August 2023 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
What Messages Are You Getting — Or Sending?
Last week, I was on the West Coast for onsite supervisor training and I had the opportunity to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is one of the best in the world and is filled with incredible displays of sea life, but somehow my favorite exhibit featured a small starfish that appeared to be … relaxing and enjoying the moment (pictured above).
Nonverbal cues (including body positioning) can say so much, and are an important part of any workplace interaction. FELTG’s newest faculty member, Susan Schneider, will be sharing tips on that as well as verbal communication, managing conflict, and having difficult workplace discussions Sept. 12 during the brand-new two-hour virtual training Effectively Managing and Communicating With Employees. I hope you can make it.
This month’s newsletter discusses pregnancy discrimination, security clearance revocations, hostile work environment, appeal rights, and stress claims in workers’ compensation. Read and enjoy.
Take care,
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
What Should be Expected When Employees are Expecting
By Dan Gephart, August 14, 2023 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act last week. Members of the public wishing to comment now have approximately 55 days to do so....
Three Things You Might Not Know About Security Clearance Revocation Cases
By Deborah J. Hopkins, August 14, 2023 Misconceptions abound when it comes to the world of security clearances. The news media and the movies don’t always get it right. An employee can be denied a clearance for a lot more than selling national secrets to a foreign...
Good News: Hostile Work Environment is Harder to Prove Than You Think
By Ann Boehm August 14, 2023 A “hostile work environment” as a form of discrimination has been prohibited since the 1980s. The Equal Employment Commission’s guidance and regulations on what constitutes sexual harassment, from the 1980s through now, describe illegal...
What Came First: The Appointment or the Reason for Termination?
By Barbara Haga, August 14, 2023 [Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles on excepted service, trial periods, and appeal rights. Read Barbara’s first two articles here and here.] This month, we look at even more distinctions between probationary...
When Emotional Stress Can (and Can’t) Support a Workers Comp Claim
By Frank Ferreri, August 14, 2023 Unless you’re one of a few lucky workers, chances are that, at times, work brings a little stress into your life. While some workplace angst and frustration is a normal part of life, there are times when it becomes so severe that,...