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Post by nylawyer on Feb 10, 2022 6:52:41 GMT -5
I am also curious about who is going to clean the hearing rooms in between hearings… At our telework meeting yesterday, we were told claimants/reps would be responsible for wiping everything down before they left. I assume this is a joke? |
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Post by mrmojo on Feb 10, 2022 7:53:16 GMT -5
I am also curious about who is going to clean the hearing rooms in between hearings… At our telework meeting yesterday, we were told claimants/reps would be responsible for wiping everything down before they left. I'm ready for the inevitable stream of instructions from some ALJs: "Claimant's carpal tunnel/hand impairment is not severe. They were able to wipe down the table in the hearing room." |
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Post by nylawyer on Feb 28, 2022 21:57:09 GMT -5
Any line ALJs started getting scheduled for live hearings yet?
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Post by jagvet on Feb 28, 2022 22:08:52 GMT -5
Any line ALJs started getting scheduled for live hearings yet? Requests for volunteers in May and June have gone out. I am not aware of any actual scheduling yet. |
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Post by peanutfancy on Mar 6, 2022 17:19:23 GMT -5
This works really well with equipment at my gym...
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Post by jagvet on Mar 6, 2022 17:53:09 GMT -5
At our telework meeting yesterday, we were told claimants/reps would be responsible for wiping everything down before they left. I'm ready for the inevitable stream of instructions from some ALJs: "Claimant's carpal tunnel/hand impairment is not severe. They were able to wipe down the table in the hearing room." That's not new. How about claimants who can't use a keyboard, or have no social contact getting phone calls during a hearing? |
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Post by nylawyer on Mar 7, 2022 15:02:20 GMT -5
I've taken a couple of flights in the past few weeks and based on what I've observed in airports and planes where masks are "mandated" ALJs are going to have to be making a lot of choices about how much they want to enforce mask guidelines. (Probably more about people wearing masks over their nose rather than not wearing them at all, although the airport I was at on Thursday night I'd estimate over a third of the people had foregone masks entirely.)
It's going to be rough when we are literally the only place left requiring masks.
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Post by jagvet on Mar 7, 2022 16:29:12 GMT -5
It's going to be rough when we are literally the only place left requiring masks. The closer we get to Election Day, the more likely TPTB will eliminate the mask requirement. Without getting political, here is the problem I see (regardless of masking). Judges will err on the side of caution (to protect themselves and others), so that hearings will be adjourned if anyone coughs too much and definitely if a sneeze happens. With breakthrough infections happening, it's not entirely without basis. Management has essentially yielded discretion to judges on hearing-room health, and I don't disagree. As to masks, until they are gone, many judges will freak out if nostrils are exposed. I flew last week, and on one flight almost everyone followed the rules. On one leg of the return, almost no one cooperated. Masks, seat belts, overhead bins, walking around, cell phones (one guy was watching YouTubes without earphones). I told a flight attendant on the way out that I thought she deserved a purple heart. Then I thought that I will see all that in hearings soon. |
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Post by nylawyer on Mar 7, 2022 17:08:58 GMT -5
As I understand it, the mask requirement is, along with everything else associated with return to the office, subject to negotiation with the three unions.
I have to believe the Biden administration is going to want all federal offices fully open and mask free well in advance of the election, particularly if there are no particularly troubling variants that spike between now and then, but I'm not sure that it's feasible.
I have flown maybe a dozen times since the pandemic started, and on every flight within one row of me there has been at least one person who did not wear their mask the bulk of the flight.
My flight this morning it was the person in front of me- I have no idea what his story was, I had headphones on, I saw flight attendants interacting with him but seemingly always in a friendly way and he never even moved to put it on.
I feel like as time has gone on they have given up- one of the first flights I took I recall the pilot actually came on and threatened to land in Baltimore if people did not put on their masks.
Those days are over, no more landing in Baltimore to eject the unruly.
