The Social Security Administration will soon implement "massive reorganizations" that will include "significant workforce reductions," the agency announced Thursday.
"Offices that perform functions not mandated by statute may be prioritized for reduction-in-force actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions, directed reassignments, and reductions in staffing," Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek said in an announcement sent to SSA employees.
The agency, Dudek said, "may reassign employees from non-mission critical positions to mission critical direct service positions (e.g., field offices, teleservice centers, processing centers). Reassignments may be involuntary and may require retraining for new workloads."
The SSA did not say how many employees it plans to cut, but The American Prospect reported Wednesday that the agency could lay off half its staff and close field offices.
Dudek instructed employees interested in being voluntarily reassigned to fill out a questionnaire by March 14. Voluntary separation incentive payments will be available until noon on that date "to all employees electing to separate from service across all components and positions agencywide," the announcement states.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare condemns “the reckless actions of the acting Social Security Commissioner to radically reduce the workforce that administers Americans’ earned benefits," Max Richtman, president and CEO of the advocacy group, said in a statement Friday. "Social Security Administration leadership has sent an email to employees giving them until March 14th to decide whether to accept an ‘early buyout’ — or face an uncertain future at the agency."
He added: "Compelling employees with seniority and experience to retire early while hoping to retrain remaining ones is a recipe for disaster. Social Security has not missed a single payment during its entire 89-year history. These actions put that record at risk."
Early Retirement
SSA's Voluntary Early Retirement — VERA or "Early Out" — is available from March 1 through Dec. 31.
"Employees not eligible now or who wish to retire later in the year under early out may do so, but may be subject to restructuring activities," the announcement states. All eligible employees taking early retirement must separate by Dec. 31.
The announcement also explains options for employees who have reached their full retirement age.
'Ongoing Bloodbath'
"The ongoing bloodbath at the Social Security Administration has only one goal: The total annihilation of Social Security," Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, said Friday in a statement. "That’s what firing half of the workforce and closing the field offices would mean."
Lawson added: "Because of its dedicated workforce, Social Security has paid every benefit in full and on time for 89 years. Through war and peace, boom and bust, Social Security has withstood it all. But, with no workers and no offices, Social Security will not function any longer. Period. Those are the stakes."
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