The false belief, almost legendary at this point, that “you can’t fire a federal employee” is absolutely absurd. This Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) report supports our view.
Performance Appraisals for Federal Employees
Supervisors have broad discretion in arriving at your end of year rating. If anyone else tells you different, they are lying to you or simply lack basic knowledge in federal personnel law.
Retroactive Application of VLTP
Some confusion often arises concerning leave acquired through the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP).
Federal EEO Claims and Basis
As we discussed in many other articles and tell our clients in every initial briefing concerning EEO complaints, EEO complaints are unknowingly won or lost on initial contact with an EEO Counselor (informal stage).
The “Agency File” MSPB Schedule 752
This article is intended to introduce the concept and purpose of an “Agency File” subsequent to a Merit Systems Protection Board Acknowledgement Order (AO).
EEO Report of Investigation
The importance of a quality ROI product cannot be overstated. The ROI will be heavily relied upon by agency attorneys to determine if settlement is appropriate. EEOC judges will rely on the ROI as the official record of the case in arriving at their decision.
Excused Absences for Inclement Weather
With the recent outbreak of severe weather, we received many inquiries from federal employees concerning Excused Absence (also called “Authorized Absence” and even “Administrative Leave” by some agencies).
Social Media in Fed Workspace
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, and a host of other social media tools are increasingly becoming a topic of conversation and disciplinary assessment in many Employee and Labor Relations sections.
Leveraging the EEO Process
Successful EEO complaints can be based on subtle actions over a period of time and on a myriad of basis such as age, retaliation, color
E-Mail Monitoring at Work
It would not be easy to determine if an agency or supervisor is monitoring your e-mail account.
Operational Status Notification
InformedFED has recently been flooded with robocalls. This has impacted the efficiency of our phone systems. Accordingly, we have implemented countermeasures including automated answering, screening, and routing of calls made to our main number at (202) 642-1287. We continue to…
What Are Crime Provisions?
Office of Personnel Management regulations permit agencies to place employees on indefinite suspension pending completion of criminal proceedings.
SF 50 Codes (Nature of Action & Legal Authority)
While it is true we could not have come up with a more boring title for this article, we frequently field questions concerning the SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action, and more specifically, the enigmatic Nature of Action and Legal Authority…
Leveraging the Federal Employment EEO Process
Although there is never a guarantee of success in filing and EEO complaint, a consultant can tip the odds in your favor dramatically.
E-Mail Monitoring at Work
Most agencies have in place redundant safeguards to prevent unauthorized surveillance of employee e-mail accounts. Typically, approval must be obtained from a division head and then IT approval, and finally, HQ approval.
Role of ELR Specialists
The primary role of an agency ELR Specialist is to provide expert consultative and transactional services to agency supervisors, managers, and executives concerning federal sector employee and labor relations. Sometimes, these specialists are even further sub-categorized as to specialties.
Consulting Questions
These questions are our most frequently asked concerning consulting services for federal employees. Though we try to provide as much information as possible, you may have a question not included here. Please feel free to contact us.
What Your Union Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You
The representation of federal employees in discipline and adverse actions is complicated. In our experience, most local labor unions are not technically prepared to provide such representation to safeguard an employee’s career and future financial security.
Reasonable Accommodation & Unexpected Consequences
Federal employees often make decisions based on significant misunderstandings concerning personnel processes. In some cases, this can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Change of Supervisor
The Federal Services Labor Management Relations Statute, although somewhat “watered down” by years of case law, reserves a supervisory assignment, and most matters involving assignment of work in any regard, to the sole discretion of the agency.
Union Representation During Counseling
The first thing any bargaining unit employee should do when determining whether they have a right to union representation is refer to their Master Agreement (union contract) or contact a Union Representative
Administrative Leave & Authorized Absence
The terms Administrative Leave and Authorized Absence are essentially synonymous (we will use the term Administrative Leave for the purposes of this post). Further, we distinguish that for the purpose of this article, we are not addressing such leave used by union representatives for official time related to union activities.
Responding to Proposed Actions
During the course of your federal career, you may find yourself the subject of a proposed agency action. Frankly, the longer your career and more complex your job functions, the greater this likelihood.
Failure to State (EEO) a Claim
Failure to State A Claim in EEOC under Title 29 can lead to dismissal of EEO claims for federal employees.
Are You Required to Invoke FMLA?
If a federal employee has sufficient leave balances there is no requirement the affected employee first be approved under the FMLA prior to a supervisor approving the use of accrued sick leave (SL) or accrued annual leave (AL) in lieu of sick leave
United States Postal Service Employees
United States States Postal Service employees have what is best described as unusual federal employee/employment status. Specifically and to the point, U.S. Postal Service employees are in the excepted, not competitive, service.
FAQ: Voluntary Leave Transfer Program
Statutory provisions of the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) are codified at Title 5, Part III, Subpart E, Ch. 63 (2006) and Title 5 C.F.R. Pt.630 (2008).
Making Initial Contact: EEO
Initial contact with an EEO Counselor is a seemingly simple, but incredibly critical task to preserve appeal rights. This is the very first step in filing an EEO complaint and must be accomplished within forty-five days.
Yes- The Agency Can Serve You With A Discovery Request
Employees should understand that just as the affected employee can serve discovery requests upon the agency, the agency can serve discovery requests upon the affected employee.
Last Chance Agreements
Last chance agreements (LCA’s) and settlements contain terms agreed to by an (federal) employee, or former employee, and the agency, in which the employee is provided an opportunity to retain (or return to) employment, usually when the agency would otherwise remove, or did in fact already remove, the employee from federal employment.
FAQ: Union Membership Solicitation
Rarely is the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) as clear on other questions as they are with this question. Unless your Master Agreement or other negotiated instrument (such as a supplemental or local MOU) explicitly provides otherwise, the answer is an unequivocal NO.
Resigning from Federal Service
During and following the massive debacle of the “Trump Shutdown”, we received a large number of inquiries.