Anyone who’s worked as a federal employee for any length of time knows how important it is to receive a good performance evaluation. Your evaluation drives your pay increases and your chances of landing a promotion or an exciting new role.
Why it’s more important than ever to think before signing a PIP
What happens when you appeal a disciplinary action?
As a federal employee, you have the right to challenge unfair disciplinary actions. This is important because agencies don’t always follow the law. They may sometimes act in ways that are arbitrary, biased or politically motivated. But challenging these bad decisions is rarely easy.
How many federal employees win their cases with the MSPB?
You have certain rights as a federal employee that are supposed to ensure you don’t fall prey to unfair discipline. One of these is the right to respond to any proposed discipline before it’s implemented. If you make a compelling argument, you might be able to reduce or avoid the proposed action. If that doesn’t work, you can challenge the action before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
Could legal hemp put your security clearance at risk?
Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. This is even more true when the legal product is almost the same as one that’s still illegal.
Appeals court upholds MSPB suspension over unpaid parking fees
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.
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.
