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Post by stevil on Oct 7, 2021 17:43:31 GMT -5
Got an email today from my agency with a link to a vaccination verification site. Asked questions that could all be answered from my COVID vaccination card - and I also had to upload proof (I attached a picture of my COVID card). Got confirmation, so I guess I did it right.
No word on when or if we have to go back to the office. So stay tuned.
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Post by hopefalj on Oct 7, 2021 18:26:52 GMT -5
Got an email today from my agency with a link to a vaccination verification site. Asked questions that could all be answered from my COVID vaccination card - and I also had to upload proof (I attached a picture of my COVID card). Got confirmation, so I guess I did it right. No word on when or if we have to go back to the office. So stay tuned. Thanks for the info. You folks don’t do in-person hearings, right? Or am I way off on that? Looking forward to getting that email myself. |
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Post by stevil on Oct 8, 2021 6:27:03 GMT -5
I personally have done one video hearing in the last five years, with all the rest being telephonic.
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Post by jagvet on Oct 8, 2021 9:56:16 GMT -5
I personally have done one video hearing in the last five years, with all the rest being telephonic. I have had a dozen. There are certain reps who like them, and SSA has a bias toward video if claimant agrees to phone and video. I don't understand why video is better than phone unless claimant says, "Let me show you my surgical scar." |
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Post by nylawyer on Oct 8, 2021 11:17:01 GMT -5
I personally have done one video hearing in the last five years, with all the rest being telephonic. I have had a dozen. There are certain reps who like them, and SSA has a bias toward video if claimant agrees to phone and video. I don't understand why video is better than phone unless claimant says, "Let me show you my surgical scar." Video is better if we get back to a place where the claimant is going to a field offices or his attorney's office and the video is a real camera that has been thoughtfully set up and and in a place that is well arranged. If it's the claimant laying on the couch with their phone propped on their chest, it is very much not better. |
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Post by Pixie on Oct 8, 2021 16:53:49 GMT -5
Received from a board member:
"I'd prefer not to be the source of this, but there was an emergency managers call regarding mandatory vaccinations this afternoon that caused a long scheduled Region 2 call with RCALJ to be rescheduled.
So presumably info on mandatory vaccines to follow soon."
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Post by hopefalj on Oct 8, 2021 21:53:40 GMT -5
Received from a board member: "I'd prefer not to be the source of this, but there was an emergency managers call regarding mandatory vaccinations this afternoon that caused a long scheduled Region 2 call with RCALJ to be rescheduled. So presumably info on mandatory vaccines to follow soon." An email was sent out today about this, no? Is there more to it beyond the requirement to submit proof of vaccination by November (I think)? Looks like we weren’t far behind OMHA on this. |
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Oct 9, 2021 9:32:28 GMT -5
[quote author=" hopefalj " source="/ [/quote]An email was sent out today about this, no? Is there more to it beyond the requirement to submit proof of vaccination by November (I think)? Looks like we weren’t far behind OMHA on this. [/quote] I was beginning to think I was the only one who had gotten the email requesting verification of vaccine status. |
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Post by jagvet on Oct 10, 2021 1:05:30 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised to see numerous contradictory court orders coming out of USDCs nationwide. Not me, I assure you, but I have already heard from fed employees who are really upset and ready to sue (some are anti-vax, some are concerned about privacy). My guess is that they will find themselves some pro-bono lawyers out there. I'll try to upload my docs in a week or two.
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Post by privateatty on Oct 12, 2021 16:47:49 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised to see numerous contradictory court orders coming out of USDCs nationwide. Not me, I assure you, but I have already heard from fed employees who are really upset and ready to sue (some are anti-vax, some are concerned about privacy). My guess is that they will find themselves some pro-bono lawyers out there. I'll try to upload my docs in a week or two. My ex-wife threw a conniption fit when she found out our daughter had to get vaccinated to go to her private school. I was able to quell the histrionics when I told her the law was on the school's side. I liked the Klassen decision. What is the alternative? What if you objected and your kid died? I wouldn't want to wish that Hell on anyone. |
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Post by nylawyer on Oct 12, 2021 18:18:12 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised to see numerous contradictory court orders coming out of USDCs nationwide. Not me, I assure you, but I have already heard from fed employees who are really upset and ready to sue (some are anti-vax, some are concerned about privacy). My guess is that they will find themselves some pro-bono lawyers out there. I'll try to upload my docs in a week or two. I expected to hear something from the unions one way or the other. I'd be a little surprised if some of them didn't push back just to defend the principle that this needed to be bargained, even if in the end they were only looking for relatively small changes around the edges of the rules (such as how a claim for a religious exemption gets adjudicated). As for individuals who choose to litigate themselves- I'd say the employee who has zero interaction with any member of the public or other staff has a pretty good argument that his vaccination status should not be a condition of his employment. I also wonder how many federal employees actually remain unvaccinated at this point, and if they happen to be concentrated in any particular agencies or positions. |
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Post by pumpkin on Oct 12, 2021 21:19:41 GMT -5
Is requiring federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 narrowly tailored and does it serve a compelling government interest?
Is there another more narrowly-tailored method by which the government can reduce or eliminate the likelihood of employees contracting COVID-19 from the public they serve (or by and between the employees themselves)?
