{"id":66,"date":"2024-12-20T02:01:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T02:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/?p=66"},"modified":"2024-12-20T02:01:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T02:01:58","slug":"social-security-union-secures-telework-deal-doge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-union-secures-telework-deal-doge\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Security Union Secures Telework Deal Amid DOGE Push for In-Person Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s <strong>Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)<\/strong> prepares to overhaul federal workforce policies, the <strong>Social Security Administration (SSA)<\/strong> and its union have finalized a deal to preserve telework arrangements for tens of thousands of employees until late 2029. This agreement underscores the growing tension between federal employees\u2019 work arrangements and DOGE\u2019s agenda to reduce the government workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#telework-deal-secured-through-2029\">Telework Deal Secured Through 2029<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#dog-es-vision-reducing-the-federal-workforce\">DOGE\u2019s Vision: Reducing the Federal Workforce<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#federal-workforce-at-a-glance\">Federal Workforce at a Glance<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#union-protection-vs-dog-es-agenda\">Union Protection vs. DOGE&#8217;s Agenda<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#whats-next\">What\u2019s Next?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"telework-deal-secured-through-2029\"><strong>Telework Deal Secured Through 2029<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agreement, signed just before SSA Commissioner <strong>Martin O\u2019Malley<\/strong> stepped down, solidifies telework policies for <strong>42,000 members<\/strong> of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), who make up a significant portion of the SSA&#8217;s nearly <strong>60,000 employees<\/strong>. The deal retains preexisting telework arrangements without expanding them, ensuring that eligible employees continue to work remotely for a portion of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on their role, SSA employees are required to report to the office between <strong>two and five days weekly<\/strong>, balancing in-person responsibilities with remote work. This agreement aims to support SSA\u2019s staffing levels by reducing attrition and maintaining its ability to serve the public effectively, according to Rich Couture, AFGE Council 215 spokesperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dog-es-vision-reducing-the-federal-workforce\"><strong>DOGE\u2019s Vision: Reducing the Federal Workforce<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast to SSA\u2019s telework deal, DOGE, led by <strong>Elon Musk<\/strong> and <strong>Vivek Ramaswamy<\/strong>, is championing a strict return-to-office policy for federal workers. The initiative, which aims to cut federal spending by reducing the workforce, includes measures to <strong>end telecommuting privileges<\/strong> for most federal employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFederal employees unwilling to return to the office are free to resign. Taxpayers shouldn\u2019t fund the COVID-era luxury of working from home,\u201d Musk and Ramaswamy argued in a <strong>Wall Street Journal op-ed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DOGE\u2019s return-to-office push could result in significant workforce reductions, as employees unwilling to comply might voluntarily leave their positions. The initiative is set to be discussed with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, with some Democrats reportedly expressing tentative support for the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/trumps-tax-plan-and-social-security-relief-risk\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"46\">Trump\u2019s Tax Plan and Social Security: Relief or Risk?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-major-changes-coming-in-2025\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28\">Social Security Shake-Up: Major Changes Coming in 2025 \u2014 Are You Affected?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/retirees-and-seniors-social-security-checks-jan\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"17\">Big News for Retirees and Seniors: Bigger Social Security Checks Are Coming in January!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-fairness-act-benefit-changes\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"32\">Social Security Shakeup: Fairness Act Could Transform Benefits for Millions \u2013 Here\u2019s What\u2019s at Stake<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/trumps-efficiency-for-social-security-medicare\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"56\">Ramaswamy and Musk Spearhead Trump\u2019s Efficiency Drive: What It Means for Social Security and Medicare<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"federal-workforce-at-a-glance\"><strong>Federal Workforce at a Glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal government employs approximately <strong>2.3 million civilians<\/strong>, with around half working fully in person due to the nature of their jobs. The remainder are eligible for telework, and about <strong>10%<\/strong> of the total workforce holds fully remote positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the Biden administration, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had already initiated a push to increase in-person work hours for telework-eligible employees. Currently, eligible federal employees spend an average of <strong>61% of their working hours in the office<\/strong>, excluding fully remote positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"union-protection-vs-dog-es-agenda\"><strong>Union Protection vs. DOGE&#8217;s Agenda<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new telework agreement highlights the challenge DOGE faces in implementing sweeping changes to federal work policies. For unionized workers like those at the SSA, telework arrangements are protected by collective bargaining agreements, making unilateral changes nearly impossible without extensive negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SSA spokeswoman clarified that the recent deal with AFGE only <strong>formalized existing policies<\/strong>, reinforcing a commitment to balancing operational efficiency with employee flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whats-next\"><strong>What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-union-secures-telework-deal-doge\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-union-secures-telework-deal-doge\/\">DOGE prepares to reshape the federal workforce<\/a>, the SSA\u2019s agreement with AFGE serves as a test case for how unions may resist significant rollbacks of telework privileges. With Trump\u2019s administration aiming to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government, the stage is set for a high-stakes debate over the future of work in public service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, SSA employees can rest assured their telework arrangements are secure through 2029, but the broader battle over federal work policies is just beginning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) prepares to overhaul federal workforce policies, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its union have finalized a deal to preserve telework arrangements for tens of thousands of employees until late 2029. This agreement underscores the growing tension between federal employees\u2019 work arrangements and DOGE\u2019s agenda to&nbsp;<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/social-security-union-secures-telework-deal-doge\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,5,6],"class_list":["post-66","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-security","tag-social-security-administration","tag-social-security-benefits","tag-social-security-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1132,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions\/1132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}