Derek >> Good afternoon and welcome to today's Ticket to Work Webinar: Working from Home with Ticket to Work. My name is Derek Shields as Jayme said and I am a member of the Ticket to Work Program Manager and will serve as today's moderator. Thank you for joining us to learn about Social Security's Ticket to Work Program, considerations for working from home and work from home jobs that are currently available, and much, much more. To start, we want to ensure that you understand how to access the audio today. Please activate the audio button in the upper corner, upper left of the platform to activate the audio. This is a change to our platform.  Today's topics can help you as you start or expand your path to financial independence through work. Each of us has our own journey and we hope you will get some information today that will help you on the path to employment.

Let's get started by reviewing some of the functions of the webinar platform so you can interact and get the most information out of today's presentation. First, you can manage your audio using the audio option at the top of the screen. As I mentioned, this audio option needs to be activated for you to hear us today. The audio option is an icon that looks like a microphone.

All attendees will be muted throughout today's webinar. Listen only in the bottom right. Choosing listen only allows you to have the sound to be broadcast through computer speakers or headphones. Please make sure your speakers are turned on or headphones are plugged in. If you do not have sound capabilities on your computer, or prefer to listen by phone, please dial 1-800-832-0736 and then enter access code 4148 followed by the pound sign.

Next, let's cover some information about this webinar s accessibility. On the AdobeConnect platform, you will notice different boxes on your screen. We call these boxes pods. They have the presentation part, where the slides appear. That is the largest portion of our screen. Below that is an open space. This is for placement of the closed captioning pod. In the top right corner is the Q and A pod. Below that is the web links pod. We will now talk about these pods in more detail.

But first, I would like to talk about the AdobeConnect Accessibility User guide. If you need assistance navigating AdobeConnect, an Accessibility User Guide complete with a list of controls is available online. That is -- this link is also conveniently available in the web links pod in the bottom right of your screen. It will be entitled Adobe Accessibility User Guide, option number four. Realtime captioning is available. And it is displayed in the captioning pod. Which can be placed below the slide, as I mentioned. You are able to show or hide the captioning display. You can also choose the text size and text color combinations to best meet your vision preferences. Open the closed captioning by selecting the CC option from the top menu bar. The captioning link can be accessed in the web links pod. Also, that is entitled web captioning.

If you are fluent in American Sign Language, and would like support during today's webinar, follow the link below that provides instructions on how to connect with an interpreter through the Federal Communications Commission Video Relay Service. The ASL User Guide, which is found in the web links pod under the title of ASL User Guide, will provide those instructions.

We are here today to answer questions that you may have about the Ticket to Work Program. Please send your questions to us anytime throughout the webinar by typing them in the Q and A pod. We will then direct those questions to our speaker during the Q and A portions of our webinar. We will be addressing questions at two different points today during the presentation. So, please send us those questions and we will do our best to get through as many as possible. Now, if you are listening by phone and not logged into the webinar, you may ask questions by sending an email to us at our Ticket to Work email address: webinars@choosework.ssa.gov.

Another available resource that we think you will find very useful is the web links pod. You will find this pod in the bottom right corner of the screen. The pod has the links to resources covered in today's webinar. To access the resources, please select the topic of interest and access that resource to learn more.

If you are listening by phone and not logged in, you may email webinars @choosework.SSA.gov for a complete list of available resources. Or you may reference your confirmation email for today's webinar to access a list of available resources. Also, please note that Social Security cannot guarantee and is not responsible for the accessibility of external websites.

Today's webinar is being recorded. A copy of it will be available within two weeks on the Choose Work website. This link as well as others can be found in the web links pod and will be entitled WISE Webinars.

We do hope that everyone has a great experience today. However, if you experience any technical difficulties, please use the Q and A pod to send us a message or you may email us at that email again.

As I mentioned at the start, my name is Derek Shields and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I will be serving as the moderator. We are also delighted to have with us once again Ray Cebula as our presenter. Ray received his law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce school of law. He spent 23 years providing legal services to individuals with disabilities in their interactions with Social Security. He then became part of Cornell University's work incentives support center. And in 2005, joined the staff of Cornell s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. He now serves as the program director of YTI online, Cornell's work incentives practitioner credentialing program. During today's webinar, Ray will cover Social Security s Ticket to Work program, reasons for considering working from home, types of work from home jobs that are available, also how to find work from home jobs and he will also include some important tips for working from home. It is now my pleasure to welcome Ray, for him to begin with an overview of Social Security disability benefits programs and the Ticket to Work Program. Over to you, Ray.

Ray >> Thank you. Good afternoon, everybody. We are here once again to talk about the Ticket to Work Program and your journey to work. Let's get going with an overview of the two different programs. We do this every time because it is important. You need to know exactly what your benefits are because the return to work rules are going to differ according to the program that is providing you with benefits. There are two at Social Security. The Social Security Disability Insurance Program. And that is an insurance plan that you pay into the system when you are working and having FICA taxes withheld from your paycheck. That money builds credits from coverage with Social Security. And at some point, after you have been working a while, depending on your age, you will become insured for retirement and for disability insurance purposes.

The other program is Supplemental Security. This is known as SSI. And it is a federal welfare program needs-based benefits that has income and resources instructions that the other programs do not. This does not require an insurance status. So, you don't need to have worked or you could have become disabled a little short of the credit that you need for the program and you would receive it.

Now, people can receive both. If your payment is below the standard , this year it is $841, you would receive it should and it truly would be supplements. Get to know it because, again, the SSDI program has one set of rules that you need to follow when you are returning to work, and the SSI program has another one.

