Government Peon
Metropolis, US
Female, 45
Sorry about that hiatus - I got sidetracked in life, but I'm back!
I work in the largest Social Security office in my area, working primarily with disabled individuals, but I have my hands in all aspects of what our agency does. Retirement, disability, survivors, SSN cards, the whole shebang.
I love what I do, and do my best to juggle the work which is far too much for one person to complete. I work with other hard workers, and some who are just taking up space.
When I first went into public service, I imagined government employees much like many people probably do - cold, bureaucratic, unyielding, difficult to talk to. Most of the people who make contact with our agency expect to get exactly that, and depending on who they talk to, sometime they will get EXACTLY that. And who wants to deal with Social Security anyways? If you're calling us and you DON'T need a Social Security card, chances are you're dealing with a medical issue that has you out of work, and you've had to swallow your pride and admit you need help, you're getting on in years and are now being tossed into the retirement and Medicare... Read More +
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First of all... I am taking my break, not answering on your (the taxpayers) dime. When someone files an application for disability, they go through a fairly lengthy interview - usually about 1 1/2 hours - gathering information from them about their work history, medical providers and treatments and finances to determine whether or not they meet non-medical rules. For instance, someone may be living with a very serious medical condition, however is able to hold down a decent job in spite of their health; this person may be denied without ever examining their medical decision. That's not what you asked though. Once we determine that "the... Read More +
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I think it’s probably a pretty even split, as the demographics in the office vary greatly. It’s hard to say for certain though, as being Federal employees, we have to be careful about our political discussions in the office. We tend to stick together and talk politics only amongst our own ‘clique.’ I run with the conservative crowd. In the lunchroom, we talk about government waste in our own programs, policies we wish we could change and how we're frustrated by the entitlement mentality.
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Ahhh, a brief afternoon break before I abandon my desk (and my phone, my mail and all of the other work waiting for me) to go work at the "front counter" to serve the walk-in public. It's all about the budget This particular office generally has 2 people answering the general information line, for a service population of 700,000+. If you're lucky enough to have someone's direct extension, they likely won't answer because they are busy filling in doing the job of someone who left and whose position was never filled. In the last 12 months we've lost (quit, transferred or promoted out of position) at least 8 employees whose vacant positions will not be filled.
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Audiologist
How come people with hearing aids still can't seem to hear?
Help Desk Technician
Do the stats actually back up the "Mac's never get viruses and crash way less than PCs" thing?
Bracketologist
Where do you think the Selection Committee needs the most improvement?
Health benefits are good, but vision & dental cost an arm and a leg. Thrift Savings Plan w/ 5% agency matching, FERS retirement system, Health Savings Account.. the basics. 4 hours of sick leave per pay period (2 wks), 3 tier annual leave - 4 hours per PP until you've been there for 3 years, then you get 6 hours per PP until 15 years, then you get a full 8 hours per PP. There are more things that I'm not well acquainted with because I haven't needed them, so I can't really say. I think it's a pretty basic federal benefit package.
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My apologies to everyone for taking so long to respond - last week was nightmarish in so many ways! I'm starting with this question because it is the easiest - YES - we are seeing more people applying than ever before! I still take my share of claims from people who seem to have very legitimate disabilities, but a lot more people are filing because "I may as well try" when they lose their job. The rules for eligibility haven't changed at all, so it's the same.
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I can’t say much about Unemployment since I don’t know much about it. I’m fortunate to have never gotten up close and personal with that system. Those of us on the front lines within the agency definitely have ideas of how to trim the fat from our programs, and frequently discuss it passionately while out to lunch. That’s not exactly what you asked, though. The answer depends on which program we’re discussing. There is a lot of rules most people don’t know about the programs, and to fully explain my answer, I have to explain some terminology. Social Security covers two different programs: 1) Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance... Read More +
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