In the right-hand column of the FEDSMILL.com page we track headlines off web sites of interests to federal employees. One of them deals with FMLA case law and it recently posted an article that all union reps should read. It discusses the union’s right to see an employee’s otherwise confidential medical information filed to support a request for FMLA leave if needed to enforce the law or employee rights. This is an important decision that unions should point out to managers, arbitrators, FLRA , etc. if the union has a need for the information and it is mindlessly denied.
Let’s suppose that an irate member contacted her union rep on a Friday complaining that a month ago her manager had approved her taking one week of annual leave next week, but suddenly the leave that was to start next Monday was canceled. She asked the union to do what it could. (Read on to see if you can figure out whether the union made one or more mistakes before we provide the answer at the end of this posting.) Continue reading
The vast majority of neutrals brought in to settle a bargaining impasse, whether they are from FSIP or privately hired by the parties, rarely look at the impasse from what we are labeling the “Angelo Angle.” As a result, they often leave the parties worse off than when they were before, and, sadly, too many think that is not their problem. Continue reading
MSPB has refined the criteria for determining when a promotion is effective where the agency announced that the employee would be promoted on one day and after that date decided to postpone the promotion. The new rule should not come up often, but often enough that experienced union leaders should be aware of what it is. Continue reading
Although it does not happen often, employees can get Workers’ Compensation for absences and medical costs due to job-related stress. Here is how it works. Continue reading
As we inch closer to the fiscal cliff, everyone seems to be ignoring the role that federal employees could play in solving the problem. Americans have more options than raising taxes and/or decreasing spending to generate the $500 billion the White House is looking for. Substantially increasing the size of the federal workforce that roots out fraud could bring in hundreds of billions. Here are some numbers we hope all politicians keep in mind as they go to the bargaining table. Continue reading