The ability to persuade requires two components: One who utilizes the tools of persuasion; and a receptive audience, open to an alternative perspective, and willing to regard and consider the arguments of the first.
Power is often the single most obstructive obstacle placed in the path of persuasion, precisely because it makes an individual, entity, organization or agency believe that it does not need to be persuaded to change course. Watching news shows and political interviews is quite instructive in the loss of society’s ability to either listen, or to persuade. The rule today is to talk, and as long as the monologue lasts, the opponent is given no opportunity to respond. He who talks the most, and the loudest, wins the debate.
In preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, it is important to recognize the mechanisms already in place, and to use them to one’s persuasive advantage.
The Office of Personnel Management is the entity which must be persuaded. Inasmuch as it is easier to approve a case, than to deny it and have it Reconsidered or appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the approach must be one of: What can be submitted to make your job easier, and to relieve you of your heavy caseload? For one thing, a concise and streamlined Federal Disability Retirement packet. For another, a Disability Retirement packet which is clearly proven. And for a third, legal and other arguments which are simple but to the point.
Meandering arguments and voluminous biographies, as well as diatribes of complaints, will not win the day.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
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Disability Retirement for Federal Workers: The Exaggerated Supervisor’s Statement
In preparing, formulating and filing a Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS or CSRS, the Federal and Postal employee should focus upon those aspects of the OPM Medical Retirement which are under his or her “control” — directly or indirectly — and not worry excessively about those things which are beyond one’s control or responsibility.
Thus, obtaining the proper medical documentation; accurately, succinctly and coherently formulating the Applicant’s Statement of Disability on SF 3112A, etc., are within the purview of one’s control and responsibility. Having the Supervisor complete the Supervisor’s Statement — SF 3112B — is part of the required final Federal Disability Retirement packet; what is contained within the parameters and confines of the form itself, however, is often beyond one’s control.
While one assumes that a Supervisor’s Statement will be completed with a fair amount of accuracy, it will necessarily contain a certain perspective, intent, and often a sense of “protecting” the agency’s interest and goals. Thus, the Supervisor will often overstate the extent of an attempted accommodation engaged in, real or imagined, in order to justify its actions concerning the Federal or Postal employee. Further, it will often mis-state the concept of “light duty” and how it relates to accommodating the Federal or Postal employee. In other sections of SF 3112B, it may over-state and exaggerate the employee’s conduct or impact of the medical conditions upon the Agency’s workload.
An exaggerated Supervisor’s Statement will often be helpful to a Federal Disability Retirement case. Don’t be too hasty in attempting to correct inaccuracies and differing perspectives; sometimes, the exaggerated statements are merely differences of opinions and viewpoints, and may in fact be helpful in obtaining an approval from the Office of Personnel Management.
In any event, a Supervisor’s Statement is beyond one’s control — and undue focus upon those issues beyond one’s control can detract from the greater mission at hand.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: OPM Disability Application - SF 3112B Supervisor’s Statement for CSRS and FERS | Tagged: 3112b supervisor's narrative and its inaccuracies, an exaggerated supervisor's statements of disability, assessment for postal disability retirement from supervisor, attorney representing federal workers for disability throughout the united states, CSRS disability retirement federal attorney, don't worry too much about the opm disability claim supervisor's statements, federal supervisor response to employee work injury, fers disability application supervisor comments, FERS disability retirement, injured employees working under abusive supervisors, legal services for federal and postal workers all across america, OPM disability retirement, postal service disability retirement, postal supervisors and managers, postal supervisors' definition of accommodation, SF 3112B Supervisor’s Statement, supervisors and disabled employees in the US federal agencies, taking control of your federal disability application, the applicant's control of the opm disability application and process, the postal supervisor and the sf 3112b, trying to change things you have some control over, USPS disability retirement, worrying about things out of your control | 1 Comment »