SSA again scales back field office hours

The Social Security Administration is cutting back its hours of operation for the second time in as many years, the agency confirmed to Federal Times.

Mary Glenn-Croft, deputy commissioner for operations, said in an email to employees that SSA offices will close to customers 30 minutes earlier. The agency also announced in August 2011 that it would reduce its office hours by half an hour each day.   

An SSA spokeswoman told Federal Times the decision was made due to reduced funding in the continuing resolution that President Obama recently signed. The agency will receive “significantly” less funding than it requested, the spokeswoman said.

In her email, Glenn-Croft said the change will reduce the number of overtime hours that employees work, leading to savings.

Witold Skwierczynski, an American Federation of Government Employees official who represents the 28,000 SSA field office workers, said this policy, on top of the 47 SSA offices that have closed or are scheduled to close in 2011 and 2012, unfairly harms employees.

“We think it’s the wrong thing to do,” he told Federal Times.   

The agency remains open to the possibility of reinstating its operating hours, telling Government Executive, “Restoration of the hours in the future will be determined based on the level of funding in the final fiscal 2013 appropriations bill.”