Briefs Aimed at Advancing Employee Rights

Last week, NTEU’s Office of the General Counsel filed two friend-of-the-court (“amicus”) briefs with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in cases affecting federal employee rights. NTEU is always looking to advance our members’ rights through litigation.

In one brief, NTEU argued that federal employees exposed to COVID-19 while working are entitled to hazardous duty pay. Tens of thousands of NTEU-represented employees have been required to work near COVID-infected people during this lethal pandemic. Hazardous duty pay should be provided for such dangerous work. Employees may opt into a related case here if they meet the qualifications on the website.

NTEU’s second brief addressed whether certain federal employees are entitled to important due process protections prior to termination. NTEU’s brief argued that preference-eligible employees who perform jobs with similar duties should be able to combine that service for purposes of securing tenured employee status and receiving full statutory due process rights.