What Is the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)? Guide for Federal Employees (2026)
What Is the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)? The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent federal agency that hears appeals from federal employees challenging serious personnel actions such as removals, suspensions, demotions, suitability determinations, and other adverse actions. The MSPB operates as a neutral, court-like body to ensure federal agencies comply with civil […]
New EEOC Telework Guidance: What Federal Employees Need to Know About Disability Accommodations and Return-to-Office Policies
By Gary L. Levine, Levine Federal Law Introduction The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new guidance addressing when telework must be provided as a reasonable accommodation for federal employees with disabilities. You can read the guidance here:https://www.eeoc.gov/FAQ-federal-sector-telework-accommodations-disabilities This guidance comes at a critical time. Federal agencies are increasingly requiring employees to return to […]
Full-Time Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation — What Federal Employees Need to Know
Federal telework policy is in flux — and that has serious implications for federal employees seeking telework as a reasonable accommodation under disability law. While agencies are pushing return-to-office policies, disability law still requires individualized accommodation decisions. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities unless […]
How to Respond to a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) — A Federal Employee Survival Guide
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) can feel like a warning shot — and in many cases, it is. Federal agencies rarely issue PIPs as casual feedback; they are often a precursor to discipline, proposed removal, proposed demotion or forced retirement. Our experience is that many PIPs are poorly written, vague, and inconsistently supported. Supervisors frequently […]
How Removal from Federal Service Impacts Your Retirement — And How to Protect Your MSPB Rights
1. Removal Does Not Forfeit Vested FERS or CSRS Benefits Once you are vested in FERS or CSRS (generally after 5 years of creditable civilian service), your earned retirement benefits remain yours even if you are removed for performance or misconduct. You retain your service credit, pension contributions, and your TSP balance. Only narrow national-security-related […]
Missed an EEOC or MSPB Deadline? Why You Should Still Talk to an Attorney Immediately
Federal employees often believe that once a filing deadline has passed—the 45‑day EEO contact window or the 30‑day MSPB appeal deadline—their case is over. Unfortunately, many who reach out to my office do so only after these windows have expired, convinced they have “no options.” That assumption can cost you your career. Even if you’re […]
Thinking Long-Term: Why Federal Employees Should Not Give Up After an Unjust Removal
In times of political transition, federal employees often find themselves caught in the crossfire. When the current administration takes an aggressive approach toward discipline, reorganization, or personnel changes, good employees can be swept up in politically motivated removals or “for cause” actions that are more about politics than performance. If you’ve been terminated or forced […]