20 Top Questions and Answers about OPM Disability Retirement & Federal Disability Retirement

OPM Disability Retirement: SF 3112A

What is the difference between “Federal” Disability Retirement and “OPM” Disability Retirement?

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Although some people may confuse “Federal” Disability Retirement to mean “Social Security” Disability Retirement (SSDR) because this latter benefit is a type of retirement program administered by a U.S. Federal agency, that is, the Social Security Administration (SSA) — nevertheless, most of the time “Federal” Disability Retirement actually refers to “OPM” Disability Retirement.  OPM is the acronym which stands for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and many Federal lawyers and employees choose to use this term to differentiate it from SSA’s disability program — the Social Security Disability Retirement, which is also known as Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).

Thus, Federal Disability Retirement and OPM Disability Retirement are basically the same disability program.  OPM Disability Retirement is a disability retirement plan available to Civilian Federal employees.  It allows a Federal employee to retire earlier than “regular” retirement if an injury or medical condition prevents the Federal employee from performing the main work tasks of the Federal position he or she was hired for.  These physical or psychiatric medical conditions should be expected to last one year or longer.

What is the difference between “FERS” Disability Retirement and “CSRS” Disability Retirement?

CSRS v. FERS Disability Retirement benefits
CSRS v. FERS Disability Retirements

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) are the names of two sets of U.S. Codes, rules and regulations that together dictate the laws and benefits that Civilian Federal employees will receive in the United States.   Military personnel are covered by the VA Disability Retirement program, where “VA” stands for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Both of these types of retirement programs, FERS and CSRS, are also part of the OPM Disability Retirement program (e.g., all FERS Disability Retirement claims are also OPM Disability Retirement cases, but a particular OPM Disability Retirement claim may or may not also be a FERS Disability Retirement case), but basically the difference has to do again with the set of Federal employee laws you were hired under.  Almost all Federal employees hired after December 31, 1983 are automatically covered by FERS.  Thus, in practice and in most cases, when a Federal Lawyer or a Federal Agency’s Human Resources Specialist talks about FERS Disability Retirement, he or she will typically be talking about OPM Disability Retirement.   The term FERS Disability Retirement is thus more specific, but since most Federal employees today are covered under FERS rules, we often use them as synonyms, too.

What is the difference between OPM “Regular” Retirement and OPM “Disability” Retirement?

Regular v. Disability Retirement from OPM
Regular v. Disability Retirement from OPM

OPM Regular Retirement is when a Federal or Postal employee retires from Federal Service due his or her age and years of Civil service.  As noted before, Federal Disability Retirement is a medical-based retirement available for FERS and CSRS employees.  However, this medical condition or “disability” does not have to be total disability as it is the case of Social Security Disability Retirement cases.

The medical condition must be expected to last a minimum of a year.  The illness or injury should be categorized as “chronic” in the sense that it won’t allow the Federal employee to work very well (technically the medical condition will not allow the employee to perform the basic “essential elements” of the job he or she was hired for by the Federal Agency).  From our own experiences, most former Federal employees who are now under disability don’t even consider themselves to be disabled or incapacitated.

Perhaps this is a psychological self-defense mechanism, but it is a fairly accurate simplification that describes the self-image of many Federal disability retirees now happily working in different jobs and even living overseas.  There are more technical definitions we can explain here but for now these simple explanations will suffice.

What is the difference between OPM Disability Retirement and Federal Workers Comp?

OWCP Disability claims
OWCP Disability claims

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) Program is an entirely different program which assists Federal employees and Postal workers who have sustained work-related injuries or diseases by providing them financial and medical benefits and help them to return to work.  Federal Workers Compensation benefits are considered to be a short- and medium-term disability program.   In other words, “OWCP” benefits (from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs within the Department of Labor) are not supposed to be a disability retirement program.

A key difference is that in OPM Disability Retirement, the qualifying medical condition can predate your first day of Federal employment.  Under OPM Disability Retirement rules, the qualifying medical condition doesn’t have to be job-related, either.  For instance, if you are a Mail Carrier and your eyes get hurt playing golf while vacationing in the Bahamas, and as a result of this accident, you can’t permanently drive your Postal vehicle safely anymore, then even though you will not qualify for OWCP benefits, you may still qualify for OPM Disability Retirement.

