Your Federal Employee Rights Amid Recent Executive Actions

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I'm Attorney Justin Schnitzer. Our commitment is to represent federal employees in cases of employment violations just as we would want to be represented, all with the aim of achieving decisive victories.

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The Disciplinary Appeals Board (DAB) Process for VA Employees

Read Time: 7 min read

What is the VA Disciplinary Appeals Board? The Disciplinary Appeals Board is a specialized three-person panel that reviews disciplinary actions against certain VA healthcare professionals. It specifically addresses allegations related to professional competence or patient care, evaluating whether employees demonstrated misconduct or incompetence according to their professional standards of practice rather than general employment standards. Legal Framework and Authority The DAB process operates under Title 38 of the U.S. Code, establishing a separate set of rules for VA healthcare workers that differ from the …

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What are Federal Employees’ Union Rights?

Read Time: 6 min read

When your agency announces a policy change or you’re called into what feels like a disciplinary meeting, understanding your union rights becomes suddenly vital. Understanding federal employee union rights is essential for navigating today’s dynamic federal workplace environment. Federal employee unions represent approximately 1.2 million government workers across various agencies, serving as a key shield in workplace disputes and negotiations. For federal employees, these union protections can substantially impact job security, working conditions, and representation during disciplinary actions. However, with each change …

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Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for Federal Employees

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Receiving notification of a Performance Improvement Plan can feel like your federal career is suddenly at risk. That moment when your supervisor hands you a PIP document often triggers immediate anxiety about your future. This article focuses on understanding the performance improvement plan federal government process—what it entails, your rights throughout the process, and effective response strategies to protect your career. What is a performance improvement plan federal government? A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in the federal government is a formal document and process designed to help …

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How to Win an EEOC Complaint for Federal Employees

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To win an EEOC complaint as a federal employee, it’s critical to understand the process from the start. Federal employees can file an EEOC complaint if they believe they’ve faced discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, or other protected categories.  Any federal employee can file, but success begins with meeting deadlines and building a strong, well-documented case starting with the EEO counselor within 45 days of the incident. Facing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint as a …

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Is there a “Best” Age to Retire from the Federal Government?

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As a federal employee approaching retirement, you’re facing one of the most important financial decisions of your career. When planning your retirement, determining the best age to retire from the federal government is an essential consideration. The timing of your retirement affects not just your immediate lifestyle change but potentially decades of financial security. While you might be eager to start the next chapter, the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) creates a complex landscape of age milestones and service requirements that deeply impact your retirement …

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Understanding Your MSPB Appeal Rights as a Federal Employee

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These rights enable eligible employees to contest unfair treatment, receive an impartial hearing, and potentially reverse harmful employment decisions made by their agencies. Who Can File an MSPB Appeal? Not all federal employees have the same appeal rights. Your eligibility depends on your position, employment status, and the type of action being contested. It is critical to determine whether you possess these procedural rights before proceeding. Employees who generally lack MSPB appeal rights include probationary employees (with very limited exceptions), political appointees, employees of …

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MSPB Settlement Amounts: What to Expect in Your Federal Case

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Understanding the MSPB Appeal Process The Merit Systems Protection Board serves as an independent, quasi-judicial agency designed to protect federal merit systems and your rights as a federal employee. Its jurisdiction covers many adverse employment actions that might impact your career, including: If you’re facing one of these actions, you typically have 30 days to file an MSPB appeal. Once filed, an administrative judge (AJ) is assigned to your case and issues acknowledgment and jurisdiction orders. Should your case proceed, …

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How does an MSPB Appeal work?

Read Time: 7 min read

The Board functions as an independent, quasi-judicial agency designed to protect federal merit systems and ensure federal employees receive due process when facing negative personnel actions. The MSPB stands as a neutral arbiter between federal agencies and their employees, ensuring that personnel decisions adhere to merit system principles and remain free from prohibited practices. When you file an appeal, you are essentially asking this independent body to determine whether your agency followed proper procedures and had legitimate grounds for the …

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What is the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)?

Read Time: 8 min read

When federal agencies take actions against employees, the MSPB provides a forum where those decisions can be challenged, reviewed, and potentially reversed. It functions as both arbiter and protector, ensuring that federal employment remains based on merit rather than political connections or personal favoritism. For federal employees, the MSPB represents perhaps the most important check on agency authority and a vital avenue for seeking justice when facing workplace actions that seem unjust or procedurally improper. Related Read: Understanding Your MSPB Appeal Rights …

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What is Schedule F and What You Need to Know as a Federal Employee

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The federal civil service system has traditionally classified positions into different “schedules” that determine hiring processes and job protections. Schedule F represented a major departure from this system by creating a new category specifically for roles that had previously been protected under the competitive service. For you as a federal worker, this signifies a fundamental shift away from the merit-based civil service system that has been in place since the Pendleton Act of 1883. That historic legislation was designed to …

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