If you do have both, you will need to pay attention to both. Now, I also think about this every time I'm here, the signing up for my Social Security app. If you have been with me for two or three webinars and you have not done this, this is your last shot. You have got to sign up for a my Social Security. It is just a very handy thing to have. It provides you with a lot of information. When I look at my Social Security account, I can see the annual wages when I was 16 years old. It goes back that far. And it will tell me if I retire today what will I receive. What will my family receive? If I become disabled today, how much money will I receive every month? What will my family members receive? Very good planning tool. It will assist those people, benefits planners, Employment Networks, who are going to support your efforts. So, if you don't have one, go on and you can follow that homepage with the links right to the my Social Security. Real good tool.

So, starting your journey to work. Now that you know what benefit you are receiving, and that you have signed up for a my Social Security, you know, we are going to talk about work. And what will happen to your benefits. You know, we will talk about what will happen to you and your financial stuff.

The only person who can make the decision about going to work is you. You know, you're the only one that can make that decision. What our job is, is to provide you with an informed choice. And by that I mean, we will tell you what you can expect to happen to all of your benefits. Not just your Social Security benefit. And then you make the decision. We are not going to force your hand. Although we will encourage you to take a chance. 

So why would you choose work? It may not be possible for you, or you may make the choice not to engage in work now. You are the one that has to make the decision. A lot of people who are relying on SSDI or as SSI don't really know the help, the free services and supports that are available when they think about going to work. And the important thing is that it is very expensive. You know, you can build an employment team to provide you with all kinds of services and job support. And when you do realize how all the work incentives intertwined with all of those other supports, most people find out that, yeah, they can take a chance. For the rewards of working and becoming financially independent is going to outweigh the risks.

So, what is the Ticket to Work program? This program was created by the Ticket to Work Act on December 17th, 1999, by President Clinton. Notice that first bullet. It is free and it is voluntary. You do not need to participate if you don't want to. All of the choices here are yours. You will not be penalized because you don't want to participate right now. Or you won't be penalized if you have all of the planning done for you and you decide you are not quite ready. But you can get all kinds of great services. Career development services for people aged 18 through 64 receive a disability benefit through Social Security and work. That is all the requirements. So, it is good. You want to stick your toe in the water, stick your toe in the water and we can talk to you a bit. Wanted to dive in? We are there to support you. The Ticket Program, the Ticket to Work Program connects you with free employment services to help you decide if working is right for you. You know, that is the basic decision. Is this going to be a good decision for you? Are you comfortable with what we have said? You know, do you understand it all? Then you make your decision.

How about preparing for work? You know, if you already have a work history, and you want to reenter the workforce, that you may need some updating. You know, we are on computers right now. If I had, if I were a computer worker doing whatever on computers, if I was out of work before five years, clearly in order to go back to my job or a job like it, I'm going to need to have my skills updated. So we can get you that update on your skills. If you have not had a job and you want to work on computers, we can get you trained to do that. So if education, in terms of a degree or finishing high school or vocational training, iy is all within the realm of possibility.

Once we get you all tuned up and ready to go, you've got to find a job. The Employment Networks are very good in this regard. You know, there are national Employment Networks, statewide, regional. And there are local. You know, and those tend to be where the jobs are. You know, if you're going to see somebody in Arkansas, in Little Rock, that Employment Network should have a good handle on who is hiring right now, what kinds of jobs are available. What the rates are. Once we find tubs, you know, and please you and you have begun, we are not going to leave you. We will just be with you until you want us to stop. So, we want you to succeed. And how do you succeed? We give you supports on the job. Whether they be in terms of job coaching, it could be in terms of having someone to talk to. You know, work is stressful. We all understand that. And if your impairment is going to be exacerbated by that , you might need someone to talk to. That could be a therapist, it could be a job coach, it could be your employment. We want to see you succeed. Yeah. You can learn more about this program at what is Social Security Ticket to Work program. The link is in the pod for you. The Ticket to Work helpline also available. You know, if you want to know if you have a ticket, you know, you don't need that paper one sent to you. You still may have a ticket. But, you need to know if it is one of there for you . Give the helpline a call. They are open Monday through Friday. 8:00-8:00 Eastern time. At 1866 968 7842. And for TTY users, -866-833-2967. No obligation. Give them a call, get some information. All right, Derek. Questions?

Derek >>This is Derek speaking. Thanks for the overview of the program. We do have some questions that have come in. Before we get into the work from home content, let's review some of these. The first question is do I need to pay to participate in the Ticket Program?

Ray >> Absolutely not, Derek. The participation is completely free. And is completely voluntary.

Derek >> This is Derek speaking. Next question, What if I don't have any work experience? How do I get started with that Employment Network?

Ray >> You know, if you have no work experience, you are a blank piece of paper. You know? We can, we have everything available to us. And , you know, you can sit down by talking with somebody, that could be an Employment Network. It could be a benefits planner. You know, one of those members of your team as talked about what you might like to do. You can turn a hobby into a job. What are you interested in? You know, if you are passionate about something, and you have , and you are enjoying your hobby, can that be turned into a job? You know, lots of times that is the case. I have done the people an awful lot. So we can talk to you about that. In the Employment Networks are really good. Because they will be the best people who can take your skill set and your interests and try to suggest some jobs that are out there. That have a good pay rate for you. So, I think, you know, if you don't have work experience, that is fine. Let's talk about that. You know, what other experience do you have? You know? And you'd be surprised at some of the experiences that we have that you can actually sell to an employer.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thank you, Ray, appreciate that. Next question comes in. Several people have submitted questions referring to who is eligible, making sure that they can participate. Tell us again who is eligible.

Ray >> Okay. Anybody who is receiving a Social Security disability benefit is an 18 through age 64 . And wants to go to work. You know, the qualifications for this are fairly animal.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thank you. Through 64. But, if you are 65 or older, you are not eligible.

Ray >> Absolutely. Yes. That is the case.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks. Let's move to this next question. Individual says I have heard that I would lose my benefits right away for go back to work. I am afraid that if I can't work full-time can tickets still help me?