Another difference is that while most Federal and Postal employees are usually aware of the existence of Workers Comp or FECA disability benefits, at the same time, many of them have never heard of such a thing as “Federal Disability Retirement benefits”.   Many tend to confuse it with Social Security Disability Retirement.  Also, even when they are aware of this OPM disability program, they tend to believe that this program is administered by their own Agency or by the U.S. Postal Service.  This is not true, either.  Federal employees are not at the mercy of their employing Federal agencies.

How hard is to get Federal Employee OPM Disability Retirement?

How hard is to get OPM Disability Retirement?
How difficult is to get OPM Disability Retirement?

This is a very general question, and the answer really depends not only on your specific Federal position (on the basic positional duties of the job you were hired for by your Federal Agency or the U.S. Postal Service), but it also depends upon your particular physical or psychiatric condition and the nature of your medical limitations.  Most Federal Disability Retirement Attorneys would argue that the general requirements of OPM Disability Retirement are easier to meet than those of the VA and even the SSA.  This is true in almost all medical cases, but a potential difficulty to qualify for OPM Disability Retirement may arise due the fact that most doctors are not readily familiar with the legal criteria necessary to write a useful medical opinion.  In fact, all they will usually do is just to fill out forms without knowing what they need to legally prove.  In the end, you may end up being considered to be “disabled” — and yet your OPM Disability Retirement application can still be denied.

I only have only “X” years of Federal Service, do I qualify for Federal Disability Retirement?

Number of years needed to qualify for OPM Disability Retirement or Postal Disability Retirement
Number of years needed to qualify for OPM Disability Retirement or Postal Disability Retirement

If you are a CSRS employee, you will need 5 years of creditable Federal Service to qualify for disability Retirement.  However, Federal employees covered by the FERS system need only 18 months of Federal service to qualify for OPM Disability Retirement.  If you are not sure which retirement system you were hired under, the general rule is that if you were hired after 1983, you are a FERS employee.

In many typical situations, older Federal employees with many years of public service will be able to qualify for either “regular” or “disability” retirement (in that case they should still consult with an OPM Disability Retirement attorney to help them to figure out which one will pay the more).   Younger employees who suffer from a medical condition will not always be able to qualify for OPM Disability Retirement for several reasons.  In such a case, many Federal agencies will typically behave unethically, hoping that the employee will just quit and leave the Federal Service empty-handed.  This happens in many Federal agencies, but the U.S. Postal Service is especially guilty of this type of behavior.

I suffer from a specific medical condition, does this condition necessarily qualify for OPM Disability Retirement?

Brain inflammation in Federal employees
Brain inflammation in Federal employees

While there is not an “official” list of OPM qualified medical conditions (as it’s the case of SSA), you will be considered disabled under OPM Disability Retirement rules if your particular physical or psychiatric condition(s) prevent(s) you from continuing to perform efficient service in the Federal Service.  So, in theory, it is not so much “what” your medical condition is, but “how” it interferes with the quality of your work performance.  Even if you are accommodated but you can’t work efficiently, you may qualify for a Federal Disability retirement pension.  That is basically the main idea with the original disability provisions under both FERS and CSRS laws.

Of course, in the “real world”, they would rather let you go empty handed.  Therefore, in order to qualify for disability retirement, your treating physician will typically need to be familiarized with FERS and CSRS laws to fill out the proper OPM medical forms to help you to explain to OPM how your current medical condition will make you eligible for OPM Disability Retirement benefits.  There are several legal and medical issues your primary health care provider should know to achieve this end.  However, just to illustrate an example of a potential problem, if your primary health care provider doesn’t write that your particular physical or psychiatric conditions will be expected to last for at least one year, even if that is very obvious, your medical disability application will likely be defeated and denied.

Who approves or denies the Federal Disability Retirement application?

OPM and the Disability Process
OPM and the Federal Disability Retirement Process

During the first two stages of the Federal Disability Retirement process, the Federal Agency responsible for reviewing your Federal Employee Disability Retirement application will be the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).  If your “OPM” Disability Retirement claim is denied twice by OPM (First at the Initial Stage, then at the 2nd, or Reconsideration Stage), you will then need to file an appeal to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).   In this Third Stage (the MSPB), OPM will cease to be the reviewer and will instead become the prosecutor.  They will try very hard to stand by their decision.  At this stage, it is strongly recommended that you hire an experienced Federal Disability Retirement lawyer.

