Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I have three questions related to compensatory time for travel. My normal tour of duty is 0730-1700, Monday through Thursday with alternating Fridays off. I travel overseas often for my work. My questions are as follows: First, after our supervisor took his position, he told us that we should all forfeit our compensatory time off for travel. Our previous supervisors had directed us to submit a log of travel comp…

Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I am a 52-year-old excepted service employee with nearly 14 years of service under the FERS retirement system. I just received a notice of removal for misconduct prior to my federal service. Specifically, I entered an Alford plea (nolo contendre) to one felony. Since my offense was not treason or espionage, will I be entitled to a deferred annuity? When and how do I apply? A: Yes. You may receive…

Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: My father passed two years before retiring from FAA after working there for 26 years. I was 28 years old at the time. He divorced my mother when I was 13 years old and never remarried. I was named his beneficiary with 80 percent of his life insurance and a 100 percent beneficiary of his retirement. Since he passed away only two years prior to his retirement, I was told…

With so much written about handling the problem employee, the difficult or problem supervisor sometimes is overlooked. One issue is identifying when or if a difficult supervisor is really a problem. Is the supervisor just tough and demanding, or is the supervisor abusive, retaliatory or discriminatory? Sometimes the subordinate feels put upon by the supervisor’s demands. Sometimes these demands are reasonable, but harsh. Where is that line between George Patton and Attila the Hun? Sometimes a supervisor’s expectations are appropriate, but a lack of supervisory skills may inhibit him — particularly if he is new — from effectively overcoming resistance to…