Ray >> You know? That is a really, really good question. And the answer is most likely. You know, if you are not sure, there are work incentives that we will talk about that can help you determine what your capacity to work is. Lots of people are beginning after a disability, who are beginning to work after a disability, aren't sure. You know what? We have things like the Trial Work Period that allows you to work, test your ability to work, test the job to see if you like it, and learn what your capacity to work is. You know, lots of people start out low and realize I can work more than 10 hours per week. Let's increase that to 20. Let's increase it to 25. And maybe that is too much. Well, let's go back to 20 and see. What we are looking for is that sweet spot where we can work consistently at some level. You know, and an Employment Network can help orchestrate that for you. A benefits planner could help orchestrate that for you as well.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks. He said something about work incentives. And they will speak to him a little bit later. Today's session, we will dive into a lot of detail on work from home. Talk a little bit more about what work incentives are. And give us a little bit more detail now.

Ray >> Sure. Work incentives are tools that you can use when you begin to go to work. Some of those tools, let's talk about SSI for a moment, will allow you to deduct from your gross monthly wages. A good amount of money. You know, and the SSI world, one Social Security looks at what is countable income, it is less than half of what your gross earnings was. Then we add in things like payment related work expenses. Those things that you need because of your disability. And need in order to work and that you pay for. Those are expenses that can be deducted. They can be less of your income against your SSI grant. On the other side, the other program, SSDI, the Trial Work Period. Nine months, earn whatever you want. You will be paid your full benefit. You know, while you are working for that is a great way to test your ability. Is this a job I really want to have? Can I work 25 hours a week? Do I need to adjust that down? Or, hey, I am fine, let's go up to 30. And find that, again, that sweet spot where you will be able to maintain this work for a long period of time. There are all kinds of others. I think 27 or 28 different work incentives that people can use, you know, depending on their benefits. And they are very, very helpful to protect your future connection to the system as well as to help you gradually work your way to financial independence.

Derek >> Thanks a lot for these answers. This is Derek. I want to remind folks that we welcome the questions. We will have another Q and A period with Ray in a little bit. We do ask for your questions that a very personal to be directed to our helpline. We will bring that up a little bit later. Today we will be focused on answering the questions that are more generic. We do have a blind staff available to assist you. With that, I would like to turn this back and really have you dive into our next section now. And learn more about why we should consider working from home.

Ray >> Okay. This is Ray again. Why consider working from home? I will be very honest with you. I have been working at home and I absolutely love it. I thought I was going to hate it because I was going to miss working in an office. I quickly realized I can get so much more work done without people walking by with a cup of coffee and chatting. It is really a great opportunity . If it works for you, you should really consider it. So, when do you think this might be right? You know, working at home can be right for you if you need special transportation arrangements. Due to disabilities. You know, we all know that paratransit , it is called various things in various locations. It is a wonderful service. We also know that it might not be reliable to get you to work by 9:00 or to get you home at 5:00. You know, it is not a good thing to be sitting out on the sidewalk, you know, waiting hours for them to pick you up. So, that could be a reason for you to consider working from home. The example on this slide is there is a limited number of accessible parking spaces at the job site. If you need one of those spaces and one is not available, let's stay home and see if we can work there. But you need to work from home as a reasonable accommodation. You know, I think, you know, you should be able to ask your employer, depending on the job, of course, that for a reasonable accommodation to allow you to work, accessibility is limited at your worksite or workstation in your home office. You know, the home office that you're going to be able to set up will be completely accessible and meet your needs. It may be more reasonable for the employer to let you work at home as opposed to retrofitting an inaccessible one. You know, people who have environmental issues, you know, always, you know, are concerned about workplace construction. The temperature variations. Some people are affected by lighting. You know, I have got a lightbulb that just blew out today. As we were waiting to come on with you. It was flashing away. That is not good for some people. You know, you have all heard sick building syndrome. We have to pay attention to that. That could be a reasonable accommodation. And working at home would be a good result. It might be good for you, or right for you. If you need privacy to manage your medical needs. Using the restroom, taking medication, receiving treatment. You know, if you would rather do that in the privacy of your own home rather than on the worksite, let's talk about that. And see if we can fit your job in your home office. Wanting a more flexible work schedule , we will talk about that in more detail, in very different, different ways. It does provide you a flexible work schedule. If I want to go to the dentist I can go to the dentist. But, there is going to be some expectation on your employer's part that you are working regular business hours. And everybody else is working 9-5, they may want you to do that. We will talk about the flexibility. A less stressful work environment. Let me tell you, stress fades from one person to the other. You know? And if you are working at home alone you will have a little bit of stress. It is work. It is going to be much less stressful. You know? I generally have my radio playing. It is not because I am listening to music, it is because I hear the silence. You know? If I am working in an office, having a radio playing isn't going to help anybody else who is in the office.

How about seeking opportunities in different fields of work? If anything, you know, if there was a benefit to COVID, we now know that working from a distance, teleworking, works. You know, it really, really does, you know? And we just, as workers, we proved to any employer that this job can be done and can be done well at home. And you may be able to try different types of work from your home, in home office. 

What if you just lived in a rural area? I live in New Mexico. It is pretty rural. You get outside of the city limits, you are in the country. It happens just that quick. And maybe there aren't as many job opportunities outside of the city. Let's talk about doing it at home. You know? You can learn more about working from home by reading our monthly Ticket to Work blog posts. And that is in your web links pod. The pros and cons of working at home, yeah, many employees can be productive working at home. Yeah, I remember it was almost the first day I started. I had to set aside two hours for a task. That is what it would have taken me in the office. It took me just a little over one hour to get the job done because there weren't any interruptions. I was home, I could focus on it. I got it done. You know, employees who spend money and time on their commutes. Yeah, I changed from a commute that was four hours round-trip, yeah, that was getting really, really difficult to do. And working at home, you know, the alarm clock goes off. I can grab a cup of coffee. I am at work in 15 minutes. It is real easy. Remote meetings aren't that bad. Until it is the fifth one of the day. Remote meetings work. I meet with people all the time. It is to the point where I don't want to talk to somebody in the office. Let's Zoom. Zoom helps me feel connected with people. It's because I can see them. So, it is all really good.

