It is critical for the agency to articulate a relationship between the misconduct and the employee's position and responsibilities. <> Factor: Employee's . 10.Right to Reply Paragraph: Sample: This notice is a proposal and not a decision. Be clear, terse, and apologetic. However, despite the importance of these criteria, many employees arent familiar with them. 3 0 obj A supervisor cannot just say it; he/she has to prove it. posted June 9, 2003. Specification #2. If you can present concrete and credible evidence of such mitigating factors, it will go a long way to helping your cause. The employee's job level and type of employment . [_S>,o)ZyfL_{*4^BOoss%U'jYM^>Ydw%>=z+l'?@_+S]6EO+<=_)^;/ycCwhiE[qsA[]~w_}xxwo~y3boK&rVkOk [6#e|:. Typically, a federal employee will be proposed for disciplinary action in a case based on a violation of a particular agency rule. Factor 7: "Consistency of the penalty with any applicable agency table of penalties" . 51, 8 (2001). hb```f``2c`a`,c`@ r, ^Ma yQB9RR_C}xxx+i$yyyzy^*UTTq^yu! Your unauthorized absence cannot be tolerated because Agency supervisors, managers must be able to plan your work and rely on you to be available. Acknowledgement of Receipt: ______________________________ __________________ (Employee's Name) (Date) Sample: If employee fails or refuses to sign the acknowledgement: Sample: I certify that I handed this proposed action to (Employees Name) on (Date). The Douglas Factors - Melville Johnson The following is a list of 12 Douglas factors that must be taken into consideration and explanations as to how they can apply to federal employee cases. The Douglas Factors . Starr Wright USA is an insurance agency specializing in insurance solutions for federal employees and federal contractors. Consistency of the penalty with any table of penalties an agency may have . unless application of the Douglas factors supports a penalty outside that range or if a statutory penalty applies such as willful misuse of a Government vehicle. generadores de diesel precios For instance, two co-workers with the same job duties and similar work histories both fall asleep during a night shift. rDA(dCpY0!G8#rDA(9un\##HH_|?;y.?yA>1i|e,Q}ptWS8?/Gz The Douglas factors are also referred to as mitigating factors. Berry & Berry, PLLCrepresents federal employees in these types of federal employment matters and can be contacted at (703) 668-0070 or www.berrylegal.com to arrange for an initial consultation regarding Douglas factor and other federal employment issues. In cases of severe misconduct, it may be appropriate to conduct an independent investigation of the misconduct through the Office of Human Resources, a third-party contact investigator or the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The notoriety of the offense or its impact upon the reputation of the Agency; 9 . For instance, if the federal employee at issue has worked for the federal agency involved for 30 years, and has never received prior discipline during that time this can be used to attempt to reduce the proposed discipline. This Douglas factor is not one of the more commonly cited Douglas factors. However, an employee with no prior disciplinary record, good prior performance and job dedication would probably have good potential for rehabilitation. More significant discipline is referred to as an adverse action, which entails suspensions of more than 14 days, reductions in grade or pay, furloughs of 30 days or less, or removals. We generally find that it is important to actually make sure that a proposed disciplinary action or a sustained final penalty has been listed appropriately under the agencys table of penalties. Douglas Factors for Federal Employees - Berry & Berry, PLLC - berrylegal Starr Wright USA a marketing name for Starr Wright Insurance Agency, Inc. and its affiliate(s). Determining the Penalty - United States Merit Systems Protection Board On (DATE), you were scheduled to report to work at (TIME). A competent attorney canhelp you lower your discipline at the early stages of process all together avoiding the expense of litigating your case later. 4.Charge: (Alleged misconduct - the reason the action is being proposed) Samples: Charge: Unauthorized Absence(Number of offense if applicable) or Charge: Unauthorized Absence Third Offense 5.Specification(s): The facts and evidence that establish the misconduct charged took place. With policies that cover up to $2,000,000 in liability coverage and up to $400,000 in administrative defense coverage, and a team of former Assistant US Attorneys and Federal Employees, Starr Wright USA will be your trusted advocate throughout the entire process. Explanation, if relevant: (6) Consistency of the penalty with those imposed upon other employees for the same or similar offenses. On (DATE), your supervisor had to take time away from her duties to complete your (Specify) assigned project. PDF Civilian Personnel Disciplinary and Adverse Actions - United States Army Sometimes management may misapply factors, or misconstrue them. Yes___ No____In order to use prior discipline as a basis to enhance a current penalty, three criteria must be met. Once you have a few key factors you should try to collect any supporting evidence that may be helpful, like doctors notes, proof of counseling sessions, etc. ELLU attorneys assist managers and human resource personnel in analyzing misconduct andconsideringappropriate discipline and adverse actions, in reviewing related proposals and decision letters, and defending the agency in appeals challenging adverse actions. 