MSPB and the Disability Process
MSPB and the Federal Disability Retirement Process

There are many general practice attorneys and Federal employee “advocates” who will be willing to take your case up to the Third Stage of the Federal Disability Retirement process, also known as the MSPB stage, but in our opinion, it is better to hire an attorney experienced with this type of administrative laws right from the beginning.  Unless you have an alternative future source of income (e.g., a golden parachute from a previous executive career in the private sector), you should spend time to prepare your disability retirement application well from Day One.  If your application has already been denied twice, winning a disability claim with the MSPB will be a tougher call for several reasons.

At the Third Stage, your opponents will not just be Federal Disability Retirement “clerks” from OPM, but instead, you will be dealing with experienced OPM attorneys.  Even if you decide to hire an experienced OPM Disability Retirement attorney to help you with your case at this late stage, he or she will still have a hard time refuting absurd arguments made by OPM’s legal representative, such as:  “Oh, but your own medical documentation shows that you told your primary doctor you were feeling just fine on such and such dates”.

Can I get OPM Disability Retirement even if my Federal agency or the Postal Service has accommodated me?

Light duty is not “legal” accommodation
Light duty is not “legal” accommodation

In theory, Yes.  This is because, technically, a “legal” accommodation is not the same as a light/limited duty accommodation.  In practice, OPM clerks will deliberately ignore this fact; instead, they will argue that any accommodation provided by your Agency will constitute a legal accommodation.  They might even argue that by signing the acceptance of a light duty job offer you were clearly stating that you were happily accommodated by your Agency.   OPM Disability Retirement Attorneys who deal with these issues all the time should be able to prepare for you a strategy that will preempt this and other types of potential arguments OPM disability clerks and sometimes even OPM lawyers will try to use to defeat your Federal or Postal Disability Retirement application.

What will happen when I turn 62 years old?

OPM Disability Retirement at age 62
OPM Disability Retirement at age 62

Your “medical” retirement will be recalculated to become a “regular” retirement, and your annuity will be adjusted.  The good news is that all of the years you were under “disability” retirement will count towards your future regular retirement (in some cases even the years you spent in the military, if it was bought back).  For instance, if you worked for 10 years in the Postal Service, and you spend 20 years in Postal Disability Retirement, you will be credited for a total of 30 years for purposes of calculating your future “regular” OPM retirement.

How long does a FERS Disability Retirement benefit last?

OPM Disability and Regular Retirement until death
OPM Disability and Regular Retirement will basically last a lifetime

Your OPM Disability Retirement annuity checks continue to show up on the 1st of each month in your bank statements until your 62nd birthday.  After that date, you will no longer be considered a Federal Disability Retirement pensioner but a regular Federal employee retiree.  So, in a way, these benefits will last forever (there are also some family survivor provisions).  However, this is assuming that OPM will continue considering you to be “disabled” under their own rules.  They will send you periodic medical questionnaires (unless you are also an SSDI recipient, in which case OPM will normally let the good folks at the SSA worry about these disability verification tasks).  This is one extra reason why you should always keep up with your doctor’s appointments.

Can I get VA Disability Retirement and OPM Disability Retirement benefits at the same time?

VA Disability Retirement
VA Disability Retirement

Yes.  There is no offset between the two.  Veterans are able to receive both VA Disability benefits and FERS Disability Retirement annuity payments without any offsets or penalties for receiving both annuities.  In this case, the Veteran can also opt to receive medical care from a VA health care center, Medicare from the SSA, and even a subsidized private FERS health insurance just like regular FERS employees do.  Of course, opting out from some of these benefits may save the Veteran from paying premiums for duplicative benefits. It is therefore important that the Veteran understands all options available for purposes of future planning.  Some mistakes can cost the retiree hundreds of dollars a month.

Can I get Federal Workers Comp and OPM Disability Retirement at the same time?

The Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (DOL/OWCP)
The Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL/OWCP)

No.  Keep in mind that OWCP DOL job-related disability payments are supposed to be temporary benefits only.  Thus, what we recommend doing in most cases is to apply for OPM Disability Retirement benefits until OWCP cancels your benefits for good — or until you can no longer take all the harassment from the OWCP specialists and nurses in exchange for more money (OWCP does pay more than OPM Disability Retirement).

If you don’t file for OPM Disability Retirement and your agency officially separates you from Federal Service, you only have one year from the date of separation to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits.  If you fail to file within that timeframe, you will lose your right to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits forever.  This is yet another reason why you should take your OPM Disability Retirement preparation seriously.  In this case, if you do qualify for OPM Disability Retirement and later OWCP decides to terminate their benefits, you can then activate your OPM Disability Retirement benefits.

Can I get a personal injury compensation claim with the Federal Government and OPM Disability Retirement at the same time?

Yes.  Personal injury compensation payments, more correctly called Scheduled Awards under OWCP, is a lump-sum payment from the Federal Government to Federal employees, and these payments are available for certain injuries or medical conditions which are job-related.  These cash awards are paid for injuries to specific body parts, such as an arm or a leg.  They can be “scheduled” to be paid monthly for a certain period of time (e.g., two years), or they can be paid all together in an equivalent “lump sum” (most recipients choose the latter option).

Since there is no Statute of Limitations for Scheduled Awards, we recommend focusing your initial efforts on getting OPM Disability Retirement benefits.   Once you get your OPM Disability Retirement approved — and in the process you also get back on your feet, financially speaking, it will be in your best interest to try and pursue a Scheduled Award claim, provided that your limb injury was already accepted as a job-related condition by Workers Comp (if not, you’ll need to talk to your doctor to establish the necessary connection).  It is better to fight one battle at a time, and where and when you fight each battle is important for the ultimate outcome of the “war”.

Can I file for OPM Disability retirement and sue a Federal Agency for disability discrimination under EEOC rules?

EEOC Disability Discrimination Complaint
EEOC Disability Discrimination Complaint

Yes.  However, in our opinion, EEOC claims are often very hard to prove.  There seems to be a perception these days that discrimination occurs with great prevalence in the Federal Workplace, but never to you.  Because an injury or illness has real, devastating financial effects on Federal employees, many Federal employees decide to use their limited economic resources on their best shot.  Sometimes, you will also be required to find a mediator before any EEOC filing.   Each case is, of course, different, but in general EEOC disability discrimination claims can be extremely stressful for Federal employees who are already suffering from one or (more often) several medical conditions.

Can I get OPM Disability Retirement and Social Security Disability Retirement at the same time?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Yes, but there will be an offset or reduction in the FERS annuity (as Social Security is primary, and the offset takes away from the FERS Disability Retirement annuity).

Besides the offset, there are several other considerations to keep in mind if you decide to file for both FERS Disability Retirement and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).  Please refer to the article Some Thoughts on Social Security and FERS Disability Retirement for more information.

How is OPM Disability Retirement calculated?

Calculating your OPM Disability Retirement annuity
How much does OPM Disability Retirement pay?

In the first year, your FERS disability retirement annuity will be calculated based upon 60% of your average of your highest-3 consecutive years of service, minus any Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments you might also be entitled to.  After that, your annuity will be calculated using the 40% of your high-3 minus 60 % of your SSDI payment.  Of course, if you don’t qualify for SSDI, there will be no subtraction or “offset”.  At the age of 62, your disability retirement will become regular retirement with a new computation.

As a FERS Disability Retirement retiree, will I have to pay Federal income taxes?

Yes.  OPM Disability Retirement income is taxable in the United States and its territories.

Will I be able to keep my subsidized health and dental insurance?

Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)
Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)

Yes.  However, there might be some slight variations about what insurance companies are available and how much they will charge you.  An advantage of receiving a subsidized FERS health insurance is that if you move overseas, some companies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield (no promotion intended) will allow you to use your medical insurance in other countries.  This is in contrast to the benefits offered by the SSA in that if you choose to have Medicare, you won’t be able use that form of medical insurance outside the United States and its territories.

Can I work or start my own small business if I receive OPM Disability Retirement?