Now, the cons, some people are going to miss the social aspects of working in the office. You know? I get to go to my office. You know, probably 2-3 times per year. That is enough. I see people. You know, when I travel for work, I will see people. I like to say I will go away for a week, get a dose of people, and then I will come back and relax and do some work. You know? So, there are a lot of those social activities. Going out to lunch together, going out after work on Friday night, that you may miss. But, you know, I'm telling you, you don't miss it all that much. You can still plan with your coworkers. You will be on Zoom, planning to meet in some restaurant after work. It can be hard to separate your work life from your home life. That is the truth. That is very much the truth. If I come into my home office, I am working. You know, I will talk about this a little bit also. When I finish work I walk out of my home office and I shut the door. The computers are turned off. You know, so that I do, I, and it is sometimes hard. But, I do very much try to build a wall between my home life and my work life.

So, what type of work, yeah, is available? This, yeah, this is what types of work can you do at home? There are lots of jobs you can do at home. If you think about, you know, just going to the shopping mall. What can you do in the shopping mall that you can't do at home? You know, you can't serve people who are shopping and want to try something on. But just about everything else, you can do. Customer service you can do. You know, you can buy all of the clothes at JCPenney's online. You don't need to go to the store. You know, so there is lots and lots of things you can do. Yeah. Working from home can scan in 2020 when that shutdown occurred. And employers, I think, were more surprised than the workers that this actually worked. And people produced. At my place of business, administrative staff were told you have to come back to work. And many of those people, you know, are now working at home. Because yes, you can effectively work at home doing administrative support. My administrator said this person is a wonderful person. Why should she be in the office for the entire team works at home? Yeah? You can do almost anything. If you are looking for work from home, you have got more industries, more types of jobs, then there ever have been in the past to choose from.

Now, according to Indeed, there are some hot work spots. You know? Let's talk about the trends. You know? A translator. You know? A graphic designer. A tutor. We all know that kids are spending a lot of time online during that pandemic. So, you can certainly tutor somebody for an hour or so. If you need a math tutor, if you want to be a math tutor. Let's do that. You know, you can do that from home on Zoom. Probably just as effectively as you could in person. An accountant. A sales consultant. Or a registered nurse. You know, I found that want to be pretty fascinating. How is a registered nurse going to take care of people over the Internet? You know? We will talk about each one of these positions. And you will see.

So, what does a translator do? They're going to convert certain texts from one language to another. Translators typically work as freelancers. Or contractors for businesses. Individuals or government agencies. This is a good thing if you notice freelancers, contractors. You can set up your own business. The national average salary for that position is just under $40,000. That is a good wage.

Now, what about a graphic designer? They are taking ideas , yeah, and making visual representations of them. You know? Like a logo. You are a logo for your agency. You are a local for your nonprofit. Your team logo. You know, something we are talking about right now. Represents what your team does. You know, and what your team's goals are. Advertisements are other design elements that people want to tasks, businesses need advertisements. A graphic designer can work via Zoom to talk to the people at that business that needs advertising. And be able to put a plan together for that business. They design using computer applications. Or traditional media. Traditional art media. Pens, pencils, skateboards, paints. Anything like that. The average salary, $50,000. Getting better.

How about a tutor? You are working with students, clearly. You can work with students of any age. So, you can be working with kids in grammar school, high school, students, college students. Whoever needs some assistance. If I had a math tutor when I was in school, it would have helped me a whole lot. If somebody is a math genius out there, let me know. Video chat applications are constantly used for virtual tutoring. If you are able to see that picture, it is a young girl speaking with a woman by a computer. To help her with whatever she is studying right now. And that average national wage, about $54,000.

An accountant. What does an accountant do? They review and prepare financial documents for individuals and businesses. Sometimes accountants are doing tax returns. They provide financial advice and ensure a company's financial stability based on its budget and its operating costs. It sounds a little bit difficult for me, anyway. But you know, there is a possibility that if I went to school and got some training, maybe I could do something like that. The average national salary, $55,800.

A sales consultant. I didn't know what a sales consultant did until I was preparing for this session. They analyze the company's sales techniques and find ways to improve them. Now, you know, a lot of companies are selling things online. So maybe the sales consultant is going to show that company how to beef up their website. How to make it more attractive, more interactive. So people would be more interested in stopping on that website and buying something. A consultant may also train sales representatives to increase their sales. You know, what kind of tips do you have when you're trying to sell something? Maybe some of you were in sales before your disability occurred. You can turn that sales experience into a consultant job. How to develop client relationships. How to nurture and keep those clients. For years and years. The average national wage for that, $71,000 dollars.

And, a registered nurse. You know, I thought the stereotypical thing about a registered nurse. You can find them in the hospitals, nursing homes, and they take care of people. Nurses are very good at taking care of people. But what can they do over the phone? Well, you know, the pandemic taught us all that. How a menacing. You couldn't leave your home, you couldn't go into a doctor's office. You might not have been able to get into a hospital because of what was going on. Nurses can meet with you over Zoom or over the phone. At tell you , you know, talk to you, what is going on right now. You know, well, I have this headache. My yeah it just won't go away. I can't, you know, I can't sit in the light. You know, okay. You know. And we might be able to get a prescription at CVS. Because of that discussion. That can happen over the phone. Long treatment plans have occurred over zoom. You know? So, that, it does work. These registered nurses can also help with paperwork. Develop health plans and treat plans for people. And with the average natural salary for this one, $79,000. You know, $79,000 for the year.

