Workers for any company have rights, and employees of the United States government are no different. When those rights are violated, a specific process is put in place with the aim of bringing about a just resolution. For some government workers, the federal employee administrative grievance process is the means of seeking that just solution. To understand the different...
Continue ReadingThe recent pandemic has shaken the workplace – especially for federal workers across the country. Federal workers are required to take the COVID-19 vaccination in an attempt to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. However, exemptions are available for workers who have a physical disability or a religion that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. The regulations surrounding religious...
Continue ReadingFederal employees got some good news recently. On December 22, President Biden issued an executive order effectively confirming a pay raise for government workers. What is the Federal Employee Pay Raise for 2022? As of January 1, 2022, all General Schedule (GS) employees will see their pay increased by 2.2 percent. While Congress does have the authority to halt...
Continue ReadingWorking for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) provides job security, benefits, and ample opportunity for career advancement. According to Glassdoor, about 68% of VA employees would recommend their position to a friend. The most common benefits of working for the VA include steady employment and good benefits, but the most common drawbacks include employees feeling overworked and...
Continue ReadingBoth employers and government officials have set strict mandates regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. However, many federal workers oppose these new regulations because it makes it difficult to uphold personal beliefs in the workplace. If you are a federal employee who doesn’t want to follow the mandates requiring you to take the COVID-19 vaccination, you might be wondering if it could...
Continue ReadingPines Federal finished as a 2021 Best of Georgia winner in the Employment & Labor Law Firms category. Pines Federal was recently named among the winners of the 2021 Best of Georgia campaign. Pines Federal finished as a Best of Georgia winner in the Employment & Labor Law Firms category. Each year since the inception of the Best of...
Continue ReadingLast month, Pines Federal Attorney’s Justin Schnitzer and Amanda Moreno won a precedent setting EEO Case allowing a FAA Employee who attempted to display Chanukah decorations in the office and was asked to take them down by a Union representative. The Administrative Judge found that the employee should have been to allowed at the very least to decorate the...
Continue ReadingA federal judge in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims recently granted final approval of a $160 million settlement for unpaid overtime on behalf of nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 3,200 class members alleged they were forced to work unpaid overtime hours to update patients’ electronic health records and monitor and...
Continue ReadingIf you have been subjected to a suspension, demotion, or termination that was unwarranted or discriminatory, you may be able to take your complaint to the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB). The Merit System Protection Board is an independent entity of the federal government’s executive branch that hears complaints or appeals from federal workers about certain actions taken against...
Continue ReadingUsed mostly as a disciplinary measure, suspensions often affect a federal employee’s pay. Depending on the offense, suspensions can be brief or indefinite. If you are facing such a suspension, you still have rights. You are not forced to blindly accept this action. In this article, we will review the different types of suspensions federal employees face and what...
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