January 2019 Federal Employment Law Training Group Newsletter
Celebrating 19 Years in 2019
As 2019 gets under way, we at FELTG are celebrating the start of our 19th year in existence. That’s right, way back in 2001, the idea for this little training company was hatched on the back of a cocktail napkin. Nearly two decades later, we are gearing up for our best year yet – if the government ever fully reopens, that is. That first year, the only training program we taught was a two-day version hitting the tops of MSPB, EEOC, and FLRA law. Today, we have weeklong programs on each of those topics multiple times a year, plus classes on investigations, legal writing, litigation, negotiation, supervisor skills, behavioral health issues, and more.
We know this year has gotten off to a bumpy start. EEOC and FLRA decisions are not being issued because of the shutdown, nor are MSPB initial decisions – not to mention the lack of a quorum at the Board. A number of you are furloughed, or are being required to work without pay. It can be hard to stay positive in such challenging times. Here’s to hoping it all turns around soon and we can fully celebrate 2019 together.
Take care,
Deb
The State of Civil Service: January 2019
By Deborah Hopkins, January 23, 2019 We’re just over three weeks into the new year and it’s safe to say, the state of the civil service hasn’t seen darker days in quite some time – if ever. There has been a lot happening (and a lot NOT happening, unfortunately), and...
Out of Control
By Barbara Haga, January 23, 2019 After my last column regarding off-duty misconduct that resulted in removal, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at other cases with related types of situations where, on first glance, it might appear that there were not...
Irony and the EEOC: You Have to Read It to Believe It
By Deborah Hopkins, January 23, 2019 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is now without a quorum. That’s right. As if no quorum at MSPB for more than two years wasn’t enough, and a multi-week government shutdown didn’t do it for you, EEOC is now helmed by only...
(The EEO) Process is My Valentine
By Meghan Droste, January 23, 2019 Happy new year, FELTG readers! If any of you are looking for new things to pick up in the new year, I strongly recommend podcasts. If you already listen to some, pick out a new show. I am lucky enough to be able to walk to work,...
Tips From the Other Side: January 2019
By Meghan Droste, January 23, 2019 The first Tips from the Other Side for 2019 comes to you from one of my cases. One of my colleagues and I filed a formal complaint on behalf of a client last spring. We didn’t hear a peep in response and after 180 days passed, we...
Robbins in Two Roles is Fascinating, but Is It a Potential Conflict?
By William Wiley, January 23, 2019 While everybody was focused on the shutdown and the holidays, there was a fascinating, and frankly head-scratching, development involving MSPB Acting Chairman Mark Robbins. On December 21, 2018, OPM’s Acting Director Margaret...
The Oscars are Here, So Let’s Talk About Douglas Factor 10
By Dan Gephart, January 23, 2019 It’s Academy Award season. The glitz, the glamour. The flubs, the snubs. The perpetual parade of praise and the incessant asking of the one question that truly grates on me: Who are you wearing? And then it’s all followed the day after...
The Graying of the Federal Workforce
By Jennifer Johnson and George Woods, January 23, 2019 Like many things in life over which we have little control, aging is an inevitable consequence of living. By the year 2030, one in five Americans will be older than age 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau....