EPA To Face Congressional Gauntlet Over Toxic Mine Spill
Despite Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy’s acceptance of “full responsibility” for the early-August spill of millions of gallons of toxic wastewater into Colorado’s Animas River, members on Capitol Hill are eager to instill accountability on the agency.
Federal Circuit Reverses MSPB Decision on Forced Reassignment
A National Park Service Superintendent at Sitka National Historical Park was removed from her position after she refused a management-directed reassignment to a different position.
Senators Question Payroll Service Centers On Reporting Tax Information Of Federal Employees
Seeking to shield the government and its employees from identity theft and tax fraud, the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote a letter last week to the government’s four payroll providers seeking clarification on reporting practices for employees’ wage and tax statements (Form W-2) to the Social Security Administration and state tax agencies
Fifth Circuit: Protection Not Available for Disclosures of Purely Private Wrongdoing
An International Examiner at the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) received a proposed removal on September 2010 and was removed in November 2010. In 2013, the employee filed an individual right of action (“IRA”) appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board (“MSPB”), citing his Office of Special Counsel (“OSC”) complaint claiming that he had been retaliated against after making protected whistleblower disclosures to his supervisor and the Commissioner of the IRS in February 2010 regarding an alleged $500 million tax fraud perpetrated by ExxonMobil.
Management Groups Seek Congressional Investigation Into Union “Hit List”
Two associations representing federal managers and executives have sent a letter to Capitol Hill requesting an investigation “into a troubling development at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that threatens to further destabilize labor-management relations at a department that has faced serious challenges in recent years.”
Refusing Order to Violate Rule or Regulation is Not Protected Whistleblower Activity
Refusing to comply with an order that would require a federal employee to violate an agency rule or regulation is not protected whistleblower activity, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) recently held.
House Committee Monthly Terror Threat Snapshots Track Growing Violent Extremism
“Terror threats to the U.S. homeland have reached unprecedented levels. There have been 116 homegrown jihadist plots in America since 9/11— more than half of those have occurred in just the past three years,” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said in June.
GAO Declines Reconsideration of Disposable Utensil Purchase Ban
In 2013, the Department of Commerce informed the National Weather Service Employee Organization (“NWSEO” or “union”) that it would no longer provide eating utensils to workers due to a lack of funds, despite a September 2009 memorandum of understanding pledging the purchase of said utensils.
Re-Discover the Area's National Parks
Tune in to FEDtalk this week to discover the many offerings of the region’s national parks from the park representatives themselves. Summer is wrapping up, but there's still time for a day trip to Harpers Ferry, an afternoon in the sun at Anacostia Park, or attending one of Rock Creek Park’s numerous events.
Bipartisan Senate Bill Promotes Agency Cyberhygiene
New legislation introduced in the Senate seeks to promote cybersecurity within the federal government by requiring agency Inspector General reports on the security practices and software used by agencies.
Federal Circuit Differentiates Between 2 Types of Reprisal
A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation employee filed a Step 1 grievance with the Agency after being issued a Letter of Warning regarding comments he allegedly made that potentially violated the agency’s anti-harassment policy.
House Approves Bill to Scale Back VA Workforce Due Process Protections
Legislation approved in the House last week would put the entire workforce at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on the same footing as VA Senior Executives who saw their workforce protections and due process rights shrunk last year following the agency waitlist scandal.
EPA OIG Report Reveals Common Problems in Issuing Discipline
A June report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Inspector General criticized the actions of agency management regarding disciplinary actions against employees. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) report alleged a “culture of complacency” at the EPA that led to lax time and attendance controls, as well as lengthy delays in issuing discipline to offending employees.
Federal Managers Face Challenge of Discrimination Issues in the Workplace
Being a manager or supervisor has long been one of the most difficult jobs in the federal workforce, given the myriad challenges inherent in running an efficient office, in addition to following all government-wide regulations.
Legalization of Marijuana has no Bearing on Federal Prohibition for Employees
With the ushering in of a new law legalizing the possession of marijuana in the District of Columbia, there is bound to be some amount of confusion among the roughly 500,000 federal employees who live in the area surrounding the nation’s capital.
Survey Shows Federal Managers Embracing Technology
A recent survey of senior federal employees has revealed that federal managers largely approve of the use of digital technology and wish their agencies would increase such usage, while simultaneously fretting that the federal government is not adapting to today’s technology as quickly as the private sector.