Attig Law Firm P.L.L.C

In an earlier blog post, I discussed the concept of a “coerced retirement”.   You can view that post by clicking here.

In summary, a “coerced retirement” is a retirement action, that would typically be voluntary, but for the coercive actions of an Agency.  The MSPB only has jurisdiction over a coerced retirement in a handful of situations described in our earlier blog entry.  One of those situations over which the MSPB has jurisdiction occurs when an Appellant alleges that his/her retirement was the result of a medical incapacity to make the decision whether or not to retire.

Generally speaking, to prove up a claim that an employee was medically incapacitated to make the decision to retire, that employee will need  medical testimony to establish the nature of the condition, and how the condition incapacitated the employee.  In nearly every instance, the smart Agency Counsel will produce a medical expert to testify how the employee’s medical condition did not medically incapacitate the employee in the making of the decision to retire.

The question for the MSPB Judge becomes how to evaluate or weigh the testimony of the “competing” experts.   Early in March 2008, the Full MSPB issued a decision analyzing what  type of medical evidence would be needed to prove such a claim.   Adams v. United States Postal Service, 2008 MSPB 46 (March 5, 2008), MSPB Docket No. AT-0752-07-0473-I-1.  This decision also provided some insight into how an MSPB judge should weigh medical testimony in an appeal of a constructive retirement.  The board said that the Judge should weigh:

“…[W]hether the opinion was based on a medical examination, whether the opinion provided a reasoned explanation for its findings as distinct from mere conclusory assertions, the qualifications of the expert rendering the opinion, and the extent and duration of the expert’s familiarity with the treatment of the appellant.”

Basically, otherwise credible and well-reasoned  testimony from the Appellant’s treating physician should “trump” the non-evaluating expert of the Agency.

You can read the full Adams decision on the MSPB website by clicking here.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

Chris Attig, a lawyer with the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, has handled “coerced retirement” appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board.  Mr. Attig says that these appeals present a very unique challenge for appellants: “The Appellant has to overcome a jurisdictional hurdle before getting to discovery.  The Appellant then has to pay extra close attention in discovery to ensure that the Appellant has the documents and evidence necessary to successfully attack the Agency’s case.  On top of that, there is almost no likelihood of settlement.  Agencies rarely want to get involved in the intense amount of detail and coordination  that a “coerced retirement” settlement agreement requires. ”

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals to discuss the facts and law of your particular case, particularly in a coerced retirement or constructive action appeal.  If you think that your Agency may have coerced you into retiring, contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

In the course of your Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) or Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) hearing, you should be told, by the Judge, of your “burdens of proof”.  This phrase is a legal term of art.  If you can understand your “burden of proof”, you will really have a good advantage.  You can structure your case on arguing that you met your burden of proof, or that the Agency failed to meet its burden of proof.

The Burden of Proof is made up of two separate burdens: the Burden of Production and the Burden of Persuasion.  The Burden of Production is the duty to produce factual evidence - whether documentary or testimonial - to the finder of fact (in this case, the Adminstrative Judge).   The Burden of Persuasion is the duty to convince the finder of fact to view the facts that were produced in a certain way.

Here are the legal standards for several legal burdens that you will run into in the MSPB and the EEOC - be forewarned, however, there are more than those listed here.   You can read more about Burdens of Proof at 5 C.F.R. 1201.56

Clear and Convincing Evidence: Here is the definition the MSPB uses: that degree of evidence that produces in the mind of the trier of fact a firm belief as to the allegations sought to be established.  Essentially, this means that it is substantially more likely than not that the disputed fact is true.  The Agency typically has this burden of proof in a whistleblower reprisal case.  Once an Appellant has shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Appellant’s whistle-blowing was  a contributing factor in the personnel action at issue, the Agency can only prevail by showing clear and convincing evidence that it would have taken the adverse action at issue regardless of the Appellant’s whistle-blowing.  You can imagine how difficult this is for an Agency - since you have already convinced the Judge that it is more likely than not that your whistleblowing contributed to the personnel action, it is going to take an awful lot of evidence to convince a Judge to break that connection.

Preponderance of the Evidence:  That degree of relevant evidence that a reasonable person, considering the record as a whole, would accept as sufficient o find that a contested fact is more likely to be true than untrue. This is usually the Agency’s burden in any adverse action case before the MSPB.  It is the Appellant’s burden in any discrimination claim before the EEOC or MSPB (in a mixed case), and the Appellant’s burden in any affirmative defense (whistle-blower reprisal, etc).

