question. Simply put,it was argued that vaccinated people (Field Offices) should go to work because they are 'safe'. My thought was, are emergency rooms safe? Their staff are all vaccinated. I used the ER analogy because, in addition to accident victims and the like, they treat the poor, the homeless, and those without insurance. Sounds like an OHO waiting room.
That article disappeared from that blog within 24 hours.
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Post by foghorn on Apr 28, 2021 16:05:15 GMT -5
Here's a thought.......how many Congressional & Senatorial offices have telework? Based on the recorded messages I get, it seems a substantial number.
Just a thought. (Though I do realize that Congress does believe people should do as they say, not as they do).
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Post by roymcavoy on Apr 29, 2021 6:50:50 GMT -5
The amount of money that the US Govt could save taxpayers by reducing the size of office space and, thus, the federal footprint is reason alone to allow everyone who can telework to telework.
Telework en masse is not new. In my prior world I did lots of patent and trademark work. Even 15-20 years ago, attorneys for USPTO reported to their closest regional office only once per quarter.
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Post by nylawyer on Apr 29, 2021 7:47:40 GMT -5
It is interesting question for the federal government.
No question, proper use of telework allows for reduction of office space and thus overhead expenses.
It is also reduces the number of people commuting, which of course reduces emissions and strain on infrastructure.
And, if anyone cares, it increases morale of federal employees.
All good things, and also things that a Democratic administration would seem to favor.
But...
In the wake of the pandemic, a lot of private companies are going to be utilizing telework more, and will definitely be downsizing or eliminating offices.
Which is going to be a big blow to the commercial real estate market. Along with all the businesses, such as restaurants, that depend on workers going into offices.
If the federal government indicates they are going down that path as well, there will be a crash in the value of commercial real estate, and a lot of businesses going under.
All of which will cause a significant impact to the national economy, which no incumbent administration will want.
But, where the blow will really be felt is in big cities, whose tax base will dry up.
Is a Democratic administration really going to do that kind of damage to DC, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.? I'm skeptical.
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Post by recoveringalj on Apr 29, 2021 8:59:06 GMT -5
Don’t forget, teleworking allows a greater number of employees to work outside of DC and spreads the wealth (and recruiting base).
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Post by foghorn on Apr 29, 2021 12:41:49 GMT -5
For what it's worth, both of the companies my young adults work for have found that telecommuting employees are as productive, if not more productive, than they were when they were physically located at the company office.
I understand from someone working for American Express at their HQ in NYC, that they found it likewise and that everyone was enjoying not having the commute to Manhattan, so much so they aren't having people return to the office until late fall (and I'm betting that will get pushed out, with perhaps monthly meetings at the office).
That being said, for depositions I like to be in the same room as the deponent and for me tele-deps don't cut it. I would think as a hearing officer/ALJ/IJ that seeing the person up front and personal allows for a different assessment--and may also be more forgiving to the extent some may have little if any in the way of video capability and their appearance may suffer in comparison to that which would be given in person.
I also think that for hearings my clients have a better chance to establish rapport with the judge if they are in person, so I also prefer it for that reason.
Mediators have told me that they find cases settle with better results if it's in person rather than by video.
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Post by WallyGator on Apr 29, 2021 13:09:37 GMT -5
I do enjoy full time telework and I don’t know how I would have made it through this last year without it. It would not be significant to me, but I do wonder if there would be locality pay consequences to a permanent telework situation. I think especially for support staff in certain locations locality pay makes a considerable difference and might make it worth it to go into the office at least once a week or once a pay period if that is needed to keep locality pay.
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Post by FrogEsq on Apr 29, 2021 14:30:37 GMT -5
Speaking for myself, there is absolutely nothing advantageous to a claimant by having an in person hearing with me over a telephone or video hearing. I have done them all over my short time and there is nothing I need evaluate or consider that I can not obtain by either video or telephone. I am not a physician, so I am not conducting a physical examination. What about observing a claimant using a SPC, a Rollator or a wheelchair? Not a factor. At all. That issue is resolved using the information in the record. Demeanor? Please. I can hear better than I can see!
IMHO, in person hearings are not in the foreseeable future. The Agency is feverishly working to position its ALJs now working from home with the necessary video and telephone equipment for hearings from home. Whatever technical and/or access issues [ e.g. hardware; internet; laptops; software-Microsoft Teams] may be at hand in this moment it will not be changing this direction. In my mind, a claimant who elects an in person hearing may be waiting a very, very long time. I think the same might be said for a significant portion of ALJs who are waiting to go back to the office, as well.
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Post by nylawyer on Apr 29, 2021 15:57:34 GMT -5
Speaking for myself, there is absolutely nothing advantageous to a claimant by having an in person hearing with me over a telephone or video hearing. I have done them all over my short time and there is nothing I need evaluate or consider that I can not obtain by either video or telephone. I am not a physician, so I am not conducting a physical examination. What about observing a claimant using a SPC, a Rollator or a wheelchair? Not a factor. At all. That issue is resolved using the information in the record. Demeanor? Please. I can hear better than I can see!
IMHO, in person hearings are not in the foreseeable future. The Agency is feverishly working to position its ALJs now working from home with the necessary video and telephone equipment for hearings from home. Whatever technical and/or access issues [ e.g. hardware; internet; laptops; software-Microsoft Teams] may be at hand in this moment it will not be changing this direction. In my mind, a claimant who elects an in person hearing may be waiting a very, very long time. I think the same might be said for a significant portion of ALJs who are waiting to go back to the office, as well.
I'd agree with your first paragraph for the vast majority of cases. However, there are some exceptions- the biggest of which comes to mind is claimants with communication issues whether arising from impairments or language. Video and phone can never match the clarity of Live interaction. Also- there are a small minority of claimants who don't have reliable access to phones or the internet. And while I don't pretend to be a doctor, I can think of a couple of cases I've had where the claimant had a medical condition where it was helpful for me to see them to really get it, the medical records did not really adequately convey what was happening. I can also think of couple of other things I could do in live hearings that I might not be able to do effectively by video or telephone, but frankly those things don't usually end up benefitting the claimant. As for the second paragraph- I haven't the faintest idea when or how we will resume live hearings. With so many private companies returning, and local governments as well, I keep expecting some news (or substantiated rumor). Not really looking forward to it, while it would be nice to get out of the house more, one day of sitting in traffic will have me longing for COVID 21. (And I will just add here, not for the first time, that I really wish there was better communication from the agency- my home office set up is really not conducive to being there every day, it is not set up well for phone hearings, and is worse for video) |
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Post by recoveringalj on Apr 29, 2021 17:12:03 GMT -5
Demeanor has its place, but people often act counterintuitively under stress and cultural differences can affect perceptions. The best liars aren’t stressed at all when lying; it’s like breathing to them. So I use demeanor as a last resort. And if someone is avoiding answering a simple question, has a selective memory, or an answer doesn’t make sense, I can tell that through video or phone. As far as SSA hearings, SSA basically eliminated “credibility” as a factor to be considered anyway.
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