April 2019 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
Don’t Make All Your Supervisors Do Push-ups
Have you ever read an EEOC decision where the remedy includes remedial training for the offending persons? Or, have you ever been required to attend training as a result of a finding of discrimination, even though you weren’t the responsible management official? (Like the military; everyone does push-ups if just one person screws up.) At FELTG we do plenty of remedial classroom training, and we always enjoy it, because we think everyone can use a refresher of the law as it pertains to discrimination in the federal workplace.
You may not know that in addition to the standard “everyone goes to training” after a discrimination finding against an agency, FELTG also has another option: Remedial Instruction. Our instructors come to you – or you can come to us – and will have a one-on-one conversation with the person who needs the training. Or, if you prefer, we can do a video training discussion, with no travel required. No matter the method of the one-on-one, we have found this approach to be extremely effective, because the conversation is frank and honest and can be focused on the specific topics needed for the person who is getting the training. Let us know if you’d like more information on this unique approach.
In the meantime, it’s on to the April 2019 Newsletter for more frank discussions on topics you might want to know about.
Read and enjoy,
Losing Charges Can Sink Your Case – Unless You Work at the VA
By Deborah Hopkins, April 10, 2019 One of the long-standing principles we teach during MSPB Law Week (next offered in Dallas, TX, June 2-6) deals with how important it is to be mindful of the words used in disciplinary charges. Historically, if all of an agency’s...
When Per Se Violations Meet Eggshell Plaintiffs
By Meghan Droste, April 10, 2019 Happy spring, everyone! As the weather turns nicer, at least in theory, my spring teaching schedule is picking up. I just finished teaching part of FELTG’s Absence, Leave Abuse & Medical Issues Week here in DC. The last day of the...
The Good News: Federal Law Enforcement Officers are Keeping Us Safe
By Ann Boehm, April 10, 2019 I spent the majority of my 26-year federal career working for law enforcement agencies. I once had a relative ask me, “Ann, why do you like to work with bad a--es?” (Law enforcement officers typically chuckle when I tell them that story.)...
Fear the Mumps, Not the PIPs
By Dan Gephart, April 10, 2019 Guess who made a long visit to my alma mater this year? The Mumps. No, the obscure 1970s kitschy New York punk-pop band known for its outrageous live shows didn’t re-form for Temple University’s Spring Fling. I’m talking about the...
Tips from the Other Side: April 2019
By Meghan Droste, April 10, 2019 This month’s tip regarding discovery comes from both my experience as an employee-side attorney and also from my previous life when I occasionally represented federal agencies. As anyone who has had to engage in discovery can tell you,...
More Cases Based on Failure to Meet a Condition of Employment
By Barbara Haga, April 10, 2019 Last month, I began a series of columns regarding failures to meet conditions of employment. There are a wide variety of cases out there on these types of conduct actions with a lot of authority for agencies to hold employees to these...
Hey, Deciding Officials: What Exactly Does Ex Parte Mean?
By Deborah Hopkins, April 10, 2019 In federal sector employment law, we often use terms of art that carry very specific meaning. These terms may vary from a typical dictionary definition, or even from a black-letter law definition. Examples include discipline, due...