Debra D’Agostino

Debra D’Agostino, founding partner of The Federal Practice Group, joins host Derrick Dortch on this week’s Fed Access to discuss whistle blower protections for federal employees, and how to navigate the security clearance process in the federal government. August 27, 2018

The Trump administration’s proposal to shift all personnel policy offices currently housed within the Office of Personnel Management to a new entity within the White House is earning some praise, but a lot of skepticism.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development wants to engage in mid-term negotiations with AFGE over official time.

Longer probation, shorter appeal deadlines, arbitrary pay for performance, they’ve already hit some federal employees and might be headed your say.

The Office of Special Counsel is investigating whether the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Hatch Act over a politically charged tweet sent last month.

The Veterans Affairs Department recently clarified its disciplinary data, which the department posts publicly on its website every two weeks.

Mark Robbins, the lone member and chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board, has personally voted on 750 petitions for review since the agency lost its second member last January. Robbins’ term expires in March.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a decision from the Merit Systems Protection Board, which said the Veterans Affairs Department could put one of its indicted employees could be put on indefinite suspension.

According to the Veterans Affairs Department’s new reports detailing all major disciplinary actions for its workers, VA is on track to fire fewer people in 2017 than it has during the past six fiscal years. Federal employment experts say the new adverse action reports lack some significant details about VA’s efforts to improve accountability and transparency.

How do agency executives sort out public-spirited whistleblowers from mean-spirited leakers? And what rights do whistleblowers in the ultra-sensitive intelligence community have? To provide answers, Debra D’Agostino, founding partner of the Federal Practice Group, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.