SSA Work Schedule Change: Five-Day Week Starts Nov. 16

SSA Work Schedule Change: The Social Security Administration is ending alternative work schedules on Monday, November 16, 2026, and every employee will move to a standard five-day workweek. Friday, November 13 is the last day staff on four 10-hour days or the 5/4/9 pattern can keep their current setup. SSA’s chief human capital officer, Florence Felix-Lawson, announced the change in an October 5 email that Federal News Network was first to report. The agency says days off thin out staffing and hurt service to the public, and the rule applies whether or not an employee works directly with the public. The main employee union, AFGE, calls the move an illegal break of its contract and filed a national grievance on October 6. If you work at SSA, depend on SSA services, or follow federal workforce news, this SSA work schedule change touches a lot of people at once. We’ll be updating this article monthly.

Here is what is confirmed as of November 13. The end date is firm, the old schedules can run through today, and SSA has told staff that transition instructions are coming. Here is what is not settled. Reports do not say whether flexible schedules such as flextime or credit hours are also affected, and telework was not mentioned. There is also no public ruling on the union’s challenge. In the coverage reviewed for this article, there was no reported reversal and no decision from an impasses panel or an arbitrator on this specific change. Benefit payments are a separate matter, and nothing in the reports links the employee change to payment dates. The November and December payment calendar appears below, along with a calculator, a table of official links and clear answers to the questions people are asking most about the new five-day schedule.

SSA Work Schedule Change: Key Highlights and Dates

Item	Details
What is changing	Alternative work schedules end for all SSA employees
Who announced it	Florence Felix-Lawson, SSA chief human capital officer
Announcement date	Monday, October 5, 2026 (first reported October 6)
Last day on old schedule	Friday, November 13, 2026
Standard five-day week starts	Monday, November 16, 2026
Schedules named	Four 10-hour days a week (4/10) and the 5/4/9 pattern
Union response	AFGE filed a national grievance on October 6
Union contract status	SSA still recognizes AFGE; contract reported to run to October 25, 2029
Still unclear	Flexible schedules, credit hours, telework, exact transition rules
Public service impact	No change to public office hours announced in reports reviewed

Timeline of the SSA Schedule Dispute

Date	What happened
March 2026	An arbitrator ordered SSA to restore telework for AFGE-represented employees, according to NARFE
April 2026	Federal News Network reported that SSA was appealing that order to the Federal Labor Relations Authority
October 5, 2026	SSA told employees all alternative work schedules end November 16
October 6, 2026	AFGE filed a national grievance calling the move an illegal repudiation of the contract
November 13, 2026	Last day employees may work a 4/10 or 5/4/9 schedule
November 16, 2026	Standard five-day workweek begins for all SSA employees
October 25, 2029	Reported end date of the SSA and AFGE contract, per Government Executive

What Is an Alternative Work Schedule at SSA?

Federal agencies can offer two kinds of alternative work schedules. Flexible schedules set core hours when everyone must be present and leave other hours open. Compressed schedules are fixed, and they let a full-time employee finish the 80-hour pay period in fewer than 10 workdays, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Two compressed patterns are named in the reports on SSA. The first is the 4/10, where an employee works four 10-hour days each week and gets two extra days off per pay period. The second is the 5/4/9, where an employee works eight nine-hour days and one eight-hour day in a pay period and gets one extra day off. Both add up to the same 80 hours as a normal 5/8 schedule. What changes is how those hours are spread across the calendar.

Which SSA Schedules Are Ending and What Is Still Unclear

The email as reported says all alternative work schedules end on November 16 and that employees will transition to a standard five-day workweek. Reporters describe the affected patterns as the 4/10 and the 5/4/9. In federal personnel language, the term covers both compressed and flexible schedules, but the reports quote only the compressed patterns by name.

