Key points: Threshold for showing eligibility for exception is higher than people think Agencies can ask for more documentation if they suspect request is not legitimate Public safety will likely outweigh an employee’s personal religious belief against vaccination 5 key considerations for medical/religious exceptions from the vaccine mandate By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor […]

Federal workers can be fired for refusing vaccination, but must show up to work until their cases are determined, new guidance says September 17, 2021 7:16 PM Federal employees can be fired for refusing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, but as their disciplinary cases wind through the system, they will report to work alongside […]

Federal Circuit Hit the VA with a One-Two Punch in Rulings in Favor of Employees Two recent court cases offer an important precedent for protecting due process rights of federal employees. By Louise Ryder and Debra D’Agostino September 16, 2021 2:35 PMCategories Court CasesLeave a Comment With two precedential decisions, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the […]

DOJ says agencies can require vaccines under Food, Drug, Cosmetic Act By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor Washington Bureau IN FOCUS: Agencies that want to require employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations can point to a recent Justice Department memorandum opinion to President Biden, which concludes that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act “does not […]

4 key considerations when collecting vaccine status information By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor Washington Bureau IN FOCUS: Although agencies must have employees attest to their vaccine status and impose additional safety protocols on those who are unvaccinated, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force’s most recent updates to the model safety principles do not […]

Possible vaccine mandate for federal employees raises host of tricky questions, attorneys say Nicole Ogrysko@nogryskoWFED July 28, 2021 6:29 pm 7 min read        The tide may be shifting on COVID-19 vaccines for the federal workforce. President Joe Biden said Tuesday a vaccine mandate for federal employees was “under consideration,” a day after the Department […]

CONGRESS Congress again ponders the next round of whistleblower reform May 27, 2021 11:21 am 8 min read        Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. A bill from the House Oversight and Reform Committee would fix what members see as holes in the legal […]

What Federal Employees Should Know About OPM’s New Guidance on COVID-19 Leave The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released new guidance concerning the emergency paid leave program for federal employees included in the American Rescue Plan, which created a $570 million fund administered by OPM to pay for leave related to COVID-19. This guidance […]

When the Watchdogs Need Guard Dogs, IG Reform is Urgently Needed In response to President Trump’s so-called Friday night massacres of several IGs, and other problems with OIGs the Trump Administration brought to light, legislation aimed at reforming OIGs has been compiled into the Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act, which members of the House […]

Agencies Must Enroll Security Clearance Holders in Continuous Vetting Programs As part of the federal government’s ongoing initiative to modernize the security clearance process, all federal agencies must enroll the remainder of their employees and contractors holding security clearance in the new continuous vetting program by the end of September 2021. The initiative, known as […]