There are a lot of jobs starting at 39, now are up to $79,000. They are all there. You know, they are all there waiting for you to just say yeah. I want to play this game now. I think it is going to work. It might be something valuable.

Now, finding these jobs , that is always the trick. You know? You can find them by working with an Employment Network. You can work with the Employment Network also. That can be vertical as well. There were national Employment Networks. Regional Employment Networks. If you are comfortable doing things with Zoom, you can potentially do everything from your home. You could work with a EN that is 500 miles away from you to find a job that you can do from your home. That is not a bad thing. What are the requirements for these jobs? In any of the jobs we mentioned have educational requirements, physical requirements. And even though you are working at home, you know, you might get staples, drives you a little truck into the yard, and they dump a box of paper and a lot of supplies. I have to go out there to carry it back in here. Can I pick up a box of paper? That is going to be something that might be required. My able to set up my own computer? Do I have work space that is dedicated to this job? We will look at things like education. You need a high school diploma? Well, we can get you into a GED course and take care of that. Do you need a college degree? An associate s degree? A bachelor s degree? That is not uncommon when you are using the Ticket to Work to do things. Specific training for certificate requirements. A lot of the vocational schools are going to have certificate programs. You know, I think we very much underrate vocational training . I think it is a great place for a lot of people. And I love to tell people that my plumber makes more money than I do. How about skills specific to that job? You know, is there going to be a sales component? Maybe somebody wants you to have a background in sales. Yeah. Particularly if you are applying for a senior position. You are going to need some relevant skills. And they will be different requirements for every job that you might want to consider. They are not going to be much different than the jobs that are on the workplace. You know, what about some of these requirements? Availability to set a work schedule . In some industries, that will include weekends. You know, you may be working weekends rather than working during the week. Your weekend could be Tuesday and Wednesday. You know, but you need to be able to set schedules. It will have to do with your own discipline. It will have to do with everything that is going on in your house. You know, do you have an office space? I think that is what I would highly recommend.

Do you have a room where you can set aside an office? Do you have a corner of a room that you can set aside? You know, and get a room divider down at World Market you can get a room divider, set it up so that you can cover that space up. And you can finish working.

Do you have Internet? Yeah. That is a requirement of my job. I can't work at home without the Internet. It has got to be fast and reliable. Yeah. How about computer navigation skills? God knows. Every time I go on the program I have to have my tutor who can actually get my microphone working. You know, can you move between multiple Windows programs? I have got an email program running. I have now got Adobe going. There are many times I have a word processing program going at the same time. And I have another computer saying next to me that is doing its own thing. How about clear speaking phone voice? How about a headset? You know, when you are talking to somebody over the phone, that is all they have got. You know? If you're looking at me then maybe you can understand me a little bit more than you could without seeing me. But, you are going to have to have a voice that is clear and can make the point without any body gestures or facial expressions. Because that is just not there. The skills that you need to have, there are skills that we all have and we all use . Time management. So, everybody is managing their time. Whether it be lunch, that 45 minutes. Or how about after work? You know, we have to have dinner finished by quarter till seven tonight because I want to watch that movie. That is time management. So start out with very basic things. That we can turn into work habits. I set my alarm clock. It goes off. I get up. You know, I get ready for the day. I come in with my cup of coffee. And start working.

How about your written communication skills? Lots of my jobs is via email. I need some help with my team members. I will write them an email. It saves time, saves all the small chat. And if we do need to set up an appointment to talk to each other, we do that. Motivation. You know, motivation comes from all kinds of sources. We are motivated to work because we need money to pay our mortgage. We need money to pay our rent. You know, I want a new car. I have got to work. So, there are a lot of motivations. I get motivated to come here to speak to you guys. This is one of the highlights of my month. You know, about going to work.

Organization. You can set up your files and set up your office anyway you want. But it has got to be organized. Someone is having a zoom meeting with you. And you say wait a second, I have got that tool right here. Let me reach for it. It has got to be where you think it is. And you're going to need the access.

And flexibility. I don't know when or if I will get lunch every day. You know, because things happen. People need assistance from me. And I will do that before I eat lunch. So you have to be flexible about these things. And remember, some of these jobs are going to require you to fulfill on weekends. You may have alternative days off. That is going to require some flexibility.