That leaves open questions. Does flextime survive? What happens to employees who carry a credit hour balance? Is a maxiflex arrangement affected? SSA told staff that instructions on moving people to the standard schedule would follow. An independent analysis from FedTools also points out that the reports do not mention telework, which is a different program from alternative work schedules. Until SSA publishes its instructions, treat any claim that flexible schedules or telework are also ending as unconfirmed.

Why SSA Says It Is Ending Alternative Work Schedules

According to the reports, SSA’s reasoning is simple. When employees are off on scheduled days, fewer people are available on those days, and the agency says the effect adds up across the organization. Felix-Lawson wrote that the agency’s mission depends on a workforce that is “present and available throughout the week.” She also said every employee, whether or not they deal directly with the public, is part of how SSA delivers service.

The union rejects that picture. AFGE’s SSA General Committee says only a small share of the workforce used alternative schedules and that most employees already worked a regular five-day week. It also says public-facing field offices and hearing offices already had minimum staffing rules and limits on how many people could be off on a given day, and that smaller offices were never eligible. In its view, the agency is describing a problem that did not exist at the scale claimed.

One SSA manager told Government Executive that management got no advance notice and that many supervisors had approved new alternative schedules only weeks earlier. That detail helps explain why the announcement landed so hard inside the agency.

AFGE Grievance: What the Union Says and Where It Stands

AFGE filed a national grievance on October 6, one day after the email. Union spokesperson Rich Couture told Federal News Network that the agency illegally repudiated contract provisions covering alternative schedules. The union argues that these schedules have been part of its negotiated agreements for decades, including the 2019 national agreement with SSA.

The size of the bargaining unit is reported differently by different outlets. Federal News Network and Black Enterprise say AFGE represents about 35,000 SSA employees, while NARFE puts the figure above 38,000. The exact count does not change the story, but it is worth noting when you compare coverage.

SSA is an unusual case in federal labor relations. Government Executive reports that SSA was not covered by the executive orders that ended collective bargaining at more than 20 agencies last year, so it still recognizes AFGE, and its contract runs to October 25, 2029. The union also won an arbitration ruling in March that ordered SSA to restore telework, and SSA appealed that decision to the Federal Labor Relations Authority. As of the latest reports, that appeal was still pending.

The union also warns about the human side. It says many employees used these schedules to attend medical appointments and care for family without losing pay, and that some will leave SSA rather than give them up. That is the union’s prediction, not a measured result.

Is SSA Allowed to End Alternative Work Schedules? What Federal Law Says

The key law is Section 6131 of Title 5 of the U.S. Code. It says an agency head who finds that a flexible or compressed schedule has caused or would cause an adverse agency impact must stop it. The law defines that impact in three ways: lower productivity, a diminished level of service to the public, or higher operating costs beyond the normal cost of setting up the schedule. SSA’s stated reason about service resembles the second ground, though the reports say SSA has not published a formal adverse-impact finding.

For employees covered by a union contract, there is an extra step. FedTools, an independent resource for federal employees, summarizes OPM’s handbook this way. If a schedule was negotiated, the agency may reopen the agreement to seek an end to it. If the two sides reach an impasse, the Federal Service Impasses Panel has 60 days to decide whether the agency’s finding is supported by evidence, and the schedule generally continues until the panel acts or the agreement changes.

Past panel decisions point both ways. In 2003 the panel found that the Department of Veterans Affairs had not met its burden and ordered a 4/10 schedule to continue. In 1998 it found that an Army hospital’s 5/4/9 schedule had caused an adverse impact and ordered it ended. The lesson is that an agency has to back its claim with evidence.

Whether SSA followed that path is exactly what the union’s grievance will test. The union’s view is not a ruling, and the agency has not said publicly that it followed a different process. This section is general information, not legal advice.

SSA Five-Day Workweek: What Changes for Employees on November 16

Basic pay for an 80-hour pay period stays the same, because every schedule adds up to 80 hours. What changes is the shape of the work. A 5/4/9 employee loses 26 scheduled days off a year, and a 4/10 employee loses 52. Those are FedTools’ calculations based on 26 pay periods.

