Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:13 a.m. ET on July 20 to include comments from an agency spokesperson.
As many federal agencies review remote work rules amid pressure from lawmakers to repopulate empty government office buildings, telework eligibility at the Social Security Administration will be preserved at least through 2029, according its agreement with the largest federal labor union.
On Wednesday, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some 42,000 SSA employees, announced that it agreed to roll over many terms of its contract that was ratified in 2019, including a January memorandum that defines who is eligible for telework.
That memo was set to expire in October 2025, and employees would have faced the possibility of losing telework eligibility had it not been extended during recent negotiations. In other ways, telework policy could still change; the agreement does not address how many days employees may telework or other aspects of remote work. Still, it’s a small sign of certainty at Social Security while other agencies are doing an about-face on working from home.
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Union leaders said they will continue to monitor changes in telework policy at the agency.
Other provisions of the contract, including training, discipline and work details to alternative duty stations, have been updated to allow for greater transparency between supervisors and employees and dedicated time for professional development, it said.
The tentative agreement is not yet final as it is still subject to proofreading, union ratification and agency head review as required by the federal labor statute, said Mark Hinkle, a spokesperson for SSA, in a statement to Federal Times.
“While it would be premature for us to comment on specific provisions in the tentative agreement, Social Security has been fully committed to good faith negotiations throughout the process and we remain optimistic for a final agreement that will advance both the public interest and employee satisfaction,” he said in a statement.
“The new terms in this contract will go a long way toward improving working conditions for employees, which in turn will result in better customer service for SSA beneficiaries,” said Council 220 President Jessica LaPointe in a statement. “Now we have to turn our attention to making sure Congress provides us with resources and support we need.”
SSA has been renegotiating parts of its contract for roughly several weeks, and the outcome is an agreement that union leaders hope will carry the agency through ongoing budget shortfalls, understaffing and depleted morale that have made recruiting employees difficult.
At a rally on June 21, AFGE’s chief negotiator, Rich Couture, said the agency is in a state of emergency that is “in no small part driven by attrition” and staffing levels at a 25-year-low.
The agency has also suffered nearly 20% decrease in its budget over the last decade because of inflation and stagnant annual budget increases authorized by Congress, the union said.
“Congress has been negligent,” said Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., at the rally. “It’s been more than 52 years since we’ve enhanced the Social Security program.”
Agency employees are also well aware that Social Security ranks last in the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Place to Work rankings, and that has created what some say is a hostile environment for improving policies and labor management.
Other provisions of the updated terms include more private lactations areas for nursing mothers, mini-fridges for storing milk if there are none, compassionate temporary assignments, and advanced notice and union presence for discipline.
The contract also creates “union-management cooperation councils” that will be held by the agency and the union without needing a labor intermediary.
Both parties also agreed that sufficient funding in 2024 will be critical to the agency’s operations.
“Our dedicated employees are doing their part to restore and improve service while working within our current funding levels,” Hinkle said. Each day our employees serve field office visitors, answer questions and take claims on the phone, hold hearings, pay benefits, and complete countless other workloads.”
The President budget for next fiscal year requests $15.5 billion for administrative expenses that the agency said will help restore staffing levels, modernize technology and chip away at backlogs.
The new contract will take effect after it has been ratified by employees.
Molly Weisner is a staff reporter for Federal Times where she covers labor, policy and contracting pertaining to the government workforce. She made previous stops at USA Today and McClatchy as a digital producer, and worked at The New York Times as a copy editor. Molly majored in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