And the soft skills, these are all soft skills. Just help you put everything together that you need. The time management communication, it is going to count from someplace inside you. Do you write emails all the time? Are you texting people? Text is a written communication. It is all there. You just have to turn the switch is on. And make sure it is happening. Preparing for your work from home jobs search. Before you have been looking for a job that will allow you to work at home. Take some time to update your resume. Another good reason to get involved with an Employment Network. Think back to your work experience. Whether it was paid , whether it was volunteer. Whether it was the training . You know? I mean you want to have all of your training handled. You may have gone through lots of training . And we want to know what that is. Take an inventory of the skills that you have. Why are you a good step for that job? If you find a job, that allows you to work from a distance, why are you a good fit for the job? Because you really are organized. How do you know that you are organized? We are all organized in different ways and we are organized to do different things. Yeah. I have an organization set up to do my bills every month. Because that is the way I have always kept it. Well, that might help me get a job. Think about what you are doing in your personal life that is going to help. Let your references know. Yeah. There is not a job to be had without somebody asking you do you have two references. Yeah. So, find out who those people are now and when you do interview for a job, let them know that somebody will be calling. Practice interview skills. Another great reason to have an Employment Network. You will know what kind of questions and employer will likely ask you. They will know what questions you should have ready for your employer. Because that person interviewing you will always say do you have any questions for us. And do you have questions, all lined up. You are good to go. Not a good idea to say no, I think I am all set. So, things to keep in mind, we are in the age of scams. We really are. So, you have got to watch out and make sure these opportunities are legitimate. I just got a text today that said I could work for Amazon putting candy boxes together. And make $16 per hour. But, I did notice that there were extra letters at text. It had a little & after it. Some of them had a hashtag before. That is not right. That is not real. How about promising high income for little work. Putting candy boxes together and making $16 per hour. That sounds too good to be true. And when things are too good to be true they usually are. Providing unclear and vague descriptions of the job. A short or no interview process. If someone says sign up here, give me your name, your address, and your Social Security number. And you will have a job. Please don't respond to that. You just gave away everything somebody needs to scam you. Charging fees to apply for the job or charging a fee after you have been hired. Yeah. That doesn't happen. That never happens. The company has been in business for a month. We are a new start up. And have I got a deal for you. Yeah. I would rather get a deal from a company that is doing business for 30 or 40 years. So, watch them. Be careful. They are on TV all the time. They are on your text feed all the time. They are in your email. And they are most certainly, they are leaving messages for me as we speak now. Understand taxes. You know, make sure to check with your potential employers. Make sure you understand the specifics of taxes before you accept the job. This is a very important point. You may be wanting and your employer may be in another. Which state are you going to be paying taxes in? How do you make sure your home state gets a piece of the action. Lots of things that you're going to have to know about taxes. Some opportunities may not withhold taxes like traditional employment. If you get a W-2 form, taxes are withheld. If you get a 1099 , nothing is withheld. You are an independent contractor. You pay for yourself. You need to ask that question. The employer will share that information with you. If they are not going to share it with you, if you that is not the job for you. If you need help finding a job, Employment Networks are there for you, remember, free services. And you will also have the Find a Job page where you can find that in the pod as well. Resources and information about employment organizations, including those that specifically serve folks with disability. It is a great place to start your job search. Be that a benefits planner, be that an Employment Network. They are in there. So, take a look. You know, that is free also. You can take a look without any obligation whatsoever.

All right, we have got to mention the Affordable Connectivity Program. Part of the infrastructure development that we are all going to be seeing happening, from the Federal Communications Commission, to make sure folks are affording broadband when the need for work, school, healthcare, or other things. Providing eligible households with discount on broadband services and connecting devices. It provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward the Internet for eligible household and up to $75 a month. On qualifying tribal lands it is discounted further. There is an affordable connectivity link in the web pod for you.

Four tips. I have lots but I'm limited to four. Let's talk about tips for marketing from home. If you can dedicate a work space, please, that is one of the critical things that I found. When I moved there has to be a place for my office. I don't do anything else new this morning here. I really don't. I'm looking around the room to see what I do. I listen to the radio. That's about it. You know, so, leave when your hours are over. If I come in here on weekends, which I do, I may clean, but it's likely that I get --hear a scream from the other room what am I doing in there because I turned on the computer and I'm answering E-mails. Keep the space dedicated. If you don't have extra space, again, a corner is okay. Set up a desk or a small table that is for work use only and I wasn't joking when I said go and get a room divider so you can shut it away when you are not working. Very important to keep that separation. And it allows you to focus on your work. Notice this last phrase here. It also helps you leave work at the office. You don't want your computer on your dining room table or on the kitchen table. That's where you eat. That's where you talk with your family. It's not where you should be working. If you don't have the equipment, talk to your employer, my employer gave me a computer. They gave me a docking station, two monitors and a printer. That's what they provided me. Everything else is on me because I wanted it. Work with the ticket providers to see what they can do to help you get the office set up. If they are not going to provide you with the computer, if you are responsible for setting up your own office and your own equipment, that Employment Network can arrange to send you to some place wholesale, to put some kind of plan together so you can buy that computer and pay for it over time. They can also just give you advice how you want to set your office up. Do you have a good chair? You got to have a good chair if you sit in it all day. You really do. Create a morning routine. Like I said, I have my morning routine. I get up when the alarm clock rings. I don't hit snooze. I get up. I feed the pups. I start the coffee. I watch a little bit of the morning news and then I go into my office and work. You are not getting dressed. I don't necessarily get dressed in the morning. I may take a break, take a shower around 9:00, 10:00 because I would rather just get in here and do things. I have a habit now. I come in the office, I look at my E-mail, everything that came in last night after I shut down I respond to. Then I have a clean slate to start on. Then I take a shower. Getting dressed, you know. Not going to hang out in your jammies all day. Pretend you are going to work. That's what you are doing. If you are in a sales consultant, a professional type thing, visiting nurse, all of those things, tutor, you are not going to be sitting there in a T-shirt and jeans. Get dressed so you feel like you are working. Let me tell you, when 5:00 comes and that whistle blows in my head, that's when the flannel pants and the T-shirts come out.

Keep a schedule. The boundaries between your work life and home life are extra critical when you are -- your home is also your workplace. Shut the door at the end of the day. Close your computer and walkway. I told you, I shut mine down. I shut it off completely. Decompressing after work can be difficult when you are at home. It won't be for a long time, let me tell you. It will be difficult when you start. But right now I tell you, it doesn't take me time to decompress at all. I just go in the other room and I will sit. I will play with the dog. I will start looking, what am I going to cook for dinner tonight so it doesn't take that long to get used to that. And write down your work hours. For the last 22 years I had little pads of paper in a day and I write down everything I do. So that --I don't know, I didn't expect my employer to give me any grief because I was getting work done, I was producing, but if they did, hey, what did you do on May 24th this year, I can turn to my little pad of paper, go back to that date and tell you exactly what I did. It makes this room feel like a workplace rather than just coming in to another room in your home. And stay connected. You are going to have, again, opportunities to video conference going. Zoom is everywhere, Adobe is everywhere. There is something that can get your microphone connected if you can't. It's an easy thing to do. As I said earlier, it's the way I connect with people when I'm working. I like to talk to Derek when his face is on the screen. Feels more like a conversation. I prefer that to phone calls right now. You got to keep that going on. What about breaks? Do you have a neighbor, a friend nearby? If you are in an apartment, is there somebody on your floor that you hang out with? Schedule lunch. Have dinner. Talk to your family after work. Again, video so you can see that person. Keep in touch with colleagues via E-mail. You could have an online chatting system at work. Chat with people. There are times I will admit it that I just needed to talk to somebody during the day and I will send somebody a zoom. And they know it's for right now. Ray wants to talk. So, we talk for a while. That's what would happen in an office. Make this as much like an office as you can.

