customer service representative

claims specialist

attorney

call center representative

authorization specialist

Social Security Administration

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working for SSA is helping people in their time of need and feeling a sense of kindness. The health benefits are cheaper than non-government monthly but high co pays compared to others. No life insurance or disability pay. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Understaffed and the workloads keeps growing. The training is nonexistent especially with new hires, they find it hard to understand the complicated policies. It is self-training, and when you are done you get assigned a mentor who is busy with their own work on top of trying to train you. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I do not even know, and I have been there for 15 years. It is competitive because the promotions are few. People in high roles keep their jobs for years and years so it is hard to get promoted in your area. It is harder to even get promoted in other areas because they like to promote within their own area. Transferring to another State, unless you apply and get hired or they approve a hardship which is hard enough, does not exist. You cannot just choose to live in another State because you want to and expect to be transferred. The hardship is HARD to get through. It is unionized, THANK GOD because some managers make up their own rules and policies. If you have a GREAT manager that stands up for their employees, then you are in good hands. If you are not lucky enough, then you are doomed. It makes this job even more stressful and more prone to mistakes. They play favorites so they will hire someone who has worked there for 3 years compared to someone who has been there for 20 years. Managers can give you a bad review to the new manager who may be interested, and you do not even know about it. They then make it seem that there was someone better than you. It is truly unfair. Manager thinks they are high and mighty, and they are just a manager at a puppet store. 
There are times we get a % of increases a year. The award is distributed by management but since most employees are not allowed to ask questions, managers tend to give the majority of the awards to people who a higher grade are already. Although all they're doing is their job. The others get a the minimal although we are the ones who are taking claims, answering phones, interviewing the public, clearing redeterminations, clearing cases...the list can go on. You earn your time but if you use it, they secretly call you a leave abuser. The management meeting is a joke, they go to complain about their employees to other managers and put your name through the dirt. If you work extra do not even think that they will award you, they will say it is part of your work. 
Managers SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PROMOTIONS AND THE HIRING MANAGERS SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. You do not know what type of manager this is and if they are trying to hold back an employee. 


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
You have a flex schedule from 7am to 9am and work from 330pm to 530pm. No more. Overtime is at the discretion of management which can be a PIA. They micromanage when you work from home two days a week. You log in and immediately begin working until your last minute to log off. Sometimes it may feel like you've just sat down and 4pm comes around and you got little done. If you're in the office, you are assigned to answer phones from 9-4 or take walk in from 9 to 4pm....leaving you with MINIMAL time to do desk work and complete open cases. Some systems used are still old and they take so much time to clear.

Job Work/Life Balance

They have flexible start times so it's really easy if you have children to drop off at school.  No option for an hour lunch is why this jobs get 4 stars instead of 5

Compensation/Benefits

The pay is really low especially after you add in the portion of the benefits that you have to pay.  It also can take 10 years to reach top pay for your position which is ridiculous especially with the cost of living being so high in the SF Bay area.  It seems unreasonable to me to have to have an extensive background check for a job that pays less than $20.00 per hour.

Job Security/Advancement

I saw people move around to other positions while I was there and had plans to do the same.  I didn't stay long enough for that to happen.  I  discovered very early that this job wasn't for me and didn't waste time being unhappy.

Management

The worst management I have ever seen.  Management seems to be into extreme micromanaging and they have double standards when it comes to punishment.  They write you up for stuff and then they turn around and do the same thing they just wrote you up for.  
Or they change the rules and not publish them but you will still get wrote up.  (who does that?  The Training manager)

They want to control everything about you while you are there.  Very Big Brotherish!!!!

If you disagree with them, the harassment begins immediately.
If you disagree with them and you're right and their wrong, you now wear the scarlet letter "F" for FIRED.

The mangers do not appreciate your expertise nor do they welcome your opinion.

The head manager is just a talking head.  He knows what to say and maybe he his boss fooled, but  he the most ineffective head manager and his numbers show it.  I'm sure he's already looking for his next move. 

The assistant manager is one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet.  If she tells you something, it's done.  A true woman of integrit and class.    

Job Culture

Felt like a prison full of snitches to me.  Lots of backstabbing coworkers.  They have to make you look bad, so they look better. This is one sure way to advance.  

The job itself is very rigid, mundane and very predictable call center stuff.  Policies change a lot so if you like to read a lot you will be in heaven.

The job training is substandard, confusing and unorganized.  4 months of self pace reading the policies manuals that the peer instructors do their best to explain if you have questions.  They should have some kind of train the trainers program.

