Volunteer Jury Duty Leads to Firing
A fired Navy employee who tried to avoid relocation to D.C. by volunteering to serve on a grand jury has lost in her third round before the appeals court.
Author: Susan McGuire Smith
Practice Makes Perfect
This is yet another case where a retired employee’s failure to designate his wife-in this case his fifth-to receive a survivor’s annuity means she gets nothing.
Breach of Settlement Agreement May Lead to Monetary Damage Award
The Merit Systems Protection Board is not the only forum to challenge OPM’s breach of its settlement agreement with a fired employee. He now gets his day in the claims court to seek monetary damages according to the appeals court.
What Does the Merit Systems Protection Board Have in Common with Federal Health Care Enrollment?
A balky website for filing appeals with the MSPB is turned aside as an excuse for missing the filing deadline by both the Board and the appeals court. The employee is therefore out of luck in trying to challenge her removal.
Disrespect for WWII Vet Leads to Firing
A VA employee is fired for verbal and physical abuse toward an elderly patient.
Integrity Issues Lead to a Suspension That Leads to a Five-Grade Demotion
The first time around the agency mitigated a proposed removal to a 2-week suspension. This time it mitigated a proposed removal to a demotion. The employee unsuccessfully argued double punishment, but the MSPB and the appeals court say “not.”
Win the War But Not the Battle
A Customs employee took his removal to arbitration and got it mitigated to a reprimand. The arbitrator refused, however, to grant attorney fees and the appeals court has now upheld that refusal.
Two Wives, One Husband: Who Gets the Survivor’s Annuity?
An appeals court sorted out a dispute involving a deceased employee’s two surviving spouses and OPM’s attempt to make one of the women reimburse erroneous annuity payments.
A Resignation Is a Resignation
An employee scored a big settlement with the IRS but tried unsuccessfully to challenge the agreement’s requirement that she resign by a date certain. Her play to set the resignation aside as involuntary did not get far.
Bigamy Gets an ICE Employee Fired
A DHS employee found himself in hot water when caught being married to two women simultaneously and allowing a third woman and her child to use his health benefits. See how the court ruled.
