Douglas Factor Mitigation for Federal Employees

By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com

There are two parts to a federal employee’s disciplinary case: (1) whether the federal employee committed the offense charged; and (2) if they committed the offense, what should the penalty be? One of the most significant issues in defending a federal employee in disciplinary cases involves arguing for mitigation of the penalty in a disciplinary case.  Arguing for mitigation generally means that we argue for the application of the Douglas Factors in attempting to mitigate (or reduce) disciplinary penalties issued in a case.

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The MSPB Appeals Process for Federal Employees

By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com

We represent federal employees in Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals. In other articles we go into more depth about various individual aspects of the MSPB appeals process, but this article focuses on a general summary of what to expect during the MSPB appeals process. There are sometimes some differences between appeals, but for the most part the major parts of the appeals process follow below.MSPB Appeal Logo Continue reading

Federal Employee Probationary Employee Rights

By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com

This article discusses federal employee probationary rights. Probationary employee rights can be a confusing subject for most federal employees. The rights that these types of employees have can also be unclear or not fully explained by federal agencies to employees.  This article hope to clear this area of law up for federal employees that may be in their probationary status.Probationary Period

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Constructive Discharge for Federal Employees

By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com

In the course of discrimination and termination cases involving federal employees, we are often asked about the concept of constructive discharge, also known as constructive termination or removal. Many federal employees ask what a constructive discharge or constructive removal is and whether it may apply to their case. The best way to describe a constructive discharge claim is as follows: a constructive discharge is a forced resignation or retirement by involuntary means.Constructive Discharge

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Suitability Appeals for Federal Employees & Applicants

By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com 

We often represent federal employees and applicants in suitability responses and appeals. Suitability involves an investigation and review into an federal employee’s background or fitness for employment. Suitability basically concerns a federal agency’s review of an individual’s “character or conduct that may have an impact on the integrity or efficiency of the service.” I have attached a Sample Suitability Letter for reference.

suitability-letter

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