Yes.  This is a case in which Federal Disability Retirement benefits differs with Federal Workers Comp.  However, your new job must be outside the Federal Government sector.  Also, keep in mind that if your earned income is more than 80% of what your former Federal position currently pays, you can lose your OPM Disability Retirement benefits for the year following the year you exceeded the 80% limit.  If this happens, chances are that you will no longer qualify for regular retirement when you turn 62 years old.  Thus, be careful with your future earned income.  Most forms of “passive” income, however, do not count towards the 80% threshold.

Federal Disability Lawyer Fees

Federal employee with disabilities

Should you worry about how much it will cost you to hire a Federal Disability Lawyer?

It is a genuine worry.  There are plenty of lawyers on the Internet who say that they “guarantee” —  with a “money-back” promise  — a successful outcome.  But what good is it to give you back your money if your application is denied at the first hint of trouble, and how much work and effort do you think such a law firm will put into your case?  At first sight, a “money-back” guarantee may seem like an attractive proposition.  You’ll get your money back if a Federal Disability Lawyer can’t deliver.  The problem is:  How much “delivery” will there be to begin with?  And what good is the money returned if you have not secured your Federal Disability Retirement benefits — and more importantly, if you didn’t even put enough effort into a case to give it a fighting chance?

By the time you come to a point where filing for Federal disability retirement benefits becomes a reality, you have already invested both time and money into a career whose goal was to create a “nest egg” for retirement purposes.  You may have already invested 10, 20 or even 30 years in a Federal career, and you are about to lose everything because of an injury or a medical condition.  Taken in that context, “How much”  you will be paying to your attorney shouldn’t be your primary concern.  The attorney you hire might promise you your money back — but what good is that if you haven’t taken your “best shot” at securing your future?  In filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, you are given only one opportunity to save your 10-30 years of hard work before it is thrown out the window.  Who you hire as your Federal Disability Lawyer; how much he is willing to fight on your behalf; what effort will be expended on your behalf; whether he is accessible to you throughout the process — these and many more considerations should be part of the “investment” into your own future.  On the other hand, your “Federal Disability Lawyer” who gives you that “money-back guarantee” might realize that your case is too hard to fight for, that it was not “easy money” and he/she might therefore decide to quit on you.  Yes, it can happen.  It has happened to others.

Meanwhile, your Agency or the Postal Service might have already let you go because you filed for Federal Disability Retirement.  The potential disaster is that you were “medically separated” but you didn’t qualify for Federal Disability Retirement benefits.  Yes, it can happen.  It has happened to others.

When you are struggling to survive after spending a 10-30 year career with the Federal Government, your legal fees are still an important consideration — but even this financial consideration should really be comparatively unimportant when considering the bridges you might be burning behind you.  Don’t be fooled by the “100% Money Back Promise‎”.

Be smart.  Hire the best Federal Disability Lawyer you can find.  Do your homework: Ask former Federal employees who have already successfully filed for Federal Disability Retirement benefits (nothing can beat a personal recommendation); consult with an honest union steward; and research for the best attorney in the field.  Read real reviews (a tip: if an attorney can write his/her own review on his website or even in Google reviews, that might not be a good basis upon which to make a decision); go instead to reputable lawyer directories, public forums, or even the BBB after finding potential Federal Disability Lawyers.

In the end, saving a few hundred of dollars might cost you the rest of your life savings.  Be smart.  Medical conditions can become a disaster in the life of the Federal or Postal employee.  Don’t let a medical disaster become a legal disaster.

Yes, it can happen.  It has happened to others.

 

AllLawyers.org

Federal Employment Grievances Procedures

The Negotiated Grievance Process

Every collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, between a union and agency provides for a mechanism to ensure the law and contract are being followed. That mechanism is the negotiated grievance procedure.  A grievance can have several meanings and is generally defined in the CBA between the Agency and Union.

A grievance typically involves any complaint filed by any employee, a group of employees, the Union and/or Agency concerning any matter relating to:

1. The employment of one or more employees;
2. The effect or interpretation, or a claim of breach, of a provision in a collective bargaining agreement; or
3. Any claimed violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of any law, rule, or regulation affecting conditions of employment.

