Too Sick to Work But Well Enough to Go to a Casino
A twenty-year employee of the Postal Service was fired stemming from misuse of the government-issued credit card. See how he made out when he took his case to court.
Court Cases
Read summaries of court cases and decisions that impact federal employees and retirees.
It was My Attorney’s Fault
Illegal partisan activities triggered an Office of Special Counsel investigation and eventually led to this postal employee’s removal.
Court Concludes Army’s Decision to Deny Purple Heart “Defies Reason”
A Vietnam veteran takes on the Army to try to win a Purple Heart stemming from his combat service. See how he fared.
Two Years Means Two Years
A retired federal employee missed the deadline to elect a survivor annuity for her new husband. She took her case to the appeals court when OPM turned her down. See if she fared any better with the court.
“Good Intentions” Not a Defense
Applying progressive discipline, the IRS ended up firing an employee who dragged his feet every year resulting in late payment of his federal taxes.
The Mailbox Rule Revisited
The author cites a recent court decision in which the court ruled that email is not a viable means of certifying that an employee received a notice of FMLA certification. He says this sets a troubling precedent and describes the problems he believes the case will present for federal managers.
Appeals Court Hands Fired DHS Employee His Job Back
Score this recent published decision by the Federal Circuit as a big and clear win for the fired Customs and Border Agent and his legal team. He could not convince the agency, the Administrative Law Judge, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. But that does not matter because he definitely convinced the court that he had been too harshly treated.
Lawsuit Alleges TSA Agents Unscrewed Urn, Spilled Mother’s Ashes In Man’s Suitcase
A lawsuit filed by a man in Cleveland says that he packed his mother’s remains in his suitcase to fly to Puerto Rico to spread her ashes there according to her wishes but found a very unpleasant surprise when he arrived.
Wording of Divorce Decree Trips up Claim for Survivor Benefits
There are plenty of ways to mess up a divorce decree so that a surviving ex-spouse cannot claim a survivor annuity. This recent case is yet another example of what not to do.
Filing Delay Leads to Loss of Federal Death Benefits
Even though a spouse of forty years was entitled to her husband’s federal death benefits, her estate could not claim them when the widow died before she was able to sign the paperwork.
