My name is Brandy Dickey, a registered nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital. This analysis is essential for Houston Methodist Hospital leadership as it highlights a social problem and legislation that needs to be addressed. Individuals’ constant demands and inability to cater to their essential needs, mostly after retirement, are issues that this analysis seeks to solve. The research will focus on social security legislation in the United States.
Background
The Social Security Act was created in 1935, and it has significantly grown since then. For instance, in 1995, the US government passed landmark legislation in Bill 1963, which resulted in Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) (Laws & rules, n.p). Before the creation of this act, citizens had constant human demands and were unable to provide essential needs. Consequently, the government had to use its power to create legislation and ways to advocate for better living. Texas Workforce Commission focuses on generating workforce resolutions that assist Texas to realize and maintain economic success. Subsequently, the commission in question provides advanced technical assistance, development, policy research, and data analysis. Additionally, this commission oversees and offers essential development services to Texas employers and job seekers. The Texas Workforce Commissions’ events and activities strengthen the Texas economy by providing Governor’s economic workforce development component strategy.
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The Impact of Major Social, Political, and Economic Events on this Legislation
The social security act of 1935 is one of the most significant legislation. The act established a scheme of old-age benefits for the physically disabled, the blind, aid for dependent children and mothers, unemployment insurance, benefits for workers, and benefits for industrial accident victims (Gale et al., 2015). Since its development, this legislation has continuously advanced. As a result, it currently covers cover all workers apart from local and state government workers. Arguably, this legislation has significantly staged for the 1963 bill. For instance, it established social insurance, a primary sector whose effects may spread up. Moreover, this Social Security Act enables the TWC to attain its objective of ensuring the retired employees earn their entitlement security.
The Effectiveness of Previous and Existing Human Services Legislation
Before the establishment of this act, there were existing human services legislations. For example, there was a provision that secured retirement benefits for individuals who were 65 years and above going for retirement. Additionally, another old-age assistance provision was provided for the survivors, the elderly, and the disabled (Garretson, 2019). However, these programs did not address the needs of the intended beneficiaries effectively. Only the employees who insured themselves benefitted from this program. However, it only helped them when they could not support themselves due to accidents’ mental illness. Therefore, the program did not address the intended beneficiary needs effectively.
How Previous and Existing Policies Address the Human Services Challenge
Although the Security Act 1935 addressed the human services challenge, it did not address it in a sensitive way to cater to diverse clientele’ wants. The act only envisioned small benefits for the beneficiaries and was not payable for long durations. These beneficiaries were only entitled to a half of 1% for the first $3,000 income. Then, they were given half of the subsequent $42,000 (Gale et al., 2015). Consequently, the benefits enjoyed were relatively small. However, the 1939 amendments led to higher pay for the beneficiaries who used to earn low. Also, it ensured that the benefits rely on the work since it is protected in their employment.
Significance of Addressing the Social Issue in the Legislation
Addressing the social issue is essential for employee satisfaction. It is vital as it leaves the employees inspired and motivated. Conversely, failure to address the firm’s social problems can make the workers feel deflated or frustrated (Garretson, 2019). Therefore, addressing social issues and any related policy weaknesses is vital in determining the company’s future.
The Organization’s Position on the Legislation
My organization supports the social security act of 1935 because it allows the workers to control their future. This act has a created an exceptional solution to the old-age pensions problem, thus making it useful. The insurance is supported by taxes on the employees’ wages and employers’ payrolls. Although the workers may feel the pain of deductions, the program has a lot to offer. For instance, it is cost-effective since the deductions made are relatively small. The act caters to the elderly after their retirement, hence enabling them to afford some of their most essential needs (Gale et al., 2015). When the state’s economy is doing well, most employees will be willing to join the program due to the money in circulation, thus making the program affordable. Citizens’ health is one of the primary concerns of Houston Methodist Hospital. As a result, it fully supports the act to ensure every person can afford healthcare services.
Impact of Cultural, Socioeconomic, and Other Diversity Issues
Diversity, socioeconomic factors, and culture mainly affect the service delivery equity in the regulation. Age is the primary issue of diversity that impacts the legislation in question. The individual is paid when they attain sixty-five years of age. Most individuals have found this to be challenging, hence requesting that the age limit be reduced. Conversely, dropping the retirement age will ensure that social security gains accommodate more individuals. For example, social security takes $916 billion of US spending. This amount is 24% less than what the beneficiaries need (Gale et al., 2015). As a result, age equitability becomes a key concern for the organization. For instance, the employees who retire at 62 years of age receive their benefits monthly, while those individuals leave work at the age of 67 receive their full amount. This variation makes equitability and diversity issues.
Legal or Ethical Issues
Privatization is the primary ethical problem that arises from the legislation. People argue that stock investment has yielded more gains in comparison to bonds. Therefore, individuals are proposing that social security should be privatized to enables them to make investments. Subsequently, that suggestion raises ethical issues on the action’s legality. Proponents demand it will be a technique to safeguard social security from going bankrupt and accommodating more individuals (Laws & rules, n.p). The concern of the organization is when the investment fails to yield the expected results.
Additionally, consent arises on if the beneficiaries should be informed about the investment of their contributions. For example, assuming the privatization of social security occurs and investments are made, the fluctuation might fail to yield the anticipated returns. In such a scenario, the organization will not pay all the beneficiaries and inform them without consent.
