May 2019 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
One of the best parts about my job, besides all the wonderful people I get to meet, is all the cool places I get to go. A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in Petrified Forest National Park, training a group of supervisors on FELTG’s signature class UnCivil Servant: Holding Federal Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct. After class one day, I put my interagency pass to good use and toured the park. It was my first time there and I have to say – what an amazing place! If you haven’t been, you must go. The photo to the left is a snapshot I took of petrified wood that is over 200 million years old, from trees that were likely standing when dinosaurs roamed the land that is now northeastern Arizona (which, coincidentally, used to be at the latitude of modern-day Costa Rica).
It’s always fun to get a tour of the federal agencies where I train. Whether it’s the National Weather Center in Norman, OK; a high-tech lab in Atlanta, GA where scientists are working to cure diseases; a hydroelectric generator in Grand Coulee, WA; a military hospital in North Carolina; or anywhere else in this great country, it’s such a privilege to see what federal employees work on every day. Thanks for letting FELTG be a part of it. Now it’s time for the May 2019 newsletter. We hope you enjoy.
Take care,
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
They Don’t Call Me ‘Backwards Bill’ for Nothing
By William Wiley, May 15, 2019 Civil service law is a narrow field, we have to admit. A person could be the best litigator or Constitutional lawyer in history, and still trip over some of the intricacies of the law that those of us in the FELTG Nation are supposed to...
The $505 Alternative to Filing a PFR to the [Nonexistent] MSPB
By Deborah Hopkins, May 15, 2019 Everyone who reads this newsletter knows by now that we don’t have a fully functioning Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or Board). Each of the three positions at the top of the agency, reserved for political appointees, has been...
The Good News: I’m an Optimist, Even When It Comes to Dismantling OPM
By Ann Boehm, May 15, 2019 I’m an optimist. I just am. Perhaps that’s why I write a monthly column called “The Good News.” Being optimistic does not always make me right about things, but somehow, I feel better trying to see the bright side. What does this mean in the...
Amazon Versus the Sabbath: Religious Accommodations in the Workplace
By Meghan Droste, May 15, 2019 When I think of a post office, there is one thing that definitely does not come to mind: a social gathering spot (unless you count standing in a long line because you waited far too long to mail a holiday package). It turns out, however,...
Failure to Meet a Medical-related Condition of Employment
By Barbara Haga, May 15, 2019 This month, we look at cases where the condition needed to be met involves some sort of physical capability. Because the employees in these cases had previously performed at a fully successful or better level or the medical showed that...
Tips from the Other Side: May 2019
By Meghan Droste, May 15, 2019 I think it is fair to say that in a lot of ways, discovery is the heavy lifting portion of litigation. It is time-consuming and usually involves a lot of different moving pieces. It may also include some literal heavy lifting as you sort...
God Bless America and Charges That Avoid Intent
By Dan Gephart, May 15, 2019 The Phillies were hitting the stuffing out of the ball, the Sixers were engaged in a physical playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets, and the Eagles were preparing for the NFL Draft. So when I turned on a Philadelphia sports radio station...