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Post by jagvet on Oct 12, 2021 23:49:15 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised to see numerous contradictory court orders coming out of USDCs nationwide. Not me, I assure you, but I have already heard from fed employees who are really upset and ready to sue (some are anti-vax, some are concerned about privacy). My guess is that they will find themselves some pro-bono lawyers out there. I'll try to upload my docs in a week or two. My ex-wife threw a conniption fit when she found out our daughter had to get vaccinated to go to her private school. I was able to quell the histrionics when I told her the law was on the school's side. I liked the Klassen decision. What is the alternative? What if you objected and your kid died? I wouldn't want to wish that Hell on anyone. I'm not yet sure of the impact of Klassen in that it was brought by students, not employees, so labor law was not at issue. Schools are in loco parentis, so they have always had the right to demand vaccinations as a condition of enrollment. I don't know how the cases will resolve, but I uploaded my vax card, as directed; I was not comfortable doing so. |
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Post by jimmy224 on Oct 12, 2021 23:57:35 GMT -5
What about booster shots? Some folks got the shot a while back, and it might have worn off. Might not be vaccinated enough
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Post by stevil on Oct 13, 2021 7:13:04 GMT -5
Is requiring federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 narrowly tailored and does it serve a compelling government interest? Is there another more narrowly-tailored method by which the government can reduce or eliminate the likelihood of employees contracting COVID-19 from the public they serve (or by and between the employees themselves)? With over 4.6 million dead worldwide, over 700,000 and counting now dead in the U.S., and the supply chains and economy starting to tank, I'm having trouble discerning how the government does not have a compelling interest in pushing a demonstrably safe vaccination protocol. |
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Post by nylawyer on Oct 13, 2021 9:23:54 GMT -5
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Post by hamster on Oct 13, 2021 9:26:20 GMT -5
I’m newly retired. I’m vaccinated. I’m looking forward to getting my booster when it’s approved. I think everyone should be vaccinated, and I support the EO. Interestingly, I spoke with an attorney advisor yesterday, a likable, intelligent, hard-working employee. This AA likened the vaccine mandate to Nazi policies and absolutely refuses to get the vaccine. The office chain of command has not, according to the AA, yet forwarded any vaccine dictates from TPTB—and this AA was unaware of any general dictates from Falls Church. This surprises me. Anyway, it seems to me that he or she is soon on their way out. I tried to convince the AA otherwise on more than one occasion, to no avail. I hope this means the Agency is going to start hiring attorneys and judges again.
It is vital for the vaccine mandate to be clearly, frequently, and unambiguously communicated to employees. The deadline must be clear, as well as the consequences for non-compliance. People will either comply or be fired. You gotta pick your poison.
Best, Tony
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Post by hamster on Oct 13, 2021 10:16:49 GMT -5
Here’s a shot from North Korea, where the Supreme Leader is touting his invincible military. The vaccine mandate is nothing compared to this—smashing a concrete block on a soldier’s chest with a sledgehammer. I think I’d choose the vaccine over this.  |
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Post by jagvet on Oct 13, 2021 12:38:19 GMT -5
Gee whiz. Nazi and communist analogies! Can't you just see that some people are not eager to share health info with Uncle Sam? If you demonize people for not wanting to share their medical history, you're not likely to have much influence on their decision-making as to vaccines. I am pro-vaccine, but I think there are serious privacy issues here.
With better messages from the WH and CDC, I think we would have had more people get vaccines long ago. When Pres says get the vaccine and you won't get COVID (said in May and June 2021), that exaggeration causes people to distrust the whole process when it is clearly wrong. I trust Big Pharma more than Big Politicians. How's that for a switch?
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Happy_GS
Full Member
I can do this all day
Posts: 34
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Post by Happy_GS on Oct 13, 2021 13:14:47 GMT -5
Gee whiz. Nazi and communist analogies! Can't you just see that some people are not eager to share health info with Uncle Sam? If you demonize people for not wanting to share their medical history, you're not likely to have much influence on their decision-making as to vaccines. I am pro-vaccine, but I think there are serious privacy issues here. With better messages from the WH and CDC, I think we would have had more people get vaccines long ago. When Pres says get the vaccine and you won't get COVID (said in May and June 2021), that exaggeration causes people to distrust the whole process when it is clearly wrong. I trust Big Pharma more than Big Politicians. How's that for a switch? Oddly anti-government for a federal employee. I was happy to do my civic duty and proud to share that information with my employer. Does privacy take precedence over public safety? The US government has a duty to protect its citizens from death and disease, and this mandate is geared towards just that, how else do you expect the government to achieve this goal? Personally, I'd rather have "Uncle Sam" implant a camera in my rear end than continue to watch Americans die while stuck at home year after year. This crisis is beyond half-measures. The current administration is doing the best it can with the information it has as the situation evolves. The incidence of breakthrough infections was thought to be rare, eventually we learned it was less rare than we originally thought. Sorry if changing circumstances are difficult for some to understand. The messaging from the previous administration (and right-wing media) is clearly the issue here. Did Trump get vaccinated on TV? No. Is he a vocal proponent of vaccination? No. Do Tucker and Sean rail against vaccine mandates every night? Yes. Skepticism is healthy, cynicism is dangerous. Any plans to watch Dopesick? Might change your opinion on Big Pharma. |
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