Redesigning
As a way of avoiding beneficiaries’ variation between individuals who retire at the age of 62 and 67 years, it is essential to redesign the legislation. The redesigning can be achieved by developing a typical beneficiary plan for all ages. Consequently, this technique will ensure that equity among beneficiaries is enhanced. Additionally, the benefits enjoyed should be reduced, with the aim of increasing the number of beneficiaries. With the increased number of beneficiaries, more individuals can be financially stable after they retire. Furthermore, lowering the benefits results in an increased beneficiary time (Gale et al., 2015). For instance, the beneficiary only receives their social security gains for five years. By reducing the benefits, retirees can enjoy the gains for a longer period.
Addressing Diversity
One way of addressing diversity is by ensuring there is distribution equality in all ages. Secondly, the program should be voluntary, whereby individuals should join if they wish. Most individuals prefer making investments that will offer financial support after they retire from the corporate world. Therefore, ensuring that the program is voluntary enables most individuals, mostly low-income earners, to make contributions and secure their future (Gale et al., 2015). Lowering the social security cost can address the diversity issue as well. Not every person can manage to pay the high prices to become a beneficiary.
Addressing Legal and Ethical Concerns
The old-age insurance policy can be used to address the privatization legal concern. The objective should be to make personal investments through social security. There should be investment programs incorporation within the act to enable individuals to make their selection (Gale et al., 2015). For example, individuals can opt to invest in either stocks or bonds, depending on personal preferences. Besides, there should be interest rate allocation to every contribution. As a result, the beneficiary will receive more gains after they retire.
Other Changes
Another change that needs to be done is social security sensitization and education. The organization needs to have promotion techniques on the program. The beneficiaries should be made to understand that the program is for their right and not for the government (Gale et al., 2015). Consequently, more individuals will want to be beneficiaries due to this education and sensitization.
Stakeholders and Coalition-Building
The Responsibility for Developing, Implementing, and Paying For the Proposed Changes
The government should be responsible for paying, implementing, and developing the proposed changes. Unquestionably, Americans pay taxes, either directly or indirectly. The taxes collected should be utilized in nation-building and enhancing equitable distribution of resources. The Texas Workforce Commission is mandated to ensure that unemployed individuals living in Texas get relief (Garretson, 2019). Therefore, this commission should ensure that available resources are equally distributed to the unemployed individuals.
Position of the Intended Beneficiaries
The retirees have taken a position on this legislation. They want a typical beneficiary plan that will see all individuals, those who retire at the age of 62 and 67, have equal benefits. Additionally, they want the social security program to be voluntary so that any person can join freely. They want the social security contribution lowered to enable low-income earners to participate. The individuals’ group in question has aired their grievances through the Texas Legislature website.
Other Groups, Organizations, or Individuals Having an Interest in the Legislation
Texas Workforce Commission is one of the groups that are against the social security legislation. They argue that the informal sector in the US contributes approximately 15% to the economy. As a result, the number of individuals in this group is relatively huge and may not have excellent records to present to the authorities for taxation and registration in social security programs. Subsequently, the commission is unable to determine genuine unemployment applicants (Kroft & Notowidigdo, 2016). Thus, it becomes challenging for the commission to share the resources equally to the retirees and other public members.
Strategy for Building Support for the Changes
Sensitizing and educating the social security program members is essential for building support for the suggested changes. The plan will help the members understand the significance of the changes in question (Gale et al., 2015). For instance, they will understand that reason the changes in question are suggesting they be given smaller benefits is to let them enjoy them for a more extended period. It is such understandings that will make the members support these changes. This sensitization should be done at different levels to ensure every member has fully understood the changes’ intentions.
Once the members have fully understood, it is vital to approach the house members and inform the benefits of these changes as well. They are potential allies since one can propose the social security issues as a bill to the house (Shi et al., 2020). After discussion, the members decide if it should be enacted as a law. Therefore, it is essential to have these members of the house as allies to agree to pass it into law.
Conclusion
Arguably, social security is one of the most significant legislation to employees in the United States. It provided a welfare scheme to the staff, which always helps them develop a satisfied, loyal, efficient, and healthy staff force for every organization. Since 1935, when this act was created, it has been continuously growing. As a result, the legislative has helped workers to address various issues that they have been facing. Retirement benefits, which help individuals cater to their needs, is one of the issues it has helped solve. However, the legislation enables the workers to make changes to various programs when necessary.
References
Gale, W. G., Holmes, S. E., & John, D. C. (2015). Social Security coverage for state and local government workers: A reconsideration. The Journal of Retirement, 3(2), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.3905/jor.2015.3.2.123
Garretson, S. (2019). Workforce housing in Texas, USA. The Sustainable City XIII. https://doi.org/10.2495/sc190141
Kroft, K., & Notowidigdo, M. J. (2016). Should unemployment insurance vary with the unemployment rate? Theory and evidence. The Review of Economic Studies, 1092-1124.
Laws & rules. (n.d.). Texas Workforce Commission | Welcome, we’re here to help. Resources, tips and tools to build a stronger Texas workforce. https://www.twc.texas.gov/agency/laws-rules-policy .
Shi, Y., Jang, H. S., Keyes, L., & Dicke, L. (2020). Nonprofit service continuity and responses in the pandemic: Disruptions, ambiguity, innovation, and challenges. Public Administration Review, 874-879.
