November 2021 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
How Are You Doing – Really?
The days are getting shorter, the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching its two-year anniversary (is that even the right word?), and many of us still haven’t been back to the physical workplace since March 2020. While we are so fortunate to have virtual tools to stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues, and to work from home on such a long-term basis, this pandemic has taken a toll on people, and Federal workers are no exception. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the toll it has also taken on the workers who have been on the front lines every day, putting themselves at risk in order to provide important services to the American people.
That’s why on December 9, FELTG is holding a two-hour virtual training event Managing Employee Mental Health Challenges During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. You’ll learn important tools you can use to help when an employee is dealing with a behavioral or mental health struggle. As the name suggests, these tools will be helpful even after the pandemic is over.
We discuss more on mental health in this month’s newsletter, along with articles about avoiding due process violations when enforcing the vaccine mandate, directives encouraging union membership, reasonable accommodation, and more.
Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President
Is Removing Fed for Lack of Vaccination a Potential Due Process Violation?
By Deborah Hopkins, November 17, 2021 Executive Order 14043 requiring all Federal employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, unless the employee qualifies for a legal exemption (disability or religious belief), it’s all but certain your agency...
The Good News: Administration’s LR Oxymorons Aren’t as Bad as They Seem
By Ann Boehm, November 17, 2021 I think oxymorons are kind of fun. An “oxymoron” is “a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings,” according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. You know — jumbo shrimp, military intelligence (I have to...
Go the Extra Yard to Support Feds With Mental Health Conditions
By Dan Gephart, November 17, 2021 On the day Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive lineman Lane Johnson returned to action after a three-game absence, Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Calvin Ridley announced that he was stepping away from football for a while. What’s the big...
The Word ‘Reasonable’ is Half of Reasonable Accommodation
By Deborah Hopkins, November 17, 2021 Numerous EEOC decisions were recently published, and one case dealing with disability accommodation caught my attention. As most FELTG readers know, after receiving a request for reasonable accommodation, an agency "must make a...
What are Management Rights?
By Michael Rhoads, November 16, 2021 If your agency’s union hasn’t already started the process of renegotiating your collective bargaining agreement, then now is the time to consider what your strategy will be when the union does come calling. When it comes to...
Performance Plans Work When They Include Effective and Timely Feedback
By Barbara Haga, November 17, 2021 You have a very clear and understandable and reasonable performance plan in place. That’s great. What now? Is this something you will pull out at progress review time or at the end of cycle and use to provide a rating – or will you...