You might not expect to get suspended and demoted for unpaid parking fees, but that's what happened to one federal employee. The employee was a GS-13 Protective Service Specialist who had failed to pay roughly $5,000 in parking fees. For his actions, he received a 60-day suspension and a demotion to GS-12 status.
Appeals court upholds MSPB suspension over unpaid parking fees
Federal workers sue Postal Service over pay
The National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) has filed a federal lawsuit against the United State Postal Service (USPS). The issue: NAPS claims the USPS has failed to properly administer the pay system for approximately 50,000 managers and supervisors.
Is this the end of the Office of Personnel Management?
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has a good reputation for managing retirement programs and insurance for federal employees. However, it is not known for its efficiency.
How can you fight unverifiable forms?
Is it ethical for an employer to encourage managers to sign off on certifications or forms without information to verify the form’s accuracy? It seems like a question with a clear answer. Unfortunately, like most matters involving federal employment, the answer is anything but simple.
Lack of confirmations halts MSPB federal worker dispute rulings
The Merit Systems Protection Board was established in 1978 to protect federal employees from unfair treatment at work and to promote the Merit System Principles. The MSPB comes into play when federal employees have blown the whistle on fraud or mismanagement, or when civil servants have complained of bias, arbitrariness, retaliation or other wrongful treatment in the workplace and need to appeal. It also provides independent research and analysis on the merit systems for the executive branch.
FEMA administrator keeps job, to repay cost of misused vehicles
A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's investigation found that the head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration took advantage of government-issued vehicles by using them to travel to his home in North Carolina and for other non-official purposes. According to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, administrator William "Brock" Long will reimburse the government for the cost of the misuse but he will not lose his job.
GAO: Several DHS components fail to monitor misconduct claims
Leadership from three components of the Department of Homeland Security -- the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- do not consistently monitor their internal controls in employee misconduct cases, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office.
Why you should respond promptly to disciplinary action
When a federal employee is suspected of misconduct, the employer may launch an employee investigation. That investigation may be followed by disciplinary action.
Protest over executive orders leads to disciplinary violations
A Social Security Administration (SSA) claims representative who also acts as a grievance vice president for his local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has been placed on administrative leave after a protest. Using washable window paint, the man wrote several messages on the windows of a Troy, New York, SSA office building in protest of President Trump's recent executive orders targeting unions.
Indefinite suspension after indictment upheld by Federal Circuit
A Veterans Affairs employee recently appealed his indefinite suspension beyond the Merit Systems Protection Board to the federal courts. Unfortunately for this employee, his appeal was unsuccessful, but federal employees should know that there appeals both within and beyond the MSPB.
