Employee Using Government Material for Outside Employment Fired But Wins on Appeal
An Air Force employee who was fired for misuse of government resources has won his fight to keep his job.
Year: 2007
National Health Care: A Disaster or Promise of a Better Future?
The topic of national health care is a frequent topic of political speeches and some presidential candidates think they have found a subject that could help them win the White House. But selling the public on a national health care system may not be that easy or may not be something many people want. Many readers have serious reservations about such a system while a smaller number think a national health care system would cost less and provide better health care for some.
Linkin Park, Nuclear Research and Obsession
An employee of a federal nuclear research facility had an obsession and access to a sophisticated computer network. The result was a stalker who terrified a family.
TSP Returns Down in June–Up for the Year and the Quarter
The TSP stock funds are generally down for the month of June. TSP investors should not focus on the returns of one month when investing for their retirement future and, when looking at a longer term time period, the TSP stock funds have been very good to investors. Here are the results.
NLRB v. FLRA: Round Two Coming Up
The Federal Labor Relations Authority recently ruled against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on an issue regarding employees of the NLRB. In a press release, the NLRB announces it is ready for the second round of litigation from two of the federal government’s agencies specializing in labor relations.
2008 Pay Raise on Track: What Arguments Will Sway Congress?
An average 2008 pay raise of 3.5% for federal employees has passed a hurdle in the House of Representatives. Will Congress consider the merit of arguments for and against the pay raise or are other factors at play and will they help or hurt the final action on next year’s pay increase?
National Health Care, Politics and Money
National health care is again a topic of interest in political campaigns and political discussions. Do you favor a national health care program? Do you think such a program will have a negative impact on the quality and availability of health care services? Would you be willing to pay more taxes to implement such a program?
Acquiring a Management Bias: Musings of an Unreconstructed Federal Sector Labor Relations Professional (or so I like to think)
What is a “management bias”? The author describes it as “a sympathy for those who must take the work forward in whatever direction the winds of political change push it.”
Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Against Individual Federal Employees
A rancher filed a lawsuit against employees of the Bureau of Land Management contending with numerous examples that he had suffered several years of harassment and intimidation because he would not grant an easement on his property. The court agreed with the government’s position that when the federal government is the “intended beneficiary of the allegedly extortionate acts,” then the act does not apply. The court concluded that the federal employees could not be sued individually for their campaign against the ownership rights of the rancher.
All Should Be Forgiven–I’m a Whistleblower!
A federal employee who is subject to discipline will sometimes argue that the discipline was in retaliation for whistleblowing activity and that the discipline should be overturned. In this Air Force case, an employee admitted manipulating a process to steer contracts to one company but says the disciplinary action was retaliation. The court doesn’t buy it and leaves the 30-day suspension in place.
