Here is a link to a great article about OPM Deputy Director Christine Griffin. Ms. Griffin is working to improve the Federal Government’s track record in hiring diverse applicants.  It appears that her focus will be on increasing diversity in Federal Government for females, Hispanics, and disabled workers.

The Federal Government is tasked, by law, with being the Model Employer for hiring and retaining and accommodating disabled employees.  However, in every year since 1994 (with one exception), the percentage of disabled [...]

December 16, 2009:  Congress has finalized a 2 percent raise for General Schedule (GS) employees.  The budget measure specifies paying 1.5 percentage points to base pay and splitting funds for the remaining half-percent as locality pay.

Wage grade employees, who are paid under a separate system, will have their raises capped at the amount going to GS employees in their location; wage grade raises are paid at varying times of the year.

New pay tables will be issued with an upcoming presidential order on the raise, [...]

The  MSPB, with new Board members, issued three (3) decisions earlier this month.  Those three decisions had three things in common:

1) The employing Agency was the USPS in each of the  MSPB appeals

2) Each of the  MSPB Judges reversed was from the San Francisco Regional Office

3) Each of the 3 cases dealt with “restoration rights” for Federal employees who had recovered from an on-the-job injury.

4) Each of the 3 cases reinforced the incorporation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and [...]

Many individuals that are currently receiving OWCP wage loss compensation and/or a schedule award ask us whether they can simultaneously receive disability compensation from  OWCP and federal  disability retirement from OPM at the same time.

You cannot receive wage loss compensation from  OWCP and federal  disability retirement payments from  OPM at the same time.  Deciding which benefit to choose is a decision that is meant for another post, and involves considerations of whether or not you will be able to return to [...]

Your managers have training on Employment Law, why don’t the workers?

Mr. Attig is founder of the Attig Law Firm, a Firm that regularly represents Federal Employees before the EEOC, MSPB, OWCP, OPM and OWCP.  Clients, potential clients, and various employee organizations have commented on how helpful Mr. Attig’s straightforward and candid explanations of Federal Employment laws, processes, and forums have been to them.

Mr. Attig is available to come to your organization, union, workplace, or association to speak and/or train your [...]

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”.  When I say “both”, I am referring to wage loss compensation benefits from  OWCP and federal disability retirement from  OPM.  If you are eligible for  federal disability retirement through  OPM, then apply for it. At the same time, if you are eligible for disability compensation from OWCP, apply for it.

However, you will not [...]

Many federal employees find it necessary to enter a period of leave without pay (LWOP) and/or accept Workers’ Compensation benefits from OWCP to recover from a partial or total temporary disability that resulted from an on the job injury. But what happens after the employee has fully recovered from that temporary disability?

Employees who have fully recovered from disability and can perform the duties of their prior position may have what are called “restoration rights”. That is, a [...]