Washington, D.C., Federal Employment Attorneys

Experienced and Dedicated Federal Employment Attorneys in Washington D.C.

As one of the largest federal sector labor and employment law firms, Tully Rinckey PLLC serves as a premier full-service law firm for all federal and government employees with legal issues. Along with some of our attorneys being named among Washington, D.C.’s, Best Lawyers, our federal employment attorneys possess a vast amount of experience when it comes to understanding federal employment law and providing legal representation. Further, by adopting an aggressive legal approach, we have secured positive results for clients in nearly all areas of federal employment law.

In hearings before the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and other grade determination boards, among others, we can represent you. We have particular experience in resolving situations in which your involvement as a whistleblower has impacted your job status or work environment.

Some of the areas we can assist you with include:

• Federal Employee Mandatory COVID -19 Vaccine Mandate;
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC);
• Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB);
• Disability Retirement;
• Employee Investigations and Actions;
• Disciplinary Actions and Adverse Actions;
• VEOA;
• Employee Discrimination and Harassment;
• Federal Appeals;
• Hatch Act Violations; and
• TSA Employee Appeals to Adverse Actions.

Federal Appeals

Adverse federal employment judgments are usually appealable. Our attorneys at Tully Rinckey have experience and are available to assist you at every level of the legal process, including the appeal of a dissatisfactory decision made by an Administrative Judge, the Merit Systems Protection Board, OPM, OSC, or even a judge of a federal court.

In appeals to the entire Merit Systems Protection Board and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Tully Rinckey has had considerable success.

The appeals procedure is subject to very tight and unforgiving deadlines. You risk losing your right to appeal if you miss a deadline. Depending on your circumstance, times might range from 10 to 90 days.

Contact our office to find out how our skilled federal appeals attorneys can help you if an agency has made a decision against you and you would want to start the appeal process or learn more about your appeal options. Our attorneys are available to analyze your case and go through the grounds of a potential appeal with you.

Employee Discrimination and Harassment

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment, including hiring, promotion, and termination, on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or previous EEO activity. Other federal laws, such as the ADA and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), also prohibit discrimination in employment.

Additionally, it is prohibited to treat an employee differently or to subject him or her to harassment because of his or her membership in one of those protected classes.

Tully Rinckey federal employment attorneys have considerable expertise defending clients in both the federal and public sectors who have been subjected to or are suspected of unlawful employment discrimination. The following types of employment discrimination cases have been handled by our attorneys for clients both in Washington, D.C. and nationwide:

• Discrimination claims based on one of the previously mentioned protected categories;
• Harassing behavior, including sexual harassment;
• Retaliation-based discrimination for having taken part in previous EEO activities; and
• Denial of equal pay.

How to Initiate an EEO Claim

The timelines associated with the EEO complaint procedure are strict. The agency’s EEO office must typically receive complaints about discrimination within 45 days of the discriminatory action. Generally speaking, the counseling procedure must be finished within 30 to 90 days of filing. The employee has 15 calendar days from the time notification of the right to make a formal complaint is provided to them if the issue hasn’t been remedied by that point.

The agency will determine whether to dismiss the official complaint or launch a formal inquiry into the accusation of prejudice when it is submitted. These investigations, which are frequently carried out by outside contractors, must normally be finished within 180 days of the complaint’s filing date. The agency will receive the investigator’s Report of Investigation (ROI) and give a copy to the employee. The employee then has 30 calendar days to ask for a Final Agency Decision (FAD) or a formal EEOC hearing. The employee may ask the EEOC for a hearing if they do not provide the ROI within 180 days of the complaint being filed. These due dates can’t be extended.

If you feel you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination, please contact one of our experienced EEOC attorneys. Our federal employment attorneys can assist you at every step of the EEO process, including pre-complaint counseling, official EEO complaint, alternative dispute resolution, settlement and hearing, and ultimate appeal.