Substantial Evidence: That amount of evidence that a reasonable mind would accept as adequate to support a particular conclusion - even though other reasonable minds could reach the opposite conclusion.   This is the Agency’s burden in a performance removal/demotion case.  It is a relatively light burden - the Agency doesn’t have to show that their conclusion is right, and you won’t win if you show that the Agency’s conclusion is wrong.  The Agency need only show that their conclusion was reasonable.  Notice the difference between preponderance and substantial - substantial evidence has nothing to do with whether or not the Agency’s conclusions were true or untrue - only whether they were reasonable. Preponderance, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the reasonableness of the Agency’s conclusion - only whether it is more likely than not true or untrue.  Your defense in a substantial evidence case should be designed in such a way as to persuade the Judge that the Agency’s conclusion is unreasonable.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals or a lawyer familiar with Federal employee EEO complaints to discuss the facts and law of your particular case. If you have questions about the burdens of proof in your MSPB appeal or EEO Complaint, contact an EEO and MSPB attorney at the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

One of the most challenging aspects of Federal employee employment law is the concept of the “mixed case”.    The rules and procedures governing a “mixed case” are so complicated that this post does not seek to explain the “ins and outs” of every situation that could arise in a mixed case.  This post only seeks to explain generally what a mixed case is and how a mixed case should be handled.

So let’s start there. What is a “mixed case”?   A “mixed case” occurs when you have the statutory right to challenge an Agency action in two forums with overlapping jurisdiction - the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).  If an Agency takes an adverse action which is appealable to the MSPB, and you want to allege that action was motivated by improper discrimination or reprisal for protected EEO activity, then you have a mixed case.  In a mixed case, you have the right to choose which forum you want to raise your claim in first - the MSPB or the EEOC.   If you first challenge the mixed-case action in the EEOC, you have what is called a “mixed-case complaint”.  If you first challenge the mixed-case action in the MSPB, you have what is called a “mixed-case appeal”.  The only difference in the two processes is the path they take to get to a ruling by the appropriate judge. Let’s discuss that in more detail.

Mixed Case Complaint -  MD 110, Chapter 3, defines a “mixed case complaint” as a “…complaint of employment discrimination filed with a Federal agency based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or reprisal related to or stemming from an action that may be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The complaint may contain only an allegation of employment discrimination or it may contain additional non-discrimination allegations that the MSPB has jurisdiction to address.  If you file a mixed case complaint, the agency must process the complaint in the same manner as it would any other discrimination complaint.  However, there are a few differences:

• The Agency must tell you, when you file a complaint, that if a Final Agency Decision (FAD) is not issued within one hundred and twenty (120) days after you file your mixed case complaint, you may appeal the matter to the MSPB at any time thereafter or you can file a civil action in certain federal courts. N.B. - Be wary of leaving the administrative process to file in any federal court - this can prove to be a very dangerous proposition. There will be a post on this matter soon.
• When you file a mixed-case complaint, the Agency must tell you that if you are dissatisfied with the Final Agency Decision (FAD) on the mixed case complaint, you may appeal the matter to the MSPB  - not the EEOC - within 20 days of receipt of the FAD;
• The Agency must issue a FAD within 45 days after the date the investigation is completed.
• When the Agency issues a FAD in a mixed case complaint, the Agency must tell you that you have a right to appeal the matter to the MSPB (not EEOC) within 20 days after you received the FAD - this is different from the typical time to appeal to the MSPB, which is 30 days from the date of the adverse action.

Mixed Case Appeal - A “mixed case appeal” is an appeal filed directly with the MSPB that alleges that an appealable agency action was effected, in whole or in part, because of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or age.  The MSPB will process your appeal in the exact same manner that it processes any appeal, and you will carry the burden of proof on your discrimination claims.

The biggest issue with mixed cases involves the dual filing of the matter in the EEOC and the MSPB.  This often occurs when the Agency fails to identify and process your EEO complaint as a mixed case complaint, or when you file a mixed case appeal and the Agency wants to argue that your EEO complaint was filed first.