And here is my -- one of my favorite parts of all of these, the success stories. We will talk about Lori today. I think we had Lori live with us one time. She suffered from anxiety and it made it difficult for her to build a career. With the help of the Ticket to Work Program, she now works in public relations and marketing for employment options. Not a bad career. She found more than a job. She found a career that she is passionate about. And her little quote, making my own money again is freeing. I want to do whatever I can to help others understand and learn about this great program. So, Lori has a full success story in the web link pod under Lori's success story. All right. Let's take a break and answer some questions.

Derek >> This is Derek speaking. Ray, thank you so much. Went through a lot of considerations, different types of work from home jobs and some great tips. Appreciate the details that you went in to. Let's start out by helping folks that are asking questions of us to get directed in the right place to start. Some are asking, well, do you have work from home jobs for us today? Can you share with folks where to start with the help line or Employment Networks. Who has the work from home jobs?

Ray >> I think that I would like to say there is no wrong way to start. You will get guided to where the spot is that you need to be. By contacting anyone on your employer team. We mentioned the find a job link and that page will give you actual jobs. It will allow you to contact Employment Networks or benefit planners. That is a great place to start. Employment Networks, when you talk about finding a job and getting a job and keeping a job, Employment Networks are going to know where these jobs are. And it doesn't matter where they are. I just posted a job to my internal network. Somebody in Massachusetts wants to hire somebody and they said it's a remote job. You can do it from anywhere. That is what is happening in the workplace, all the time. Employment Networks -- there are some that specialize in distance work. What you need to do, as Derek said, call the help line again. It will allow you to talk to somebody without any obligation and get you what you need. The help line may not be able to give you examples of jobs but they can get you to an Employment Network that you can talk to and find out what they have to offer. It's kind of like a snowball. You put a little snowball together and you roll it down the side of the mountain and it keeps getting bigger with every phone call you make. When I tell you that there are plenty of remote working opportunities you just have to trust me and make the phone call.

Derek >> This is Derek speaking. Thanks. So, we will give you that help line information once again before we wrap up today. Also, make sure that you access the resources in the weblinks pod, specifically the find a job resource. That is number 13 and you can meet your employment team in item number 15. These are the folks that can connect you with employers so really just want to make sure that we have that information for everyone today. All right. We have received a few questions of course around trying work from home from folks that haven't done that yet. So, I have some specific questions. If you are working from home, how does your manager know you are reporting and how do you keep track of your time?

Ray >> Very good question, the same question wondered about when I was starting my journey from home. You have to produce something, regardless of what you are doing, the registered nurse that has tell services for medicine, so many appointments a day that that person has to have. Reports that you need to file. I told you how I keep track of my hours. I write them down. I don't write my time down anymore because I know when I start working and when I end work. I know what I produced, too. You know, on the 14th, I had a management meeting and I reviewed five practicums. That's a good day's work. I have charts I need to keep that other people have access to. And when they go online and access some of those or just snooping around, they will see what I did. It's really not that difficult. The difficult part is the self-discipline to make this happen and understand that you may be at home and you may be able to go to the refrigerator and grab a Diet Coke. But you are working. And you are going to have to be responsible for the product at the end of the day or the product at the end of the week. It's not like anybody will be watching you. I would think that when you begin a job, people are going to be in contact with you. Somebody may talk to you two, three times a week. How is it going? How is it going? After a while, nobody will bother you. You are just getting up in the morning, you know what your hours are and you are going to produce. As I said, everybody that I know that works at home say they produce more than they ever did in an office. I know that is vague but it should help.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks. Appreciate that. I do think it's helpful. Another question we have, it starts out how do I know if work from home company is legitimate. You bring up these points of caution? Specifically can you advice folks on how to use their employment team to know if an employer is legitimate and the work from home job is legitimate?

Ray >> Absolutely. When you are working with an Employment Network, that Employment Network gives you information and, you know, they vetted that information before they are giving it to you so you are going to know that it's something that the Employment Network gives you is safe and real. How would you let them know about something that you found? You just give them a call, say, hey, I saw it, I got a text. Amazon, they are right down in Albuquerque. They say I can work at home putting candy boxes together. $16 an hour. Is that good? Is it real? And they may say, no, that's not real. They know about that. They need to be careful what they are sharing with their customers. You will be one of their customers. You can run things by them as well. I think that's a great thing. That shows your motivation. You found something and you want to run it by the Employment Network.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thank you for that. It's part of your employment team is very apparent as you described these benefits. I have another question and it's kind of coming from a point of disability disclosure. So, when somebody finds a remote position, they want to know if they need to tell that employer that they are using the ticket or do they need to discuss the disability during the interview and on boarding process?