Leave works differently too. A day of leave costs the hours an employee was scheduled to work that day. On a standard 8-hour day, a full day of leave uses 8 hours, so the same leave balance covers more days than it did on a 9-hour or 10-hour schedule. Leave accrual itself does not change. Employees should confirm with SSA how leave already approved for dates after November 16 will be charged.

Feature	Standard 5/8 week	5/4/9 compressed	4/10 compressed
Hours per pay period	80	80	80
Scheduled days off per pay period	0	1	2
Credit hours	Only on a flexible schedule	Not allowed	Not allowed
Leave charged for a full day	8 hours	9 hours (8 on the short day)	10 hours
A 40-hour leave balance covers	5 days	About 4.4 days	4 days
Overtime starts after	8 hours a day or 40 a week, if ordered or approved	The scheduled hours that day	10 hours that day

For a sense of scale, FedTools used a GS-9 step 5 employee in the Rest of U.S. locality area, paid $69,954 a year in 2026. That works out to about $33.52 an hour and $2,681.60 per pay period on any of the three schedules. A full day of leave is worth about $268.16 on an 8-hour day, $301.68 on a 9-hour day and $335.20 on a 10-hour day.

If SSA also ends flexible schedules, a separate rule applies. Federal law says an employee who leaves a flexible schedule program is paid for accumulated credit hours, up to a 24-hour cap for full-time staff. Compressed schedules never earned credit hours.

SSA Work Schedule Calculator

Use the calculator below to estimate how the switch affects your own days off, leave balance and commute. Enter your schedule, pay, leave hours and commute details, then press Calculate. The default pay figure matches the GS-9 example above.

How to Get Help From Social Security During the Transition

Most people who deal with SSA are members of the public, not employees, so it helps to know the options that already exist. The employee schedule change does not by itself change how you apply for benefits or reach the agency.

1. Use your online account. A my Social Security account lets you check your record, manage benefits and handle many tasks without a visit.
2. Call the national line. SSA’s number is 800-772-1213, and the TTY line is 800-325-0778. AARP reports that SSA has added self-service and callback features to this line.
3. Book an appointment. SSA says visitors with appointments wait about six minutes on average at field offices, compared with longer waits for walk-ins.
4. Find your local office. Use the office locator to confirm the address and hours. AARP lists typical weekday hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but individual offices can differ, and some close temporarily for construction or emergencies.

No reports reviewed for this article describe a change in public office hours tied to the schedule change. If that changes, SSA is likely to announce it through its press office and local office pages.

Will Processing Times and Wait Times Change?

There is no public data yet on how a five-day workweek affects processing times, and it would be premature to predict one. What exists today is a baseline. In a May 27 release, SSA said the average wait on its national 800 number fell from 42 minutes in fiscal 2024 to under seven minutes in April 2026. It also reported that field office waits dropped from about 30 minutes to just over 20 minutes, and that about 37 percent of incoming field office calls are now handled through self-service options.

Those numbers are the agency’s own, and others have challenged how they are counted. At a House Ways and Means hearing, lawmakers pressed Commissioner Frank Bisignano on whether callbacks are counted as zero-minute waits, a point raised by Representative Judy Chu according to a trade-press summary. Front-line staff and policy experts have also said that shorter phone waits can come at the expense of field office work when employees are moved to phones.

For its part, AFGE argues that the real fix is hiring. It has proposed funding for 20,000 more SSA employees to work down backlogs and delays that it says have grown since 2011. SSA’s view is that a consistent five-day schedule will put more people on the job every weekday. Which side is right will only be visible in performance data over the coming months.

Social Security Payment Schedule for November and December 2026

Nothing in the reports links the employee schedule change to benefit payment dates. Payments follow SSA’s published calendar, which depends on your birthday and when you started receiving benefits. Two November dates shift because of the calendar, so check yours carefully.

