When do federal employment problems become legal concerns?
Sometimes, things go wrong at work, or you have a bad day. Sometimes, someone treats you badly, or you feel you got the short end of the stick. But, bad days, irritating coworkers and frustrating work...
View ArticleWhat are reasonable accommodations?
The federal government is one of the largest employers in the United States. Under federal law, it must provide equal opportunity for all employees, including people with disabilities. To that end, the...
View ArticleThe VA is at the center of a legal firestorm
The Veterans Administration (VA) has been in the news a lot lately. And this news is of interest to federal employees because it all centers around their rights to contest disciplinary actions. As a...
View ArticlePresident, federal-worker unions at odds over reducing remote work
The recent pandemic created at-home working arrangements that would have been hard to imagine. The federal workforce was no exception with many personnel changing to remote duty to keep people safe...
View ArticleCelebrating 50 years of reasonable accommodations
The United States recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This landmark act paved the way for more workers with disabilities to enter the federal government. The act...
View ArticleWhat’s the deal with the government shutdown threat?
Crisis narrowly averted. For now. At the time of writing, Congress just passed a temporary budget, funding the government for 45 days. While this stop-gap measure prevented an immediate shutdown, many...
View ArticleAdvocacy group threatens to sue over mistreated feds
What happens when a federal agency launches an investigation into one of its employees? Many times, it will place the employee on paid leave while it conducts the investigation. Naturally, one would...
View ArticleRace, the post office, and promotions: Was I a victim of discrimination?
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is often a great place to work. Because the post office plays an important role in our country’s daily operations, a position with the USPS often offers high job...
View ArticleWhen is a federal whistleblower not protected from retaliation?
In an ideal world, federal employees would never face retaliation for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing in their agency. Ideally, federal employers know that good-faith reports by people in a position...
View ArticleFederal Employment Law Firm Sees Substantial Growth Throughout 2023
The Devadoss Law Firm, a renowned advocate for employee rights, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to providing exceptional legal representation in the field of federal employment law. With a...
View ArticleSexual harassment: House oversight panel subpoenas VA records
On Jan. 11, 2024, members of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee voted to subpoena records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that could shed light on the committee’s investigation...
View ArticleWhat is the most common complaint brought to the EEOC?
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has existed for decades to help enforce federal employment laws. The organization investigates claims that companies discriminated...
View ArticleFederal workers, political discourse on war and the Hatch Act
Political conversation in the workplace can create a minefield for federal employees. With the Hatch Act’s restrictions on political activity, federal workers must understand on-the-job boundaries of...
View ArticleHow hard is it for federal employees to prove wrongful termination?
Some federal employees are political appointees, subject to the political whims of those who appointed them. However, most federal employees do not work at the political whims of others. They work for...
View ArticleWhat does illegal retaliation look like in the federal workplace?
Workplace retaliation is illegal. Everyone knows that. At the same time, most people understand that retaliation remains a pervasive problem throughout the federal workspace. So, how can this be? The...
View ArticleOPM makes changes to the Pathways Program
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has rolled out a final rule updating the Pathways Programs, which are designed to enhance opportunities for early-career individuals to enter the federal...
View ArticleImmigration judges and recent gag order: Does it run afoul of whistleblower...
Federal employees are the eyes and ears on the ground, often the first to recognize illegal, wasteful, or fraudulent activities. Providing this group of workers with whistleblower protections is...
View ArticleAre protections for federal workers at risk? Two lessons from recent case.
Protections are in place to help better ensure superiors judge the work of federal employees based on performance. Schedule F, created by President Trump, put these protections at risk. As discussed in...
View ArticleRecent agency memo a reminder to fight for whistleblower protections
A recent memo from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) got media attention recently when it appeared to violate federal whistleblower protections. The name of the memo is...
View ArticleLawmakers push IRS to better support whistleblower protections
Each federal agency is required to have procedures in place to better ensure federal employees do not suffer from retaliation for reporting wrongful activity. Many agencies also have whistleblower...
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