Another issue that arises with mixed cases is determining which forum is better to initiate you claim in - the EEOC or MSPB.  This is a question that cannot be answered in a blog, as it depends entirely on the particular facts of your case.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals or a lawyer familiar with Federal employee EEO complaints to discuss the facts and law of your particular case. If you think that you have a mixed case, or if you have questions about how to handle your mixed case complaint or mixed case appeal, contact an EEO and MSPB attorney at the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

Another type of benefit to which some federal employees injured on the job are entitled is called a schedule award.  Surprisingly, many employees that call our office to discuss their OWCP case are not familiar with, or have never heard of, a schedule award.

A schedule award is payment by OWCP for a permanent loss (or loss of use) of certain body parts.  (OWCP calls the body parts “members”).  Payment is made for a specified time period based on the degree of the impairment.   (The time period is initially defined by a statutory schedule, hence the term ’schedule award’).

Here are some examples of the time period of payment for certain “members” - i.e., body parts:

• Arm - 312 weeks
• Leg -  288 weeks
• Eye -  160 weeks

So, if because of an on-the-job injury, you suffer total loss of use of your arm, you may be entitled to a payment of 2/3 (or 3/4) of your pay for 312 weeks.  Click on this link to see the full schedule which is listed in 5 U.S.C. 8107.

Not everybody will suffer a total loss of use of a body part.  Some people experience only a partial loss of use that will be permanent.  This occurs very commonly with certain injuries such as carpal/cubital tunnel, and other joint or musculo-skeletal injuries or diseases.  How does OWCP calculate the schedule award benefit?

First, you will need to tell OWCP that you have reached what is called MMI - Maximum Medical Improvement.   Only your doctor can make this determination.

After you reach MMI, you will want to have your doctor prepare a report assessing your impairment rating.  To do this, your doctor MUST use the AMA Guide to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairments (5th Edition), and must make specific references to the pages, tables and charts that (s)he relied on in reaching her conclusions about the degree of your permanent impairment. This impairment rating must also fix the date that your loss of use became permanent, and sufficiently describe the character and degree of the impairment so the claims examiner can visualize the permanent loss or loss of use.

Very few doctors are familiar with OWCP’s somewhat onerous requirements for an impairment rating.  In fact, many doctors run screaming when they hear the phrase “Federal Workers’ Compensation” (wouldn’t you, if you could?).   It is advisable to consult with a lawyer familiar with OWCP claims if you need an impairment rating for a schedule award.

Once you have this “impairment rating”, send it to OWCP - not your Agency - with your application for a schedule award (use form CA-7).  If OWCP denies your request, you will have the same appeal rights that you have for any other denied benefit - 30 days to request a hearing and 1 year to request reconsideration.

That’s a schedule award in the proverbial nutshell.  You should know that you cannot get a schedule award for permanent loss of use to your back, brain or heart.  Congress has specifically excluded these parts of your body from schedule award compensation.

It is also worth noting that you cannot receive a schedule award payment at the same time you are receiving disability benefits (wage loss compensation) from OWCP.  If you accept a schedule award, your wage-loss will stop while the schedule award is paid. If there is still a loss in earning capacity after the schedule award is paid out, then you will be entitled to request wage-loss compensation again.

While you cannot accept disability benefits (wage loss compensation) from OWCP and OPM disability retirement benefits at the same time, you can receive a schedule award at the same time as you are receiving OPM disability retirement benefits.   This may leave you in a quandry about which benefits to apply for and when.

If you have questions about your eligibility for a schedule award, whether your doctor’s impairment rating will pass OWCP muster, or just questions about which benefits to apply for and when, you can consult with a lawyer familiar with OWCP claims by contacting an OWCP attorney at  the Attig Law Firm.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and this information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees. We are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, more information, more knowledge and more power. However, we are not providing you with legal advice by giving you access to this information.

When are you entitled to take Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave? That answer depends in large part on the particular Agency you work for. Many Agencies have internal rules and procedures implementing FMLA - while they differ slightly from Agency to Agency, they can never be more strict than the requirements that appear below.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:

• the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter;
• the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care;
• the care of spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition; or
• a serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her positions.

Your Agency may define the 12 month period in one of two ways. It can either be a calendar year or, in some situations, Agencies can use a “rolling 12 months”. Your 12 months would start on the first day you are granted any FMLA leave. Some Agencies do this to prevent employees from taking 12 weeks off in October-December of one year, and then January to March in the subsequent year.