Payment group	November 2026	December 2026
SSI	October 30 (November 1 is a Sunday)	December 1
Benefits before May 1997, or Social Security plus SSI	November 3	December 3
Birthday on the 1st to 10th	November 10 (Veterans Day is November 11)	December 9
Birthday on the 11th to 20th	November 18	December 16
Birthday on the 21st to 31st	November 25	December 23

SSI recipients also see their January 2027 payment on December 31, because January 1 is a federal holiday. Your personal date appears in your my Social Security account and on your award letter, and that is the date that counts.

How the SSA Schedule Change Fits a Wider Federal Workforce Trend

SSA is not the first agency to pull back flexible schedules. Federal News Network reports that the Homeland Security Department and the IRS required employees to be on site five days a week in April 2025. FedTools adds that the IRS ended compressed schedules in July after rescinding its union contract. A Federal News Network poll item describes SSA as at least the third agency to stop offering 4/10 or 5/4/9 schedules.

The picture is not one-directional. Federal News Network notes that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency later got approval to bring back flexible schedules, including maxiflex and alternative schedules, as part of a hiring push. It also notes that a 2026 technical assistance document from OPM and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission tells agencies to consider alternative schedules and other accommodations ahead of telework for employees with disabilities.

Leave rules have tightened at the same time. FEDmanager reports that SSA and the IRS, both led by Frank Bisignano, recently suspended advanced annual leave approvals. In the same Federal News Network poll item, about 47 percent of 463 respondents whose agencies still offer alternative schedules said they did not expect those schedules to be taken away in the next six months. That is a small, informal sample and not a forecast.

What SSA Employees Should Do Before the Switch

If you are on a 4/10 or 5/4/9 schedule, a short checklist can protect you from avoidable problems.

1. Screenshot your current schedule, any credit hour balance and any accommodation paperwork today.
2. If your schedule is a disability accommodation, send a written request asking that it continue. EEOC and OPM guidance calls for an individualized decision in each case.
3. Review approved leave for dates after November 16 and ask how it will be charged on an 8-hour day.
4. If you are on a flexible schedule, use or document your credit hours.
5. Ask your union steward whether to hold an individual grievance while the national grievance proceeds, and check the filing deadline in your contract.
6. Watch for SSA’s transition instructions, since the agency said they are forthcoming.

Official SSA Work Schedule Resources and Links

Resource	What it covers	Link
SSA home page	Services, news and office information	https://www.ssa.gov/
my Social Security login and registration	Create or sign in to your online account	https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
SSA field office locator	Find your local office and its details	https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
SSA press release, May 27, 2026	SSA’s customer service figures	https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-05-27.html
5 U.S.C. 6131	Law on ending alternative work schedules	https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/6131
OPM alternative work schedules handbook	Rules for flexible and compressed schedules	https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/reference-materials/handbooks/alternative-work-schedules/
OPM compressed schedule fact sheet	How 4/10 and 5/4/9 schedules work	https://opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/work-schedules/fact-sheets/alternative-work-schedules-compressed-work-schedules/
AFGE	Union statements and member information	https://www.afge.org/
Federal News Network report	First report on the SSA announcement	https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce-rightsgovernance/2026/10/ssa-to-end-alternative-work-schedules-on-nov-16/
Government Executive report	Union response and contract details	https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/10/social-security-ends-flexible-work-schedules/416480/
SSA national phone line	Benefits help by phone	800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778)

SSA Work Schedule Change FAQs

Conclusion

The SSA work schedule change is now a matter of hours. After today, alternative work schedules are gone for SSA employees, and a standard five-day week begins on Monday. The agency says it wants more people at work on every weekday, while the union says the move breaks its contract and will push staff out. Both sides have a stake in the same question, which is whether service to the public improves.

For employees, the practical steps are clear: document your schedule, ask about leave, and track the grievance. For the public, the best advice is to keep using the online account, the phone line and appointments, and to expect SSA to say if office hours change. The legal fight and the transition instructions are the two things to watch next, and we’ll be updating this article monthly as new information is confirmed.