The scope of a grievance, who can file a grievance, how to file a grievance and when a grievance must be filed are all generally provided for in the CBA.  It is critical, therefore, that if you believe you have been subjected to any action and/or suffered from a personnel decision that should be the subject of a grievance that you read and review the grievance procedures set out in the CBA, contact your union and/or contact our firm immediately to discuss your rights.  Some examples of the most common types of grievances are disputes over tours of duty, working conditions, overtime and other premium pay, and appeals of disciplinary actions.

The Process of Filing a Grievance

While the procedures for filing and pursuing a grievance vary depending on the CBA, most grievance procedures include a one to three step process that requires the employee or union to file successive grievances.  In some cases, a grievance must be filed on a specific form; in those cases, forms are typically included in an Appendix to the CBA and the grievance should be submitted using that form.  If there is no grievance form, then a grievance can be filed in any format, but typically must be in writing.  Each successive grievance is elevated to a higher level, Agency official.

The step one grievance is usually filed with the immediate supervisor or lowest level agency manager that can resolve the dispute.  In some cases, the CBA will require the parties to meet and confer to try to resolve the dispute at step one; some contracts may require the parties to engage in an informal step prior to step one.

The time limits for filing a grievance also vary, but generally range anywhere from five to fifteen days to file each successive grievance.  At each step, the grievance will be reviewed by the relevant Agency official, who will issue a grievance decision, which then starts the clock for the next step of the grievance procedure.

Proceeding to Arbitration

If, after all steps of the grievance procedure, the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved, the union has the right to invoke arbitration.  Arbitration is the binding determination of a dispute, by an independent third party, or Arbitrator.  The Agency and Union agree to hand over the power to decide the dispute to the Arbitrator and to be bound by the Arbitrator’s decision.  Arbitration is an alternative to and is less formal than court action, but has the same finality and is binding on all of the parties.

If you would like to discuss the grievance process, or believe that you have a viable grievance call or email our law firm today.

Snider & Associates, LLC

Federal Laws That Protect Federal Government Employees

Federal employees spend a large portion of their lives in the workplace; so, it’s important for each individual to feel safe, protected, and respected each day.  While these factors can be interpreted differently for everyone, the law works to set a basic standard for all federal employees nationwide.  For example, employment discrimination is one of the main forms of mistreatment that’s universally intolerable and unlawful.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC)

While federal employees are protected under the law from discrimination and other forms of mistreatment, such as retaliation and harassment, this doesn’t stop all employers from mistreating their employees.  Through a complex complaints process, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) handles mistreatment cases that have already occurred.  Investigations are performed on every viable case.

We help employees who have been victims of mistreatment by their employers.  We can assist you in filing a complaint through the EEOC, stand by you through every step of the process, and, if necessary, escalate your complaint to a lawsuit. A federal employment lawyer from our team can ensure you feel supported, cared for, and heard.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the primary federal act established to protect employees from discrimination in the workplace.  This act makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of color, sex, national origin, religion, or race.  Many states reinforce and expand this discrimination law by making their own discrimination laws.

For example, the state of Maryland has a discrimination law that states that it’s unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or genetic information.

Other Antidiscrimination Employment Laws

There are other federal antidiscrimination laws in place that protect specific minority groups from discrimination in the workplace.  These laws and other labor laws can often be used to support your case when filing an employment complaint.  Some of the antidiscrimination statutes include:

* The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
* The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
* The Americans with Disabilities Act
* The Equal Pay Act
* The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

It’s important to note that antidiscrimination laws also protect employees against retaliation and harassment.  Retaliation includes any mistreatment from an employer that may be brought on because an employee took some action that the employer isn’t happy about.

Harassment includes mistreatment that makes the workplace feel hostile in any way.  While petty annoyances and isolated incidences typically won’t be considered worthy of a claim, harassment that effectively ruins the workplace environment will usually be found unacceptable under the law.

Reach Out to a Federal Employment Attorney

Speaking to an experienced attorney from Snider & Associates, LLC can help you better assess the mistreatment you’ve experienced and determine whether you have grounds for an official complaint.  In some circumstances, your complaint can be escalated to a civil lawsuit in which you may be able to obtain liquidated damages for your suffering.

If you’re ready to speak with a federal employment lawyer about your case in greater detail, call us to schedule a consultation.

Snider & Associates, LLC