Under certain conditions, an employee may use the 12 weeks of FMLA leave intermittently. An employee may elect to substitute annual leave and/or sick leave, consistent with current laws and OPM’s regulations for using annual and sick leave, for any unpaid leave under the FMLA.

When making the request, you need only two things: a request and a medical certification.

Although Agencies will often prefer that you use an SF-71 or its equivalent, the request for FMLA need not be on any particular form. In fact, an employer is supposed to provide you information about your rights and responsibilities under FMLA if the employer becomes aware of any circumstances which might qualify for FMLA. We recently settled a case with an Agency that fired an employee because she didn’t use SF-71 to request the leave. Needless to say, our client appealed the decision to the MSPB and was restored to the Agency rolls (although it took a day of a hearing before the MSPB to convince a very stubborn Agency to settle the appeal). The request should indicate the dates you would like to take off, that you are taking the time off for one of the qualifying events listed above, and should - if possible - give 30 days notice to the employer. The 30 day notice does not apply in all situations, as medical emergencies occur and 30 days notice is not always possible.

In addition to the request, you will need to provide a medical certification. Agencies sometimes put onerous burdens on what employees need to provide in their medical certification. This is improper. In order to ensure that your medical certification is not immediately rejected by your Agency, you should consider using the form found at this link. However, all that a medical certification requires under FMLA is the following items:

1. The date the serious health condition commenced;
2. The probable duration of the serious health condition or, if the condition is chronic, a statement that the condition is chronic, the patient is currently incapacitated, and the frequency of the symptoms;
3. Appropriate medical facts about the condition, the incapacitation and the treatment (this need only be a very general statement);
4. A statement that the employee is incapacitated for duty or is unable to perform at least one essential function of the job (you may need to provide additional statements if the FMLA leave is for treatment/care of someone other than yourself.)

Your doctor may balk at the idea of giving your employer too much information - and rightly so. Your medical matters are private, and the Agency is only required to know as little about them to properly maintain FMLA leave records. If you have any questions about whether your medical certification is sufficient under FMLA, give us a call or send us an email and we’d be happy to take a look at it.

Any leave granted under FMLA is typically Leave Without Pay (LWOP). You can substitute accrued annual or accrued sick leave for the LWOP so that you don’t experience a loss in pay.

FMLA is not meant to be a “gotcha”. Nor is meant to be difficult for employees to apply for and receive. Unfortunately, too many Agencies treat it as such and discipline employees for taking leave under FMLA. Common charges include AWOL, Failure to Properly Request Leave, Failure to Follow Leave Procedures, Failure to Follow Instructions, etc.   If you feel you have been improperly denied FMLA, or feel you have been the victim of a disciplinary or other adverse action because you applied for or took FMLA, it is important to consult with a lawyer familiar with FMLA and your right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals to discuss the facts and law of your particular case. If you think that your Agency improperly denied FMLA or took an adverse action against you because you asked for or were granted FMLA leave, contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

Continuation of Pay (COP) is a benefit available to federal employees who are injured on the job.   This benefit amounts to payment, by the employing Agency, of the employee’s regular pay for up to 45 days while the employee seeks medical treatment.   COP is only available to those employees that suffer a traumatic injury - not those that have an occupational disease.

If you believe you are entitled to COP, file form CA-1 within thirty (30) days of the on-the-job injury.  Your employing Agency will be required to pay COP unless it can “controvert” - disprove entitlement t0 -  the benefit.  An Agency can controvert COP benefits by showing any one thing from the list below:

1. the disability is due to an occupational disease or illness (remember, you can only claim COP for a traumatic injury;
2. the employee served without pay or received only nominal pay;
3. the employee is neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States;
4. the injury occurred off the employer’s premises and the employee was not engaged in authorized “off premises duties”;
5. the injury was caused by the employee’s willful misconduct (used most often when an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the injury);
6. the injury was not reported on Form CA-1 within 30 days after the injury;
7. the employee first stopped work more than 45 days after the injury;
8. the employee first reported the injury after employment ended;
9. the employee is enrolled a group covered by special legislation (Peace Corps, Job Corps, Youth
   Conservation Corps, work-study program, etc.)