I dreaded going to work and was depressed everyday going home.  Not so much because of the job hard, but a very isolating job because you can't trust anyone. Also lots of family members work there too.  You never know who you're talking to.

I work at one of the Social Security call centers.  On a typical day, I swipe my work ID to enter the building, take the elevator to the 4th floor, and login to my computer.  Once I enter my start work time, I begin taking phone calls from Social Security and Medicare  beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries.  I handle various, random calls from the public from eligibility requirements to suicide calls.  I take my first of 3 breaks at 1015am.  It's a 15 minute break before I have to get back on the phone.  I take my lunch at 1230pm for 30 minutes.  After lunch, I get back on the phone until 230pm, which is my next scheduled 15 minute break.  I catch up on my work email at 315pm for 15 minutes before getting back on the phone.  At the end of the day, I log out of my computer and end my work day.  

I've learned a lot while working at SSA.  People really respect the hard truth more than anything.  Also, they don't like to be given different answers to the same question.  I've also learned that one's positivity and attitude toward a job start from within, and not from external elements.  

I think that my managers are hard workers, but they still have a lot to learn when it comes to best practices, ethics and accountability.  

Thank goodness for my co-workers.  There have been days that they unknowingly made my day a lot smoother.  I don't get many chances to socialize because my supervisors are really strict about the amount of time spent on the phone taking calls from the public.  The location of my cubicle is a perk.  I sit near co-workers that I was hired with in 2008.  We've leaned on each other since day 1.  

The hardest part of the job is the easiest part of the job: taking call after call everyday.  After 8 years, I've become very familiar with our policies and systems to the point that I desire more responsibilities.  There are very limited opportunities for career development, and I have reached the point that I oftentimes know what someone is going to ask before they ask it.  My desire to learn more about the agency is very high, but the opportunity to take on more responsibility has not presented itself.  

The most enjoyable part of my job is accessing and researching our various systems of payments, overpayments, and histories of payment amounts.

I have to assume that anyone leaving anything above 3 stars for this agency is a recruiter, trying to repair staffing shortages by luring people in with lies about how great it is to work here. Don’t be fooled by any of it. I will begin with this: if you are considering applying, do yourself a favor and start lining up a good therapist now and do some research on anti-depressants. You'll need both. If you are a goal-oriented person with aspirations of excelling and advancing in your field, hang it up now, because once you take a position here, getting promoted is just about as comparable to witnessing a rare comet passing by in the sky; you're likely never going to see it. Have you ever seen a mean kid with a magnifying glass, burning ants on a sidewalk? That mean kid grows up to become your manager and you the ant. They do not care about you; their only concern is numbers. Start working on lowering your bar of expectations if you are a person who likes to hear when they’ve done a great job. Positive affirmations might be forbidden in this establishment. I haven’t found official policy on that yet, but I’m left to assume it’s true since you’re rarely told when you’ve done something right. But rest assured, you’ll KNOW when you’ve done something wrong. To get a feel of what the office culture will be like, I suggest rewatching episodes of Squid Games. It’s every man for themselves. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Working here will be Groundhog Day for you; you will be doing the same thing every… single… day. But you will undoubtedly be doing the work of three people, four if you are a strong worker. Management loves to reward hard workers with more work. The biggest warning of all: working for the public is not what it used to be. People are mean. Being called names, getting yelled at and accused of things you didn't do, or even being threatened is very common. If it doesn't happen, you will wonder if you were ever even at work that day. This agency will entice you with the promise of excellent benefits to get you in the door. I’ll hand it to ‘em, they’re strong tactics, but just know they come at a cost. If after reading this, you still think this is a good fit for you, I have only one thing left to say: May the odds be ever in your favor.

