Press Releases | The Law Office of Justin Schnitzer

VA Employees Gain New Rights to Appeal Repayment Orders

Office of Personnel Management finalizes rule offering VA workers a process to contest demands to return bonuses and relocation payments Washington, D.C., August 1, 2025 — The Office of Personnel Management has issued a final rule that for the first time gives current and former Department of Veterans Affairs employees a formal path to challenge orders demanding they repay awards, bonuses or relocation expenses. The regulation, published July 25 in the Federal Register and set to take effect on August 25, creates …

OPM Embraces Telework for Religious Accommodations Following Supreme Court’s Groff v. DeJoy Ruling

New guidance urges agencies to adopt a generous approach—allowing telework for observant federal employees unless denying it is justified by substantial operational impact. Washington, D.C., July 28, 2025 — The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has formally encouraged agencies to approve telework requests made on religious‑observance grounds. This guidance, released in a July 16 memo, instructs agencies to adopt a “generous approach” when reviewing religious accommodation requests, with telework now considered a preferred, cost‑effective option whenever feasible. The memo explicitly …

Trump Creates Schedule G to Expand Political Appointments in Federal Agencies

New classification broadens noncareer roles Washington, D.C., July 28, 2025 — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 17 establishing a new Schedule G classification within the excepted service to cover noncareer policymaking or policy‑advocating roles that typically shift with a presidential transition. The excepted service comprises positions exempt from the competitive‑service hiring process. The order directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to amend 5 CFR Part 213 and other regulations so agencies can begin making appointments under Schedule G, …

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