Author Archives: AdminUN

About AdminUN

FEDSMILL staff has over 40 years of federal sector labor relations experience on the union as well as management side of the table and even some time as a neutral.

REMEDIES: WHAT IS A “NO CONTACT” ORDER? It is a remedy no one should forget to request. Josefina at the VA did not.  She filed a complaint alleging her manager had subjected her to a hostile work environment on the … Continue reading

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THAT TIME NTEU SMACKED DOWN A U.S. PRESIDENT The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is unique among unions. Despite its name, it represents thousands of employees who work for agencies other than those in the Treasury Department.  It is a very … Continue reading

Posted in Pay/Grades/Steps | Tagged | 1 Comment

WOMEN! WHY DON’T THEY KNOW THEIR PLACE? For those of you with an archeological interest, return with me to observe a Stone Age man at the Dep’t. of Agriculture.   Lia, an employee of that Neanderthal, filed an EEO complaint charging … Continue reading

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IT IS NOW TOUGHER TO DENY A REQUEST FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION Imagine this happens to you. You represent employees at an agency that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, like the folks at Customs and Border Protection.  … Continue reading

Posted in Religion | Tagged | 2 Comments

FMLA BASICS – SELF-LED TRAINING CHECKLIST Although there are some slight differences between federal and private sector FMLA rights and procedures, one need not worry about them when trying to get a basic understanding of employee rights.  Consequently, we recommend … Continue reading

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CAN RUMORS CREATE A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT? Yup, or at least that’s what the Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals thinks. “So and so is gay,” “Did you hear she is cheating on her husband,“ “I understand he is the … Continue reading

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PRE-RIF CHECKLIST Thought we would pass along a helpful post from Fedweek. With so many employees facing a RIF, think about passing along this story to your members.  The bump and retreat tips are particularly helpful. Click here for the … Continue reading

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NOW THIS IS INTERESTING Mandatory referral to EAP may be “adverse action,” court says.  That is the headline of the latest blog from the folks at Constangy, Brooks, Smith and Prophete, LLP.  I am not sure why any fed would … Continue reading

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SATANIC POSTERS IN THE WORKPLACE   In his latest effort to drive wedges between employees Trump has announced that he is urging federal employees to pray, preach, and proselytize in the workplace on behalf of their religious beliefs.  After all, if … Continue reading

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WHAT COUNTS AS A WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION? We suspect there is going to be a lot of  whistleblowing in the next few months and years. So, unions could be wise to brush up on what whistleblower retaliation looks like.  A recent … Continue reading

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