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Post by hopespringseternal on Sept 28, 2022 14:24:53 GMT -5
Informational meetings are being scheduled for next week regarding further reentry plans in the next fiscal year. Anyone up to date on the expected changes?
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Post by tripper on Sept 28, 2022 14:52:51 GMT -5
Informational meetings are being scheduled for next week regarding further reentry plans in the next fiscal year. Anyone up to date on the expected changes? Our meeting is scheduled for Friday. I heard it’s regarding updated CDC guidance. |
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Post by ssaogc on Sept 30, 2022 18:36:56 GMT -5
Had the meeting today. Consisted of management reading what higher has sent.
Masks still need to be worn. Distancing between employees no longer required.
Claimants and reps still have to screen
No more quarantine unless you test positive.
Telework continues no changes everyone even if on probation can telework including newly appointed ALJs (who do not have probation)
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Post by FrogEsq on Sept 30, 2022 19:16:43 GMT -5
I missed the meeting today. It was a perfect storm. A Friday, the meeting and the end of the fiscal year.
I just love my credit hours.  |
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Post by abthejd on Sept 30, 2022 20:36:55 GMT -5
Had the meeting today. Consisted of management reading what higher has sent. Masks still need to be worn. Distancing between employees no longer required. Claimants and reps still have to screen No more quarantine unless you test positive. Telework continues no changes everyone even if on probation can telework including newly appointed ALJs (who do not have probation) Our office was told full telework through or to March 2023. I was not listening closely, don’t hate. |
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Post by jagvet on Oct 26, 2022 14:18:43 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone read the OCALJ memo that came out today, including the author. Apparently, hearings can be scheduled like this: Let's say an ALJ has 8 or 9 hearing days a month. All of them can be mixed in-person and remote. This is absurd. I am now thinking that my willingness to have mixed days is misplaced. Maybe I ought to say no to avoid having to come to the office every single hearing day.
Any thoughts, friends? Am I misreading it?
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Oct 26, 2022 15:00:00 GMT -5
I'm reading it as we choose our hearing DAYS but we do not choose HOW (in person, remote, mixed) it will be conducted
So, technically every day could be scheduled in person
Edited for the typos
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Post by nylawyer on Oct 26, 2022 16:40:40 GMT -5
As I understand it, we only submit our hearing days. We do not choose going forward whether they are in person or remote.
The only choice you can make is whether you are willing to assent to having mixed dates. If you agree, then there is an excellent chance you will be going into the office for all of your hearings, depending on what the exact mix of in person versus remote ends up being at your particular office, at least as long as CSU is handling the scheduling.
Hopefully if and when scheduling returns to the local office the staff will actually care if you get to do some of your hearing dates from home.
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Post by tripper on Oct 26, 2022 17:55:13 GMT -5
Currently at the AALJ conference. This subject came up tonight. Right now we cannot pick our in-person days but we can opt out of mixed dockets. The issue of choosing our in-person days is one that is left to be bargained between the union and the agency. I’ll say nothing more so that I don’t cross any union talk lines. I presently and will continue to ask for no scheduled mixed dockets until this issue gets worked out. I will, however, allow claimants and representatives to change an in-person scheduled day to a phone or video hearing and I will handle those from the office. That minimizes the number of days I need to go in and still allows me to service the claimants in the manner that they wish.
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Post by tripper on Oct 26, 2022 17:57:36 GMT -5
And on a related issue, the CSU hasn’t been abandoned for in-office schedulers YET because the agency is working that out in contract negotiations with AFGE (which makes sense).
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Post by christina on Oct 26, 2022 18:58:45 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone read the OCALJ memo that came out today, including the author. Apparently, hearings can be scheduled like this: Let's say an ALJ has 8 or 9 hearing days a month. All of them can be mixed in-person and remote. This is absurd. I am now thinking that my willingness to have mixed days is misplaced. Maybe I ought to say no to avoid having to come to the office every single hearing day. Any thoughts, friends? Am I misreading it? I was surprised by the wording |
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