Ray >> Not at all. There is no need to tell anybody that you are receiving benefits, let alone using a ticket. If you are working from home -- there is a difference, let me go back a step. If you are interviewing and you go in an office to do that and potentially it's an environmental disability that you have, you need to be careful about that. You may be asking to work at home. If you are asking to work at home and that's not the norm, you are going to be asking for a reasonable accommodation. If you ask me for a reasonable accommodation, there needs to be a reason for it. That is your disability. Environmental issues that take place inside offices. That's very different from having an environmental issue that won't be aggravated if you work at home and you apply for a remote position. The position is remote, you don't need to divulge anything provided you can do that job. If the boss says you need to work 8:00 to 12:00 then 1:00 to 5:00, you get an hour for lunch, and you need treatment, you need to have medications, you need to use the bathroom and that takes longer because of your disability, you know, it may be that you need to divulge and disclose your disability so that you can get an accommodation because your 8:00 to 12:00 might be an hour short given what you need to do to take care of yourself during that four-hour period. Only if the situation requires it do you need to divulge. You don't need to disclose until you are ready to. You know, your Employment Network also can help you prepare for that discussion. If you need a reasonable accommodation, how do you ask for it. You have to ask for it. The Employment Network can't do it for you. But you can have the discussion with your Employment Network and practice it like you would for an interview. There are folks to help you. No, you don't have to --it's inappropriate for an employer to ask you about a disability during the interview process.

Ray >> This is Derek. Thanks for that, Ray. We have a follow on question that is really similar to this reasonable accommodation line that you have been talking about. As you know, most of these positions you were describing for work from home are desk related positions or desk jobs. Somebody asked, I need an ergonomic chair to work at my computer. How do I go about getting this if I'm working from home? Do you have any advice for folks about how to research ergonomic chairs and other accommodations and how to talk to the Employment Network or employer about it?

Ray >> You know, the JAN network, Job Accommodation Network, it's a wonderful place to look for that stuff, it really is. If you need an ergonomic chair, where are they, what are they. What is the best for you talking with someone at JAN or exploring their website can be a great help. I think everybody -- I have an ergonomic chair because I sit here most of the day. When I initially started the job, my employer provided me with one. It lasted 20 years. And then it came time to get a new one and by that time, many more people were working at home. So, my employer said you want a new chair, buy it. So, that's what my job turned into. Everybody now is responsible for setting up their own home office. That includes the chair. If you were in an office and needed an ergonomic chair, that would be a reasonable accommodation. I injured my back. I need the lumbar support. These regular chairs won't work for me. I won't be productive. I will be in pain. Let's stop that right now. That could potentially work for a home situation as well. Now that we have gone through Covid and working at home is a regular thing now and being more available to people, what your employer, potential shall employer will did, what they provide you with will be up to them. That is one of the first discussions you want to have. What do you provide to your workers who work remotely by way of office furniture or office equipment. Good thing to know. If you need to buy that ergonomic chair, you have to do that and the Employment Networks, again, can put together some information about where they are, how much they cost and how you letter be able to pay for it.

Derek >> This is Derek. Ray, thank you for those tips specifically. A follow-up on the Job Accommodation Network, you can access that online at AskJAN.org. Great tips on the ergonomic chair and accommodations.

Looks like we have run out of time once again. Ray, I would like to thank you for joining us today and sharing your thoughts and valuable information on working from home with the Ticket Program. We will transition over to provide some important ways to stay connected with the Ticket Program and some other closing remarks.

First, if you want to learn more about the monthly WISE webinars subscribe to our E-mail and text message updates to find out the topics for each month and be the first to register, to join us. If you are interested in learning more about the Ticket Program, the employment team or service providers and other topics, subscribe to the choose work blog to get our weekly updates and sent directly to your inbox. In the weblinks pod there is a contact us page that gives you an opportunity to find out how to connect with us through these different options.

Now as Ray mentioned, it's important that as you learn about this, to know how to get started, where to get started. So, when you want to begin this path, we encourage you to contact the ticket program and there is a variety of service providers and resources ready to help you. You can contact the Ticket to Work Helpline at 1-86-968-7842 or for TTY 1-866-833-2967. Those lines are available Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Or you can visit us at the Ticket to Work website at any time at choosework.SSA.gov. More details regarding the topics covered in the webinar and we will discuss the Find Help Tool described earlier.

You can find us on social media or subscribe to the blog or E-mails that I mentioned by visiting https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/5YrfC73wk8iWZMNAf05J9K. It will appear in the weblinks pod under the Ticket to Work information that I mentioned. What we want you to do is choose how to connect with us. The important part is to make that connection in one or more ways, to beginning your journey.

Next get advice and encouragement and read stories about people who achieved financial independence like Lori and the success story we heard about earlier, you can opt in to receive text messages. If you are interested in receiving text messages from the Ticket to Work program, please text ticket to 474747. Standard messaging rates May apply. Again, please text ticket to 474747 to opt in to receive text messages from us.

Also important to note if you need to contact Social Security's Ticket to Work Program managed by the Social Security Administration Office of Employment Support, we ask you that you do so electronically instead of by postal mail. Our E-mail address is support@choosework.SSA.gov. Remember, do not include Personally Identifiable Information in your E-mail. Identifiable information or PII is data that can be used to identify a particular person. Examples include a full name, Social Security Number or an E-mail address. Of course you may contact the Helpline at 1(866)968-7842 or 1(866)833-2967 for TTY. Again the Helpline is available Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Eastern.

Please join us for our next wise webinar which we are pleased to announce Wednesday December 21st from 3:00 to 4:30 P.M. Eastern Time. The topic is Setting Goals with Ticket to Work. Registration is now available at choose https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/OclcC82xl8cwY3q6HRzfvx or call 1(866)968-7842 or via TTY at 1(866)833-2967.

And finally your feedback is important to us in planning for our future webinars. Provide your feedback and tell us what you think by taking our survey. To take the survey, follow the link that will pop up after the webinar or find it in the weblinks pod or visit our website at choose https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/lrQWC9rym6cY2nqktG0gGF.

Thank you for attending today to learn about the ticket program and support on your journey to employment. Know that there are supports and people ready to help. We encourage to you reach out to begin your journey to include working from home opportunities. This concludes today's webinar.