VA Eliminates Mandatory Staff Overtime
August 08, 2024
The Department of Veterans Affairs has had a policy running for over seven years requiring claims processors to work overtime. To compensate for a lack of staffing, employees were required to work a minimum of 4 extra hours a week. However, due to a larger number of hires and increased efficiency, the mandatory staff overtime requirement has been lifted for a majority of the claims processors.
This doesn’t ring true for all processors, though. Staff handling claims related to radiation exposure; sexual assault; contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; pension claims; and any claims not related to disability ratings are not subject to the lifted policy. There remains hope that if staffing grows in those areas, claims processors may also be able to remove their overtime requirements.
Although this new policy removes mandatory overtime, it does not mean staff can’t work extra if they wish to. Volunteer overtime is accepted for up to 20 hours per week. With record numbers of claims, there are still many that must be processed. But with the over 34,000 strong workforce the VA has been able to change the seven-year-old overtime policy.
Worries about the lack of overtime have been soothed by Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs. He acknowledged the lack of sustainability and burnout in the extra required hours, and he knew it needed to change, but would that change hurt the veterans who so badly need their claims processed? With a staffing increase of 33% and increased training, Jacobs assures the public VA will stay on top of claims.
“Investing in our employees matters and can yield significant returns for our veterans and survivors,” Jacobs said. He hopes to be able to transition more workers into voluntary overtime but those excluded from the new policy are still necessary. Those exempt work on claims that need a timely review, and he couldn’t offer the new policy to employees who work on those claims yet.
The PACT Act has quite a bit to do with that. It opened VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. This exponentially increased how many claims came into certain departments and the Veterans Benefits Administration has a claims backlog of about 277,000. Although the VA workforce has grown, the number of claims has grown with it and a balance has to be struck between keeping employees happy and keeping up with veterans’ claims.
If you are a veteran and have questions about your benefits or need assistance with your VA Disability Claim, please contact Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC. Send a message online or call our office at (800) 693-4800.