July 2020 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
Staying Connected Across the Miles
It’s the middle of summer – and what an interesting year it’s already been. I remember a time during the summer of 2019, when I spent a few moments tallying the number of states FELTG had been to so far that year, and adding up the number of states we had yet to visit. I don’t remember the exact total, but I can tell you we visited more states – physically – last year than we have this year.
That being said, we’ve still found a way to bring our classes to just about every state (and even countries in Asia and Europe) this year, thanks to the wonders of the Internet and our webinars and Virtual Training Institute. We miss seeing your smiling faces in the classroom, but we’ve still found ways to stay connected while travel is suspended and in-person gatherings are limited. We’ve introduced features into our web-based training including live polling, breakout sessions, workshops, and more, so you can stay engaged whether you’re attending a 60-minute session, a week-long training, or something in between. We hope you’ll join us for an upcoming event.
In this month’s newsletter, we cover important topics including the recent Supreme Court decision on workplace sexual orientation and transgender discrimination, determining essential functions of work positions, how the civil service is like calculus, and more.
Take care,
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
The Good News: Federal Labor Law Doesn’t Have to be (and Shouldn’t be) Political
By Ann Boehm, July 15, 2020 Nice article title, Ann. How can Federal labor law not be political? Isn’t everything political these days? I will acknowledge that the three-member Federal Labor Relations Authority, like the Merit Systems Protection Board, is usually...
Supreme Court: Employer Who Fires Individual for Being Gay or Transgender Violates Title VII
By Meghan Droste, July 15, 2020 You've probably heard the phrase “model employer” in connection with the federal government. Although the phrase comes from the Rehabilitation Act, the idea is now broader than just the area of disability rights — the federal...
The Algorithms of Civil Service Law
By William Wiley, July 15, 2020 For 20 years now, FELTG has been presenting teaching the how-to of civil service law. We start with the theory and the law, and then share the steps, tips, and tricks of applying the law. You leave a FELTG seminar with not only an...
Is There a Legal Path to Fire Dr. Fauci?
By Deborah Hopkins, July 15, 2020 Here's a hypothetical. Let’s say you have a U.S. President who is in office during a global pandemic, and that president gives an interview to a news outlet and says that the country is in “a good place” with how it is handling said...
10 Reasons Why FELTG Is the Best Option for Your Summer Conference Plans
By Dan Gephart, July 15, 2020 If your favorite summer conference is not being held on-site, and you still have training funds, we hope you'll register for Federal Workplace 2020: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are 10 reasons...
Tips From the Other Side: How Long is Too Long to Provide Accommodations … in the Time of COVID?
By Meghan Droste, July 15, 2020 In last month’s Tips From the Other Side, I covered the factors the Commission uses to determine how long is too long to providing a reasonable accommodation. (Quick recap: It depends, but you should move as quickly as possible. The...
When Cleaning Desks and Wearing Masks is Required: Life With COVID-19
By Barbara Haga, July 15, 2020 We've previously talked about issues related to employees who report to work with symptoms and what to do about taking temperatures when employees are reporting to the worksite. What other issues could present once more and more...
Avoid Thoughtless Approach to Essential Function Determination
By Dan Gephart, July 15, 2020 Essential can be a loaded word. Any discussion on whether something is essential – whether it’s workers, food, or art – will likely not lead to consensus. Would you have considered GrubHub drivers “essential” workers at this time last...