November 2019 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
No More Sleeping in GSA Buildings
I was a little shocked to see that GSA posted a Federal Management Regulation banning sleeping in federal buildings. My first thought was, “Why does GSA think we need a regulation about this?” My second thought was, “Who in the world put this on GSA’s radar?”
Further articles on the topic reveal that GSA’s intent was not to make it improper to snooze off at your desk after lunch, but rather to ban overnight sleeping or camping out. Read the language of the posting, though, and you won’t find that detail. Does this mean employees are allowed to sleep as long as it happens during work hours? Of course not. Since the beginning of time, federal supervisors have been free to set reasonable workplace rules for employees that include, for example, not allowing employees to sleep at work.
But, while it may be a common practice to have overnights in many workplaces (including on the Hill, as it’s long been reported), if you work in a GSA building, you’re now out of luck.
With that it’s on to the November 2019 FELTG Newsletter.
Take care,
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
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Can You Fire A Federal Employee for Body Odor or Bad Hygiene?
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