By Ann Boehm, December 15, 2020
Dear Santa:
I think I have been very good this year, although 2020 needs to be on the naughty list. I hope you and Mrs. Claus are doing OK during the pandemic.
For Christmas this year, here are some Federal employment law things I’d like:
- A quorum at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). (Two members will do. Three would be really great.)
- A General Counsel at the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).
- Simplification of the Federal equal employment opportunity complaint process. (I know, I’ve been asking for this for a very long time. It’s kind of like the pony I keep asking for – I just know it will show up someday.)
- Labor-management partnerships that are actually balanced exchanges of ideas between unions and management.
- Performance improvement plans /demonstration periods/opportunities to demonstrate performance that stay 30 days long (because that’s always been long enough according to the MSPB).
- Recognition by the Federal unions that bad employees hurt the good ones, even bargaining unit members – and then (this is a big ask) union cooperation with management when management takes care of the bad ones through discipline or performance.
- Decisions from the MSPB (see number 1), the FLRA, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that are based more on the law than on political biases.
- Some kind of amazing alternative dispute resolution process at the MSPB that will help them with their backlog of more than 3,000 appeals.
- Smooth transitions for Federal employees and agencies as people start returning to the workplace, whenever that happens.
- A pony. (I know it’s not really a Federal employment law thing, but I still really want one, and I have to keep trying.)
Thanks, Santa. Be safe out there on Christmas Eve! I can’t wait to see what you bring me! [email protected]
