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Debate over working conditions and equipment provision for OATH judicial hearing officers
2:32:17
ยท
171 sec
Council Member Restler raises concerns about the working conditions of OATH's judicial hearing officers, particularly regarding remote work and the provision of necessary equipment. Commissioner Rahman explains the current situation and constraints.
- Judicial hearing officers work remotely but are required to provide their own equipment and supplies.
- OATH provides IT support but does not cover equipment expenses due to collective bargaining agreements.
- Judicial hearing officers are not full-time employees and have an hourly cap of 1,000 hours per year.
Lincoln Restler
2:32:17
And then lastly for me is around judicial hearing officers.
2:32:21
So judicial hearing officers play a vital role in ensuring oath cases are handled hearing efficiently.
2:32:25
Since the pandemic, my understanding is that these officers have been working entirely remotely and are required to provide their own equipment, their own supplies.
2:32:34
I know that there are ongoing collective bargaining negotiations on this, so we'll see what you're able to to comment.
2:32:40
But does Oath provide any supplies or support to Oath hearing officers who are operating remotely?
Asim Rahman
2:32:46
You're right.
2:32:48
There are aspects of this that are governed by collective bargaining.
2:32:55
The judicial hearing officers who are a vital part of Oath, they are the ones who are helping us get through those more than 220,000 hearings a day.
2:33:05
Today, this Friday, we will likely clear more than 600, maybe more than 700 hearings today because of the work of our judicial hearing officers.
2:33:14
So they are an essential team for what we do.
2:33:18
Their work conditions are governed by their collective bargaining contract.
2:33:22
And that includes whether
Gale A. Brewer
2:33:25
or
Asim Rahman
2:33:25
not Oath will cover expenses, including covering expenses for training.
2:33:30
We will cover the expense for mandatory training.
2:33:33
They are paid for that.
2:33:35
They are not paid for the equipment that they use.
2:33:39
That is their own expense.
2:33:40
That's all subject to collective bargaining.
2:33:43
We do provide support.
2:33:44
Our IT team is available.
2:33:47
Our help desk staff will assist them if they are having issues with their software or connecting to a hearing.
2:33:54
So of course we want to make sure that they are in the best position possible to adjudicate their cases.
2:33:59
So we do provide that type of support.
Lincoln Restler
2:34:01
Just from a basic logic, it doesn't make sense to me that we have a full time remote employee and we don't provide them with the basic equipment that they would be that they need to do their job.
2:34:17
I understand that some of this has to be resolved in through the collective bargaining process, but just wondering, have you conducted any cost assessment for the relevant supplies that a judicial healing officer needs to do their job?
Asim Rahman
2:34:39
So there's a few elements to this.
2:34:42
First is the judicial hearing officers, while they are fully remote, they are not full time.
2:34:48
They have an hourly cap of one thousand hours per year.
2:34:51
Many of them, you know, they do different things.
2:34:54
Some of them may have their own practice.
2:34:55
Some of them may adjudicate in other forums.
2:34:57
Some of them may decide
Gale A. Brewer
2:35:01
that this is
Asim Rahman
2:35:01
all they want to do, but it's only one thousand hours a year.
2:35:03
So we have to take into consideration that as well with respect to how resources are allocated.