Marsha Blackburn Warns Of COVID’s Lingering Effects On Labor: We ‘Have A Workplace Shortage’

6 months ago

On Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) questioned experts on telework during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.

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Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and just following up on what Senator Grassley said, it is terribly

00:06frustrating to us that so many in the federal workforce are still working remote and doing

00:14it because of the COVID restrictions, and we have such terrible backlogs.

00:22When you look at SSA, when you look at the VA, when you look at these different agencies,

00:28people cannot get answers.

00:30There are backlogs of cases, and it continues to be frustrating to the people that we represent.

00:40Commissioner Wilshie, I want to come to you with my questions because in Tennessee, we

00:47hear a lot about workforce and the unemployment numbers, the labor force participation rate,

00:56and the effects COVID has had on this.

00:59And everyone in Tennessee seems to have a workforce shortage.

01:03We know there are individuals that are on SSDI who would like to return to work.

01:10That was to be the purpose of the Ticket to Work program.

01:15So as we look at this and we look at constraints, what do we need to do and what more do you

01:25all need to do to be certain that people who are on SSDI can work but not be jeopardizing

01:35those benefits because they're wanting to go back to work.

01:40But what they will say, and I'm in every county, each of the 95 counties in Tennessee, I'm

01:46there every year, and we hear this, there are people that want to work, but what if

01:53they go to work, what if they end up losing their benefits, what if they end up in a mess?

01:59This means there is confusion and there is a lack of consistency coming out of that program.

02:06So do we need to do something more?

02:09Do you all need to do something more?

02:14Thank you for your question, Senator.

02:16As you've heard today, I think the complexity of our work incentives can really actually

02:20be a deterrent to getting people to work.

02:23So I think that simplifying that is certainly one step.

02:26Additionally, I think the more we can do to inform people really about how these work

02:31incentives work and the effect of work on their benefits, that will sort of dispel some

02:37of the fears people have around going back to work.

02:40Okay, so how do you do that?

02:42So you're defining the problem.

02:45But then how do you translate that to recipients and enrollees so they know they're not going

02:53to jeopardize their benefits if they get in the workforce?

02:57Because that's what they would like, is to be back in the workforce.

03:03Thank you for the clarification there.

03:05We do fund work incentive planning and assistance organizations that provide benefits counseling

03:11and they explain the rules to beneficiaries and particularly around work, how it's going

03:16to affect their benefits.

03:17How quickly can people get to those caseworkers and get that clarification?

03:23We have a call center.

03:25They can get that.

03:26I will say that we have very limited funding.

03:28That funding has been set since 1999 and it has not increased.

03:32So I think if we had additional funding for that, we would really be able to secure more.

03:34So does it take them a day, a week, a month?

03:38It can usually happen pretty quickly.

03:40I'd say within a week if they call, they can get referred over.

03:44And the last thing I would say is that we do need sufficient funding and staffing to

03:48be able to process those wage reports when we get them in the field offices.

03:52Okay, let me ask you this.

03:53If people showed back up to work in person, would that help you to pick up the pace a

03:57little bit?

03:59I think it's really a matter of having the right number of people rather than where they

04:03are.

04:04The right number of people who are actually working 40 hours a week?

04:08I think they're working 40 hours a week, whether they're working remotely or in the field offices.

04:14You think so?

04:15I do.

04:16Okay.

04:17Do you think so?

04:18Yes, I do think so.

04:20And we believe that telework should be implemented where it makes sense as long as flexibility

04:28is given to individual offices to use it only where it makes sense and to be able to not

04:34use it if it is not working.

04:36Because on the front lines, we do run into problems where there will not be enough workers

04:43in the office to serve our walk-in traffic, and we do have to recall teleworkers.

04:47And we do do that regularly where needed.

04:50As long as we have those flexibilities, I do believe that those who are working on telework

04:54are working to their full capabilities.

Marsha Blackburn Warns Of COVID’s Lingering Effects On Labor: We ‘Have A Workplace Shortage’

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