paralegal for 14 judges
Provides legal and technical support to administrative law judges and other technical and 					professional positions in the processing of entitlement cases pursuant to Titles II, XVI and XVII of 				the Social Security Act at the administrative appeals level; provides case management information 				on a regular basis; reads and analyzes legal documents; makes correct determinations about how to 				handle each of these documents; reviews summons and complaints in all SSA program litigation 				cases and ensures that new cases are entered into computer database; examines all related case 				materials for cases assigned to the office; responsible for developing and processing requests for 				hearing from the time the case is brought into the Office Of Adjudication and Review until the 				case(s) are completed; schedules Administrative Law Judges cases that are ready for hearing; 				knowledge of legal documents, legal or judicial processes, and medical terminology; identify any 				pertinent issues or missing information in the case file according to laws, regulations, rulings, 				policies and guidelines relative to the cases; performing case development actions, process office 				itinerary for entire hearing office, which is generated from DART; verify that all hearing 					information for the entire office is entered into system correctly before running itinerary; schedules 				and coordinates hearing monitors for each hearing held in entire office; ensures appropriate action 				is taken with regard to all incoming mail; retrieves and processes documents received electronically 			on PACER, by e-mail from the U.S attorney or Courts; determines information to include 				in files and materials as appropriate to staff and SSA component; take litigation actions such as 				motions, briefs, preliminary and interlocutory order, orders of remands, judgments, and final 				decisions; entering data into multiple computer-generated databases such as PCOM, DART, 				CPMS, Microsoft Word, DGS and WEBBASS; collect availability calendars for all the judges in 				the office that will be holding hearings; assign each judge a hearing room for there day of hearings;

My review is mostly based on my experience working for Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance, and Management, OFLM, OEHOS. The job duties performed by the IHs at SSA HQ are not those of an IH. During the interview both I and the other IH that was hired at the same time were sold one story on what we would be doing, but once we arrived we became aware of the real responsibilities. 

Most of what happens here is responding remotely (i.e. phone/email) to facilities issues in field offices across the country. Most of the field offices are privately owned buildings that SSA leases or leases a space in so there is no forcing the owner to do anything, even if SSA employees are at risk. If an issue becomes bad enough, you will not sample, the contract IHs at HQ, who are all CIHs, will go out to the field office and sample. IHs also manage environmental programs for SSA such as storm water management, EPA title V, hazardous waste, etc.  There is also contract management (asbestos, lead, mold) so yes, you will become a COR, something I didn't find out until after starting the job. 

Once myself and the other newly hired IH came on board, there were six GS 12s and six GS 13s (none of which are CIHs). Normally management for the agency hires from within, so it is common for someone from one department transfer into a completely different department. When they do hire from outside, a person normally starts as a GS-7, which is absurd if you have the experience. 

There is an IH manager and a safety manager, who both report to the chief of OEHOS. Many times the OEHOS mgr undermines the IH mgr. He is abrasive and avoids interacting with people he doesn't like/trust. 

SSA HQ as a whole is like walking down a fashion runway. There is a lot of focus on how you are dressed. In OEHOS there was an unspoken expectation for you to wear a suit or at least have one on hand in case you get called into a meeting. HQ feels like a cultural clash between the union and management and ultimately management has to bend to the union. 

Overall, this is a great place for someone to practice environmental health program management. It is not the place for an IH who wants to maintain their technical skills. 

Getting into the federal government is an ordeal in and of itself. So it's understandable when my colleagues, some of whom have been with the agency for 10, 20, or over 30 years, are reluctant to leave. Some leave and end up coming back, because even for everyone's kvetching, being a claims specialist is pretty ideal if you are able to think critically, communicate clearly, have basic social skills and a knack for interacting with the public. It certainly pays more than other occupations with similar skill sets, and its a dependable job with stable raise increases each year (depending on Congress of course). Your pay is able to increase pretty quickly if you are in a career-ladder position. I was able to jump from GS-7 to GS-11 in 2 years, upon successful completion of my training. The populace I work with can be appreciative or disgruntled, it really depends on how they feel that day, so I don't allow that to dictate my opinion on working for SSA. Objectively, if one is looking for job security, dependability and good pay, this is the job for you. If you are a lateral thinker, and are more oriented towards progress, then this job will be a challenge for you. I find many aspects of this job challenging because of the agency's work culture and the bureaucracy that harbors and encourages it. Training is not bad, it's just dense and banal. I can see someone being discouraged by it to the point of tears. The workload is unmanageable: instead of completing tasks you're just trying to keep your head above water.  

The people that this job attracts...boy...that is what will make or break the future of SSA! I found most of my co-workers pleasant at an arm's length, but I found them jaded and unmotivated in their work. Maybe because they realized that excellence is not rewarded, efficiency is. So, that's a drag. I don't plan on staying beyond 5 years with this agency.

Pros: 
*Great mission -- to administer benefits to the American public. Working towards this mission is satisfying. 
*Telework 2 days a week (during the pandemic it was all 5 days) 
*Decent colleagues (although some colleagues, such as "lifers" who have been with the agency 30+ years, may lack motivation and/or the desire to assist junior employees)


Drawbacks: 
*Outdated technology and infrastructure, combined with a workplace culture that can indirectly result in stagnation and a lack innovation inhibit the effective accomplishment of the agency's mission on a sustained basis. It remains to be seen whether the technology will ever be updated in a way that enables the agency workforce to be more productive. Recent enhancement have been great in theory but in practice most have been only average. Some recent enhancements have actually inhibited workload processing.