14.CC:s CCs always include the deciding official and may include a human resources office official and/or legal counsel in accordance with your Agencys practice.CC: PAGE PAGE 9 / 0 1 2 3 ? You should review the table to make sure that your discipline is in keeping with this table. %PDF-1.6 % Conclusions and vague statements do not hold much weight with third parties. This has often been considered one of the most important Douglas factors by the MSPB. PDF Douglas Factors * in deciding disciplinary punishment of federal - AELE 3 Douglas v. Veterans Administration, 5 M.S.P.R. If you list a factor you must explain why it is relevant. Reviewing thesetwelve factors in a vacuum is not useful to you as an employee, or tomanagers who are trying to make a decision about a specific disciplinarycase. See Douglas v. Veterans Administration, 5 M.S.P.R. In cases of federal employee misconduct, each of these factors must be considered by those who are tasked with determining an appropriate penalty. Your job as an employee is to support your position as best as you possibly can. The Douglas Factors - United States Office of Personnel Management For instance, if an employee has committed misconduct but fully discloses his or her actions prior to an investigator finding out about the misconduct, this can be deemed to be a significant mitigating factor. Determine an experienced a table of penalties douglas factors and ends with childishness rather than intentional or reasons, agencies should not have successfully. The range of penalties described in the Table is intended to serve as a guide to discipline, not a rigid standard, and deviations are allowable for a variety of reasons. PDF Douglas Factors - AFGE Tables of Penalties are guidelines that work in conjunction with the criteria supervisors use to determine appropriate penalties for misconduct, called the Douglas Factors.1 They do not specify mandatory discipline.2 Tables of Penalties also do not apply to contractors, and each agency has discretion as to which employees the Table will apply. See U.S. Govexec.com . Discipline can range from letters of reprimand to short suspensions. Explanation, if relevant: (3) The employee's past disciplinary record.Relevant? Factor: Nature and seriousness 9. 72 0 obj <>stream 1985). What if I already had anoral reply and theyve issued a decision and misapplied the Douglas Factors? Deviation from the guide is allowed but going beyond or outside the penalty recommended in the table will be closely scrutinized. ______________________________ __________________ (Name) (Date) Sample: If employee cannot be reached personally at the time of the proposal: I certify that I sent this proposed action to (Employees Name and address) on (Date) by both certified and express mail. The Douglas Factors . The more notorious the offense you commit the more severe the discipline you will face. Cir. The thrust of this factor is that the more prominent the position, or more trust and power you hold in the position, the more seriously the agency is going to view any misconduct you engage in. The Douglas Factors include: The nature and seriousness of the offense, and its relation to the employee's duties, position, and responsibilities, including whether the offense was intentional or technical or inadvertent, or was committed maliciously or for gain, or was frequently repeated. An official website of the United States government. removal). Douglas Factors In Depth The Merit Systems Protection Board in its landmark decision, Douglas vs. Veterans Administration, 5 MSPR 280, established criteria that supervisors must consider in determining . Loss of supervisory confidence as a Douglas factor is typically used by Federal agencies in serious disciplinary / adverse actions to issue a more serious disciplinary penalty. 280, 305-06 (1981). The idea is that discipline is meantto be corrective and progressive. The .gov means its official. It is a widely accepted principle that the penalty must be appropriate to the offense and the minimum that will correct the behavior. Relevant? At Berry & Berry, PLLC, our attorneys represent federal employees in various types of federal agency disciplinary and adverse actions. Our DC-Metropolitan Based Law Firm Specializes in Employment, Security Clearance, and Retirement Law. The rules for determining the penalty, and the ability of MSPB to review that penalty, depend on the statute being used by the agency to authorize the adverse action. For more information, visit WrightUSA.com. Do you need a table of penalties in OPM? Factor 11: Mitigating circumstances surrounding the offense such as unusual job tensions, personality problems, mental impairment, harassment, or bad faith, malice or provocation on the part of others involved in the matter. The table of penalties can be a useful guide to an agency's wishes, but remember, the Merit Systems Protection Board has the final say. This factor deserves some detailed explanation since it is one of the less self-apparentof the factors. Cir. Factors considered are the employee's job level and the type of employment that may include a supervisory or fiduciary role, contacts with the public, and prominence of the position. hmo0 U6S!)Mh~wP`B|)ZAp!= xCKno:Phj-bXJbAw,,M]KO2]fka8c iGusuOIt XG.2o*XYa&5'0>lw,Utr;(}s]6rqGp_g5>G7eucOL_>& The Douglas Factors explained, the keys to a discipline case - Ivancie Law
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