Federal Employment Law Training Group

02/19/2025

An employee requests telework as accommodation exactly when a return to in-person work is mandated: must you grant it? When can you say no to an accommodation request, and are there times you must say yes? Join Federal Employment Law Training Group for one hour on Feb 25 to discuss that and much more, plus EEOC and U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board cases on the topic.
https://feltg.com/event/telework-as-a-reasonable-accommodation-in-2025-handling-return-to-work-exemption-requests-february-25-2025/

02/19/2025

Insubordination is a topic on everyone's minds. But what does it actually mean in the Federal workplace under U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board law? Dan Gephart summarizes a recent case on that and more in Federal Employment Law Training Group's latest newsletter.

By Dan Gephart, February 12, 2025 Quick facts: An assistant specialist failed to carbon copy her first-line supervisor on emails to agency leadership. A commander ordered the supervisor to reveal […]

02/14/2025

If the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board loses its quorum at the end of the month, appellants can skip the PFR process (and avoid getting stuck in a potential backlog) by filing directly with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. FELTG explains here.

By Deborah J. Hopkins, February 14, 2025 You may have heard that earlier this week the White House fired Cathy Harris, who until recently was Chair of the U.S. Merit […]

02/13/2025

So...I think most agencies missed the reinstatement of EO 13839, Promoting Accountability and Streamlining Removal Procedures Consistent With Merit System Principles. And there's a MARCH 7 compliance deadline. Give me an hour Feb. 25 and I'll catch you up.
https://feltg.com/event/taking-performance-and-misconduct-based-actions-implementing-executive-order-13839-in-2025-february-25-2025/

02/11/2025

What it's all about? Find out Feb. 12-13 during Federal Employment Law Training Group's flagship class UnCivil Servant, covering misconduct, unacceptable performance, the new EOs and more.

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers Federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the Federal workplace. It shatters misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and […]

02/10/2025

People are paying attention! Federal employment law is having a moment - but not everyone is an expert. FELTG clarifies some of the myths that have been circulating related to employee rights before the EEOC, U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, and more.

By Deborah J. Hopkins, February 10, 2025 Federal employment law is having a moment. With the flurry of Federal workplace-related Executive Orders and memos issued over the past three weeks, […]

02/05/2025

What's the law on taking performance-based actions against SES employees? FELTG explains here (LINK BELOW) with the help of an U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) fact sheet.

By Deborah J. Hopkins, June 16, 2021 Last month, we looked at some of the unique aspects to disciplining a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES). This month, we […]

01/28/2025

If you read the words of the EO Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, you'll see that a focus on equal dignity and respect has replaced DEIA as the administration's priority. Check out Federal Employment Law Training Group's article on the topic.

By Deborah J. Hopkins, January 28, 2025 Quick facts: A new Executive Order requires agencies to eliminate DEIA programs. “Equal dignity and respect” is the stated workplace priority of the […]

01/21/2025

Read the latest from the Federal Employment Law Training Group here. Can an Agency Charge AWOL for Failure to Report for Overtime?

January 21, 2025 Hello, FELTG! Can an agency charge an employee AWOL when they fail to report for overtime? There is a “healthy” debate within my division on this. Most […]

01/16/2025

The Federal labor statute provides a union the opportunity to be represented at “any formal discussion" between the agency and employee(s). Seems simple enough, but as we've found during training, there is a lot of confusion about what constitutes a formal discussion. Ann Modlin clears up that confusion in her Good News article in the Federal Employment Law Training Group January newsletter.

By Ann Modlin, January 15, 2025 Quick facts: Unions must have the opportunity to be present in formal discussions between bargaining unit employees and the agency. There is some confusion […]

01/15/2025

The Federal Employment Law Training Group January newsletter is now available with articles by Ann Modlin, Frank Ferreri, and Dan Gephart on formal discussions, the reasonable accommodation process, off-duty misconduct, and hostile work environment harassment. And, it's January, so we lead off with FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins' annual state of the civil service report.

Navigating the legal clash between religious and LGBTQ+ rights, why saying 'yes' to supervisors may be your best bet, and much more.

01/13/2025

Despite our differences, respect - or at least, civility - is a key to any productive and collaborative work environment. Join Federal Employment Law Training Group and Roslyn Brown on February 5 for a dynamic and enlightening conversation about topics including troublesome phrases and gestures, why respectful communication in NOT about checking the box to be "politically correct," and much more. https://feltg.com/event/say-whaaat-respectful-communication-in-the-workplace/