VETERANS IN BUSINESS AWARDS Veterans in Business: Eric Montalvo   Eric Montalvo, founding partner, Federal Practice Group   IN THIS ARTICLE Eric MontalvoPerson Government & RegulationsIndustry Legal ServicesTopic Military & DefenseTopic Professional ServicesIndustry By Emily Van Zandt  – Special Projects Editor, Washington Business Journal Jul 9, 2020, 5:05pm EDT Updated 11 hours ago Ask Eric Montalvo […]

The most notable legal rulings for federal employees this year came in the form of two pro-employee U.S. Supreme Court decisions. But there are other reasons to cheer as well. In Babb v. Wilkie, the Supreme Court reviewed the provision of the 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act applicable to federal employees—29 U.S.C. § 633a(a)—and […]

Ensure managers apply telework policies consistently throughout reopening By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor Washington Bureau IN FOCUS: As employees begin to return to their workplaces, agencies must ensure their telework and reasonable accommodation policies are applied consistently, Joanna Friedman, a partner at the Federal Practice Group, told cyberFEDS®. While many employees are ready […]

Time spent undergoing health screenings could be compensable under the FLSA By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor Washington Bureau IN FOCUS: With entryway health screenings becoming the norm due to the pandemic, questions are likely to arise about whether agencies must pay Fair Labor Standards Act nonexempt employees for time spent going through health […]

4 keys to managing probationary employees during a pandemic By Anjali Patel, Esq., cyberFEDS® Legal Editor Washington Bureau BEST PRACTICE: Even with the challenges of COVID-19, agencies should not waste the opportunity to fully utilize the probationary period to ensure employees can successfully perform the essential functions of the position, employment law expert Robert Erbe […]

Wonder How You’re Going to Go Back to Work? Watch the Postal Service Having helped many of us stay safe at home during the pandemic, USPS is establishing the protocols we may need to return to work and school. JUNE 4, 2020 03:59 PM ET “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night […]

Inspectors general on shaky ground after fast dismissals By Tom Temin | @tteminWFED May 28, 2020 12:39 pm 7 min read        Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. Rapid-fire changes in the ranks of big agency inspectors general by the Trump White House have […]

African-Americans Are Highly Visible in the Military, but Almost Invisible at the Top Seventy-five years after integration, the military’s upper echelons remain the domain of white men. By Helene Cooper May 25, 2020 WASHINGTON — A photograph of President Trump and his top four-star generals and admirals, tweeted in October by Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, […]

Whistleblower Argues Investigation Was Prohibited Retaliation May 18, 2020 In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that a retaliatory investigation, in and of itself, is not a qualifying adverse personnel action under the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA). (Sistek v. Department of Veterans Affairs (CAFC No. 2019-1168)) The petitioner, Leonard […]

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past an American flag in front of a closed business in Florida on Monday. LYNNE SLADKY/AP If you want to listen to the podcast click here. The COVID-19 crisis is into its fourth month and more state and local governments are lifting restrictions meant to safeguard public […]