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
Blog
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
Actions Taken to Repair Federal Labor-Management Relations in President Biden’s First Week in Office
It has been less than a week since President Joe Biden took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, but the new administration has wasted no time in making efforts to repair damaged labor-management relations in the federal workforce. On Day 1, President Biden issued an “Executive Order on Advancing RacialRead More
Hopes and Expectations for the Biden Administration
It has been a rough four years for the rights of federal employees. From a gutted Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), to a Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) that has seemingly gone rogue, to a series of Executive Orders signed by President Trump weakening employee and Union rights, some of us who practice in federalRead More
Waiting in Limbo Due to a Pending Security Clearance Adjudication?
When an employee’s security clearance eligibility comes into question, the length of time it takes to adjudicate that employee’s security clearance eligibility can feel painstakingly long. For civil service employees employed by the Department of Defense (DoD), adjudications of security clearances are performed by a central DoD Agency called the Department of Defense Consolidated AdjudicationRead More