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: If a manager is disrespectful, rude or mean to a subordinate, can the subordinate sue for defamation of character? A: Federal managers are immune from defamation lawsuits from comments they make about their subordinates, so long as the manager was acting within the scope of his or her employment. Based on the limited facts you describe, my believe is that your manager was probably within the scope of employment when…
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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 division chief and my employees requested a desk audit to determine if their grade levels were appropriate. After the third party auditor determined their grades were correct, I provided a rebuttal, as I believed the auditor did not have all of the facts. My employees are moving forward with EEO complaints. My office director had been identifying HR as rejecting the grade increases but the HR person…
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: There is a lot of favoritism shown in my agency. What is the best way for management to avoid it? A: Your question does not have a specific answer. Instead, it is rooted in leadership, fostered and developed in training and career development of future leaders. It requires a lot of hard work to change what you describe as a dysfunctional culture. Bill Bransford is managing partner of Shaw,…
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: The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No Fear) Act states, among other things, that employees who engage in misconduct be disciplined. I filed a complaint with the EEOC and the judge ruled in my favor; however, my manager was not punished. Are you aware of cases where managers have been punished? A: No. And you may not either because such information is protected by the Privacy Act. You…