An unsuccessful job applicant took his case to court arguing an agency violated the veterans preference legislation. Not so, said the agency, as veteran’s preferences do not apply to a non-competitive appointment list.
If you are a federal employee and happen to have strong views about the program you work on in your job, what do you do if the agency is taking a position with which you disagree? Is an attempt to undermine your agency’s case in court the protected action of a whistleblower? The Federal Circuit provides an answer.
It is a common perception that it is impossible to fire a federal employee. As this case proves, it may take time, effort, expert human resources and legal advice, and patience but it is not impossible to fire a federal employee.
Does a federal employee have a 5th Amendment right to refuse to obey a request to appear and answer questions in connection with an agency administrative interview?
Absolute performance standards can be permissible in a federal agency. In this case, the “zero tolerance” policy against threats in the workplace was upheld by a federal court and a federal employee is out of a job after 20 years of working for the federal government.
A senior executive with the Treasury Department found himself on the losing end of an appeal after his denials were called into question as a result of the agency reviewing his e-mail.
A former federal employee said the VA did not live up to the agreement when OPM disapproved her application for disability retirement.
An Interior Department employee who helped write a new grievance procedure was removed by a reduction in force (RIF). He ignored the new procedure he helped write and convinced a federal appeals court he had the right to appeal the RIF to the MSPB even though the law authorizing the agency’s alternative personnel system took away this right.
It’s not often that a selection decision by a federal supervisor ends up before the US Supreme Court. In a new decision of the Court, a selection decision made by an official of the Forest Service ends up in a case involving the application of the Westfall Act–a law providing immunity for federal employees when acting in their official capacity.
A federal agency said it overpaid an employee by about $30,000 due to an error. It told the employee to pay up in 30 days or request a waiver. She requested the waiver but the agency starting taking the money from her check and did not respond to the waiver request. The employee went to court.