The employer can stop COP in only a limited set of circumstances.  One of those may occur if, prior to the injury, you had received notice of a disciplinary action that might result in loss of wages (suspension, removal, etc.).  The employer may also temporarily (or permanently) stop COP if you haven’t provided medical evidence of a disabling traumatic injury within ten (10) days of making the claim for COP.  Finally, the employer may stop COP if your doctor finds you partially disabled and you refuse (or refuse to respond to) a suitable offer of work.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with federal employee OWCP claims to discuss the facts and law of your particular case.  If you think that you may be entitled to COP, or have questions about COP benefits or any OWCP benefits or claims, contact an attorney at the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

In any EEO case, the Federal employee will be required to prove their claim of discrimination. Understanding what they must prove can often be difficult and confusing. Generally speaking, the Judge will follow the McDonnell-Douglas test in determining whether or not the claimant has met their burden of proof. This test is named for the famous US Supreme Court decision that laid out the test. McDonnell Douglas v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802 (1973)

The three parts of the McDonnell-Douglas test are this:

1. The complainant bears the burden of production to show a ‘prima facie’ case of discrimination;
2. If the complainant shows a ‘prima facie’ case, the burden of production shifts to the Agency to show that they had a legitimate non-discriminatory reason for the action complained of;
3. If the Agency shows a legitimate non-discriminatory reason for its action, the burden of production shifts back to the complainant to show what is called ‘pretext’.

We will discuss each of these elements in upcoming posts. You can click on the link in the above text to go to each post, once it is has been published.

It is important to note, however, that in the law there is a large difference between a “burden of production” and a “burden of persuasion”. The burden of production means only that the party must put forth evidence of the particular element. The burden of persuasion, however, means that the party must persuade the finder-of-fact (in Federal Employee EEO cases, this is the EEOC Administrative Judge) of the correctness of their evidence. In an EEO case, the burden of persuasion always stays with the Complainant (the federal employee). The burden of production - producing evidence to support a claim, shifts if the other party meets its burden. Think of it as a tennis match - if you serve the ball to the Agency, they can either return the ‘ball’ to you by producing evidence of a legitimate non-discriminatory reason, or they can miss the ‘ball’. Generally speaking, if the Agency doesn’t return the ‘ball’ you served, you might be able to prevail without any further proof. (This is not always the case however, and you should consult with a Federal Employee EEO attorney to discuss the facts of your particular case)

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with federal employee EEOC complaints (or MSPB mixed-case appeals) to discuss the facts and law of your particular case. If you have questions about the burden-shifting process, or any claims about your Federal employee EEO complaint, contact an attorney at the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

There are several types of appeals which can be made to the MSPB which are “constructive” in nature.   A constructive action occurs when the Agency didn’t actually take an action but can still be held liable as if they took the action.  One example of a constructive action is a constructive suspension - you can read about it by clicking here.

Another type of constructive action is the coerced retirement.   Typically, the MSPB does not have jurisdiction over an employee’s retirement. Why?  Because in most cases, the decision to retire is the choice of the employee not the Agency.  There are situations, however, when the circumstances surrounding a retirement could be described as “coercive”.  In those situations, the MSPB might have jurisdiction over a claim of “involuntary or coerced retirement”.

Here are the common situations when a retirement could be alleged as coerced:

1. The Agency was about to take a personnel action (suspension, removal, etc) which had no legitimate basis and which motivated the employee to retire.
2. The employee was medically or mentally incapacitated from making the decision to retire
3. The employee relied on erroneous advice from the Agency that influenced the decision to retire
4. The totality of the circumstances were such that a reasonable person in the employee’s situation would have felt compelled to resign.

[There may be other scenarios where a retirement is considered to be coerced, so you should talk to an MSPB attorney to discuss the facts of your case.]  The above scenarios are not easy to prove - you generally have to have some pretty good evidence to prevail on your claim.  Moreover, since the Board may not have jurisdiction over your claim until you prove one of the above types of coercion, the issue of whether or not to hold a hearing can often get quite tricky.

A common example is that in most cases, when an Agency is about to fire a senior employee who is retirement eligible, they will often give the employee an opportunity to retire in lieu of the termination.  Some of the Agency attorneys I used to work with called this a “Last Rites” meeting, which always seemed rather crass to me.  Nonetheless, the MSPB has often found that just because an employee had a tough decision - choosing to retire or challenge being fired - does not mean that they were coerced to retire.

