Court Cases
Court Concludes Army’s Decision to Deny Purple Heart “Defies Reason”
A Vietnam veteran takes on the Army to try to win a Purple Heart stemming from his combat service. See how he fared.
Court Cases
Stay informed with the latest court cases affecting federal employees and retirees, including major federal employment law decisions, appeals, and rulings from MSPB, FLRA, EEOC, and federal courts. This category covers workplace rights, disciplinary actions, due process cases, retirement‑related rulings, TSP‑related litigation, and significant legal decisions impacting federal agencies and the federal workforce. Find clear summaries and analysis of the court outcomes shaping federal employment protections, benefits, and workplace policies.
Court Cases
Two Years Means Two Years
A retired federal employee missed the deadline to elect a survivor annuity for her new husband. She took her case to the appeals court when OPM turned her…
Court Cases
“Good Intentions” Not a Defense
Applying progressive discipline, the IRS ended up firing an employee who dragged his feet every year resulting in late payment of his federal taxes.
Court Cases
The Mailbox Rule Revisited
The author cites a recent court decision in which the court ruled that email is not a viable means of certifying that an employee received a notice of…
Court Cases
Appeals Court Hands Fired DHS Employee His Job Back
Score this recent published decision by the Federal Circuit as a big and clear win for the fired Customs and Border Agent and his legal team. He could…
Court Cases
Lawsuit Alleges TSA Agents Unscrewed Urn, Spilled Mother’s Ashes In Man’s Suitcase
A lawsuit filed by a man in Cleveland says that he packed his mother's remains in his suitcase to fly to Puerto Rico to spread her ashes there…
Court Cases
Wording of Divorce Decree Trips up Claim for Survivor Benefits
There are plenty of ways to mess up a divorce decree so that a surviving ex-spouse cannot claim a survivor annuity. This recent case is yet another example…
Court Cases
Filing Delay Leads to Loss of Federal Death Benefits
Even though a spouse of forty years was entitled to her husband’s federal death benefits, her estate could not claim them when the widow died before she was…
Court Cases
Modified Divorce Ruling Handed Down Before Retirement Must Be Considered In Deciding Survivor Annuity
In yet another case involving the current wife and ex-wife fighting over a federal retiree’s survivor’s annuity, the appeals court finds error in handling by OPM and MSPB…
Court Cases
The Mailbox Rule
Historically, federal agencies have used what is known as the "mailbox rule." This maxim provides that if a notice or letter is properly addressed and duly mailed, it…