*A lack of budget in order to keep staffing levels adequate at all times throughout the year

*A lack of sufficient time to devote to quality processing of cases. In so many components within the agency, there is so much to do, but not enough time to do it with quality. Payment centers are chronically backlogged. These payment centers are responsible for ensuring individuals'  benefits get paid on time (in situations where they cannot be processed by local field offices), reinstated (in situations where they were erroneously terminated, or incorrectly continue to be suspended), and processing unique cases. 

*Communication from management is often inadequate. Some members of management are not skilled and do not value checking in with team members to ensure they are equipped to function at their highest levels. 

*Performance management is unsatisfactory and would be more effective if it would feature a 360 degree type of arrangement in which team members also got to evaluate their supervisors and managers, and that feedback was actually taken seriously. This is particularly true if some of these team members have private sector, industry experience that they bring to the agency. 


I supervise a group of professionals who work hard at their respective positions so I work hard at ensuring they have all the necessary tools to get their jobs done. When I arrive on a typical day I (1) check our management information system (MIS) to see and update our productivity. Next since we are a part of a division within my agency I check the MIS for the division comparing our contribution to our division goals compared to the branches within the divisions. 

I then review my email to keep abreast with possible instructions such as policy changes, personnel needs, organization needs, and other correspondence. Once those who work with me report for duty I  normally greet them by visiting their respective cubicles and if necessary address any needs that arise during this short visit. As the day progresses I meet with the Division Director and the branch chiefs informally where we discuss issues we collectively have arise day-to-day. At this time I take it upon myself to give the Division Director a report which tells him where all the branches in the division stands compared to our monthly assigned goal.

As needed, I also perform various tasks within the branch that need to be done because of not having the proper staffing to accomplish those tasks.

On atypical days I also process the needs of one of the other branches within the division if that Branch Chief is out of the office.

Typically, on either Friday or Saturday I compile our productivity statistics and notify the members of our branch, the Division Director, as well as the Division Chief Administrative Appeals Judge where we stand with respect to our monthly goal.

I learn something new each day that allows me to continue learning and other than the interactions that I have with my staff members staff this the best part of the job.

The hardest part of my job is to pass on bad news. For instance, two weeks ago I had to tell them all the we were being furloughed due to the partial government shutdown.

I worked as a contractor (disability examiner) for SSA/DDS for one year and was shocked to see a major federal agency so chock full of incompetent, lazy-... people. (I quit after a year of mounting disgust.) Most of them barely even looked at the applications (probably because they can barely read or write), did an hour's worth of "make-work," then spent the rest of the day surfing the Internet, gossiping, or taking 2-3 hour long lunch and coffee "breaks."

There are tons of people there whose only "job" is to put unnecessary paper clips or sticky notes in each file (I am NOT exaggerating!!) No wonder it takes 2 years to get a decision on an SSA disability claim!! When I made suggestings/proposals for overhauling outdated paper processes to expedite the system and reduce the time to review and make decisions on claims, I was told in no uncertain terms to keep my mouth shut, "don't rock the boat"--in other words "management likes it that way because that's how they learned to do things a hundred years ago when they started working there and they hate change" and "the unneeded clerks need to protect their jobs," etc. I was even reprimanded by a "supervisor" for taking a file off her desk in her absence (during her vacation) and getting it approved by the agency doctor. I had fast-tracked it because the claimant had cancer and did not think it fair to make her wait for benefits. The idiot supervisor had gone on vacation and left a huge stack of files on her desk (instead of delegating work).

Most management has been there for DECADES. Many--like my supervisor--are Incompetent, lazy people who were promoted (and can't be fired) because of affirmative action quotas. Or they were hired a hundred years ago, accumulated seniority and, thus, floated to the top of the dung heap.

I feel sorry for seriously ill people trying to get disability. There is NO reason they should have to wait 2 years (or be denied benefits) because their application lands on the desk of an incompetent, lazy-... employee.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Customer service representative 23 salaries reported	$52,657 per year
Claims specialist 54 salaries reported	$59,577 per year
Attorney 34 salaries reported	$105,432 per year
Call center representative 27 salaries reported	$20.18 per hour
Authorization specialist 15 salaries reported	$60,834 per year

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