Fedweek

Legislation (HR-1643) offered in the House would restrict federal employee appeal rights government-wide in disciplinary cases, building on already-enacted changes affecting only senior executives at the VA and pending bills applying just to that department. The new broader bill would apply to removals, downgrading or reductions in pay on performance or conduct grounds, allowing an employee only seven days to file an appeal to the MSPB, where the hearing officer would have only 45 days to issue a decision. During that period, employees could not receive any pay, awards, bonuses, incentives, allowances, differentials, student loan repayments, special payments, or benefits. If the hearing officer did not decide the case within that time, the agency’s action would stand automatically. Further, the outcome at the hearing officer level would be final, removing the current right to appeal to the full merit board and then into federal court.