Federal Daily - May 26, 2009

Union: SSA Workplace More Stressful Than Ranking Suggests

Despite the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) top-10 ranking as a good place to work, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) on May 20 said other surveys of SSA field-level employees show that SSA jobs are overwhelmingly stressful. SSA ranked No. 9 in the Partnership for Public Service’s (PPS) “Best Places to Work” 2009 survey. The rankings are based on measures of employee satisfaction. However, the rankings don’t tell the full story, according to AFGE, which represents more than 48,000 SSA workers. SSA workplace policies “continue to press unnecessary hardships on employees and degrade one of the nation’s most responsive and best-run public agencies,” AFGE said in a statement. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report showed that SSA field staffers were greatly stressed by cutbacks that have led to a diminished amount of time they can spend with customers. Moreover, workload pressures have led to a reduction in the amount of time allocated for training and mentoring new staff, GAO said. “The data from the GAO report and the reports from our field offices do not paint a rosy picture,” said AFGE President John Gage. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=995.

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DoD Unveils Service Blogging Platform

DoD on May 20 announced it had launched a centrally linked and unified Internet platform from which the service branches can create and maintain Web logs, or blogs. The department said the platform, called “DoDLive,” will enable DoD organizations to communicate on a more personal level, and can be used as an extension to their Web sites. Since beta testing of the platform began in January, the Air Force and Army have added service-specific blogs, and the Coast Guard is expected to join in soon. “This blogging tool allows all branches of the military an opportunity to establish an official blog about their command, organization or unit,” said Brian Natwick, acting director of the Defense Media Activity’s emerging media directorate and general manager of the Pentagon Channel. To see more, go to: www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123150344.

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DFAS Suspends VSI/SSB Retiree Recoupment

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) on May 21 announced it was temporarily suspending recoupment of money paid to military retirees under a number of separation payment programs while it conducts a legal review of the repayment effort. DoD is looking at recoupment of money paid out under the Variable Separation Incentive (VSI), Selective Separation Benefit (SSB) and other separation payments programs offered to active-duty military members to reduce manpower in certain fields during the 1990s. Those receiving payments were required to maintain an affiliation with the Ready Reserve of a military Reserve component. At the same time, these programs also required repayment of those incentives should an individual remain with the Ready Reserve and earn retiree status. The suspension applies to military retirees in an active pay status effective for the May 2009 retired pay entitlements. Military retired pay for these members received on June 1 will not be reduced by any recoupment amounts, DFAS said. DFAS noted that the federal statutes governing these programs do not allow DoD to alter repayment ratios or provide alternative repayment plans for these military retirees regardless of the financial hardships a retiree many be experiencing. The review will allow DoD and DFAS to determine what options, if any, may be available to allow DoD to meet its statutory responsibilities while providing relief to military retirees. To see more, go to: www.dfas.mil/news/2009pressreleases/dfasrelease0509004.html.

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