If you live in Virginia, you may have picked up on the sweet smell of… excitement??… wafting through the air on July 1, 2021, when recreational marijuana became legal in the Commonwealth. The new laws also include certain employment protections for employees who use medically-prescribed marijuana. However, if you are a federal employee, even ifRead More
Blog
President Biden Nominates Second Member to the MSPB
President Biden has nominated Raymond A. Limon to be a Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Mr. Limon is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital and Diversity, and Chief Human Capital Officer, and he is a career member of the Senior Executive Service at the Department of the Interior (DOI). ThisRead More
Navigating the Informal and Formal Stages of the EEO Complaint Process
For federal employees looking to file EEO complaints based on incidents of unlawful discrimination, understanding the EEO complaint process can be extremely difficult. With many Agency EEO Counselors still working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can also feel even harder than usual to communicate discriminatory incidents to EEO counselors and check the statusRead More
President Biden Nominates New MSPB Chair
On April 28, 2021, President Biden took a highly-anticipated first step towards finally staffing the long vacant board member positions with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). President Biden nominated Cathy Harris of the law firm Kator, Parks, Weiser & Harris in Washington, DC to chair the MSPB. Ms. Harris has practiced employment law forRead More
Hope for movement to nominate board members to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
On April 5, 2021, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. and Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Operations, wrote to President Biden requesting that he prioritize nominating members to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). We have discussed the lack of quorumRead More
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Provides up to 600 Hours Paid Emergency Leave
Included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021, were provisions allowing many federal employees access to up to 600 hours paid emergency leave for coronavirus-related reasons. The emergency leave is similar to the former emergency paid sick leave provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response ActRead More