NATIONAL — Following an email, which every Social Security Administration employee received on Oct. 5 from the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding the government entity’s decision to terminate alternative work schedules effective Nov. 16 — impacting over 35,000 employees nationwide — the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and its SSA General Committee filed a National Level, Union Management Grievance (UMG).
The AFGE and the SSA previously held a national agreement, which was established in October 2019 that allowed its employees a flexible work arrangement, including 5/4/9 and a 4/40 or 4/10 schedule. This gave full-time SSA employees the option to work eight, nine-hour days and one eight-hour day in a biweekly, 80-hour pay cycle to allow for one day off every two weeks. The 4/40 or 4/10 pertained to a 40-hour, weekly schedule — permitting employees to work four, 10-hour days, with one day off, each week. The alternative work schedule agreement, according to the contract document, was approved to remain in effect for three more years with an October 2029 expiration date — which the AFGE said is what sparked this national grievance.
“This illegal action to eliminate alternative work schedules comes mere months after SSA inhumanely eliminated our advanced leave programs; like with advanced leave, many SSA employees utilized alternative work schedules to make time to seek medical treatment and take care of loved ones without loss of pay,” AFGE said in a press release, Oct. 6. “SSA’s action will fall harshest on those workers who will have to choose between getting paid or getting care; the cruelty of this move cannot be overstated.”
Oct. 5’s decision follows one from March 2025 regarding remote work models, where the SSA instilled a full-time, in-office mandate for its employees. And while in March 2026, a third-party arbitrator found this requirement in violation of the SSA and AFGE’s 2019 national agreement, according to the AFGE website, the SSA appealed the arbitrator’s decision to the Federal Labor Relations Authority. As this appeal remains pending, the SSA is not required to reinstate this policy at this time, according to the Federal News Network.
In its email, the SSA detailed the elements that played a role in its decision to end alternative work schedules — placing an emphasis on public service and clientele availability.
“The American people depend on SSA to deliver on its mission every day, and that mission depends on a workforce that is present and available throughout the week. AWS [alternative work schedules], which allow employees to complete their work hours in fewer than five days, reduce staffing on the days employees are off,” the SSA said Oct. 5. “The cumulative effect across the agency is significant and impacts our service to the public; every SSA employee, whether or not they work directly with the public, is part of how we deliver on our mission. A consistent five-day workweek strengthens our ability to deliver the service the public expects.”
However, within its announcement — and in the days that have followed — the SSA has not publicly acknowledged the national agreement, which it held with the union, nor has the organization responded to the national grievance that the AFGE filed.
Within its grievance, the AFGE has inquired the following of the United States Congress, according to the Oct. 6 press release:
- “Pass legislation to expand unions’ ability to seek injunctive relief in unfair labor practice cases
- Pass legislation to require agencies to implement arbitration awards favorable to federal sector labor organizations pending any exceptions filed with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) or FLRA decisions favorable to federal sector unions pending any appeal to federal courts
- Pass the Protecting America’s Workforce Act (PAWA) in the Senate to restore collective bargaining rights to over 3,000 SSA information technology workers and to around one million workers across the federal government.”
The AFGE has additionally asked the SSA to fulfill its requirements as detailed within the national agreement and to reinstate any and all terms the union believes the SSA violated.
These changes to the alternative work schedule, which the SSA detailed in its email on Oct. 5, will take effect on Nov. 16 — allowing employees to continue on their current schedules through Nov. 13, before beginning on an eight-hour, five-day-a-week work schedule.
In its press release, the AFGE requested to receive a decision on this grievance within 10 days from its Oct. 6 issue date.
“This decision will harm public service by further depressing morale in an already overwhelmed workforce who have seen their rights and benefits disrespected by agency leadership again,” the AFGE said in a press release, Oct. 6. “Many employees will leave, exacerbating attrition and further depleting service capacity; we demand that SSA reverse this decision.”
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
