FELTG News Flash
Sometimes, the news can't wait until our next FELTG Newsletter is published! Check out the latest news, case decisions and developments in the world of federal employment law below.FELTG is Going Virtual – for the Summer, Anyway
By Deborah J. Hopkins, May 14, 2020 These past several weeks have been challenging for all of us. Many of you in the FELTG Nation, and some of us in the FELTG family, have lost loved ones to COVID-19. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, as some...
Once Again, EEOC Discusses the Role of Agency Defense Counsel – But This Time, No Sanctions Involved
By Deborah Hopkins, May 5, 2020 One of the most intensely debated topics in the EEO realm for years, has been the proper role of agency defense counsel in agency EEO investigations. Indeed, we’ve written articles in this newsletter about the topic. One of the more...
And Now a Word With … EEOC’s Dexter Brooks
By Dan Gephart, April 21, 2020 For a dozen or so years, I was a regular attendee at the EXCEL Conference, put on annually by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I’m an introvert, so conferences could be a challenge for me. But I always felt at ease at EXCEL...
Due Process Challenges in a COVID-19 World
By Deborah Hopkins, April 7, 2020 When it comes to due process in federal sector employment law, the steps are as easy as 1-2-3. Let’s take a hypothetical where the employee has violated agency purchase card restrictions, and the agency is ready to propose his...
Using Progressive Discipline: How Many Strikes Before You’re Out?
By Deborah Hopkins, March 10, 2020 I spend most of my days talking about discipline. It’s a topic that I find very interesting, as do a lot of you in the FELTG Nation. In our field, of course there are a lot of boring discipline cases about the guy who is late to work...
And Now a Word With … OSC’s Louis Lopez
By Dan Gephart, March 3, 2020 Last week, the "Make it Safe Coalition" sent a letter to Congressional leaders with this ominous warning: The Whistleblower Protection Act "is at a severe risk of complete breakdown" and "on the verge of paralysis." The coalition is made...
And Now a Word With … Dr. Anthony Marchese
By Dan Gephart, February 11, 2020 The third page of the Partnership for Public Service report released last week explicitly hinged the federal workforce’s future success on agencies’ ability to do four things: Collaborate internally. Work closely together with other...
Not Commandments, but 5 Suggestions for Federal Employment Law Practitioners
By William Wiley, February 4, 2020 A few years ago, someone sent me a list of “Ten Commandments” for those who do not subscribe to a particular religion. From a philosophical aspect, I found it interesting and applicable in a number of situations in life. With some...
What’ll It Be, Mack? The Easy Way, or the Hard Way?
By Deborah Hopkins, January 21, 2020 My colleague Bill Wiley has long preached the value of taking the easy route vs. the hard route. An example he has often used in our Washington, DC classes goes something like this: If you’re in Washington, DC, and you want to get...
And Now a Word With … Michael Bogdanow
By Dan Gephart, January 7, 2020 When I first started working in the area federal employment law many years ago, I called around, looking for advice. One highly regarded and experienced attorney told me: If you need to understand anything at all about the Merit Systems...