I’ve provided an example of a case (through the link below) where the full MSPB has recently reversed the decision made at the regional level; this decision shows a scenario where an Agency may have coerced an employee’s retirement - it is important to note that the Agency has not been found (yet) to have coerced this employee into retirement.  This decision is noteworthy because the full MSPB decision actually discusses the factual circumstances which surrounded the retirement at issue in the case.  You can read the decision in Jones v. Dept. of Treasury, MSPB Docket No. DA-0752-07-0206-I-1 (December 13, 2007) by clicking here.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a lawyer familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals to discuss the facts and law of your particular case.  If you think that your Agency may have coerced you into retiring, contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

Most employees do not know that they do not have to be the actual victim of a “sexual harasser” to be harmed by sexual harassment.   People who are not the target of sexual harassment but who work in environments where sex harassment is occurring can file “third party” and “bystander” harassment suits. These types of claims can be filed by men or women.

There are two types of third-party sexual harassment claims: “quid pro quo” or hostile environment.

“Quid pro quo” is a Latin phrase meaning “something for something” or “this for that”.  In laymen’s terms this simply means “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”.  Quid pro quo sexual harassment is the most commonly known - in exchange for some sexual favor, an employee is given a benefit or boost in the workplace.    How can this affect a third-party - someone other than the employee giving the “sexual favor”?  Simple - when the employee who is not harassed loses a job benefit or opportunity to someone who is less qualified that submitted to the sexual harassment.

Here’s an example that really happened.  The manager of a small and specialized workgroup had a sexual affair with his subordinate and administrative assistant.  The manager gave his “girlfriend” extra bonuses, time-off without using leave, flexible schedules, etc., that weren’t available to other administrative assistants in the office.  Another administrative assistant realized that she was losing out on job opportunities and benefits (she was much more qualified than the paramour for the paramour’s job) because of the affair the boss was having; she realized that unless she slept with the boss, she wasn’t going to get ahead.  This is a classic form of third-party “quid pro quo” sexual harassment.

The second type of third-party sexual harassment is “hostile environment”.   Consider the same scenario above - if one employee who grants sexual favors is given preferential treatment, the motivation and work performance of other employees may be negatively affected.  This is a tough case to prove - not because it doesn’t happen or there isn’t evidence of it, but because you will have to prove the harassment was “excessive, pervasive and opprobrious”.  That means, essentially, that the harrassment was severe enough that it would shock the conscience of the average person, it occurred over a significant period of time, and the negative effects were unmistakeable and long-lasting.

If you think you may be the victim of third-party or bystander sexual harassment - or the victim of any discrimination in the Federal workplace -  contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, today to discuss your situation.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and this information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.  We are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, more information, more knowledge and more power about your MSPB appeal, EEO Complaint or OWCP claim.  We are not providing you with legal advice by giving you access to this information.

By far, this is the most common question that is asked during consultations.  The quick answer is “Yes, you should apply for both if you believe you are entitled to both”.  However, you will not be able to receive both at the same time.

If you are eligible for disability retirement through OPM, then apply for it.  At the same time, if you are eligible for disability compensation from OWCP, apply for it.  If you are granted both you will have to make an election between the two.  If you accept both, and the mistake isn’t caught, it is highly likely that sometime down the road you will get hit with a huge bill from Uncle Sam seeking recoupment of overpaid benefits.

One word of caution - if the Agency removes you from the rolls, you have only one (1) year from the date of separation to apply for disability retirement through OPM.  Do not miss this deadline - as discussed throughout this Blog, the government loves their deadlines, and they stick to them ferociously.  Unless you have legal “good cause” for missing the one-year deadline to apply for OPM disability retirement, you will have forever lost your ability to apply for that benefit.

There are reasons why you may or may not want to accept one or the other.  The biggest advantage of OWCP disability compensation payments is that they are currently not taxed - at least as of the date of this post (December 27, 2007).  There are other advantages and disadvantages you should consider - every situation is a little bit different. Contact a lawyer at the Attig Law Firm to discuss your specific OWCP or OPM disability retirement questions.

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and this information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.  We are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, more information, more knowledge and more power.  However, we are not providing you with legal advice by giving you access to this information.