The SSA reassigned a small percentage of field office employees to address long wait times for the national phone number, reportedly improving call service but causing disruptions in local services. A declining workforce faces increasing demand as more Americans qualify for benefits. Experts highlight the inadequacy of staff to meet public service needs, with one former official likening the situation to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Union representatives express concerns over heightened stress levels and workload for remaining staff.
They are in a deep hole of their own creation on staffing and so you just don't have enough people to go around to serve the public.
Thanks to a new telephone platform, most callers are now served quickly through callbacks or automated options, and answer times have already improved significantly in field offices.
The stress level is probably at a maximum for everyone; at one point I think we were doing the work of 1.8 people.
By temporarily assigning a small percentage of field office staff to assist with 800 number calls, we can improve the 800 average speed of answer without disrupting local services.
#social-security-administration #staffing-shortage #wait-times #public-services #employee-reassignment
Collection
[
|
...
]