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.
After a background investigation turned up “issues” for a person tentatively offered a job with the IRS, the agency put the job offer on hold. It subsequently did not fill the job. A court upholds the agencies action.
An applicant for a federal job with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) had been barred from federal employment because of a negative suitability determination by OPM. She appealed the disbarment to MSPB and signed a settlement agreement. When she did not get selected by BOP she filed a petition to get the MSPB to enforce the settlement agreement. She lost there and then went to federal court where the court agreed that she was trying to add provisions into the settlement agreement that OPM had not been willing to previously accept.
A federal employee won $40,000 in her discrimination complaint. She wasn’t happy with that result and went to court. She lost and was ordered to pay back the $40,000.
Several anonymous employees of the Social Security Administration sought to get more comp time from the agency by going to court. Their argument: We should get 1.5 hours of comp time for each hour worked just as we get 1.5 hours of overtime for each hour worked. The court disagrees.
This fired Postal Worker appealed to the MSPB and argued that he did not start the fight which led to his removal, did not cause severe bodily injury as alleged by the agency, and he had acted in self defense. He also argued removal was too severe because he had 20 years of federal service. The Court didn’t buy the argument.
A supervisor who changed records to show that employees were coming in before their scheduled time of work got fired. An appeals court says that is a reasonable penalty.
When a union representative signed a settlement agreement on behalf of an employee it was representing back in 2000, the agreement was not to litigate the issue further. The Postal Service probably thought the case was over. But the union then went to arbitration anyway, the employee went to the MSPB and then to federal court arguing that because he had not personally signed the agreement, it was invalid. Seven years later, the issue may now be resolved.
A Border Patrol agent who did not come to the aid of another agent asking for help while in a “hostile encounter” was fired by the agency. The fired agent offered the “I was fired because I was a whistleblower” defense that seemingly gets raised routinely in federal appeals. That didn’t fly nor did his argument that his colleague wasn’t really in trouble so a court upholds the removal action.
Federal agencies have considerable power and authority. Federal employees have to be wary of trying to improperly use their position for personal gain or for other reasons unrelated to their official job requirements. This agent of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency was fired for misuse of his position and the removal is upheld by the MSPB and a federal court.
A mother and son worked at the same agency. The mother was a human resources specialist. Both of them were fired. The son was fired for falsification of job applications in the agency’s automated program. The son’s appeal went to federal court but the court upheld the credibility determination made by the administrative judge and he stays fired.
