Do you have a material on-the-job problem at your federal workplace?
Candidly, who doesn’t? No work venue is perfect. Federal employees spanning the country routinely deal with an array of challenges and obstacles.
For most people, varied employment stress and blowback – while being a clear negative – can be handled without any material commotion or escalation. A bit of civil communication might stop a festering issue. A simple clarification to or from a manager might defuse tension. Most things work themselves out.
Not always, though. In some instances, workplace tension can spiral to a high level and demand a quick and formal response.
The purpose in filing a so-called “administrative grievance”
One established national employment law legal source notes that a federal worker might seek to file an administrative grievance in one of these two instances:
- When a complaint cannot be addressed through a formalized process outlined by laws relevant to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act or Merit Systems Protection Board
- When a worker simply wants to proceed in a relatively informal manner
The specific requirements of an administrative grievance will differ from agency to agency. Each entity has its own distinct process, and it is key for a filing worker to get things right. For instance, commencing a grievance in one given agency might require verbal notice provided to a supervisor, followed by a formal writing. That order might be reversed in another department.
In either case, having timely guidance and input from an experienced employment law attorney can help clarify/simplify the process and increase the chance for a positive outcome.