Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Melissa L. Watkins, Esq.
Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) can be a dangerous proposition for federal employees.
Federal employees who realize that a PIP is being considered, should be wary and consult with a federal employment attorney early on to make sure they maximize their chance of surviving a performance related action. In our experience, an employee being put on a PIP is usually heading towards more serious disciplinary action, such as demotion or removal.
Federal employees often will be told that a PIP is only designed to benefit them and make them better performers. Managers often promise employees that they will be given special assistance to ensure they are successful during a PIP period, only for the employees to later find themselves facing a potential demotion or removal some months later having not received any of the promised assistance during the process. In many ways, the deck is stacked against the employee when facing a PIP.
Opportunity to Improve
If an employee is said to be having performance issues, before an agency can take any action to demote or remove the employee, the agency must notify the employee of the concern and give the employee an opportunity to improve. This notification and opportunity to improve is usually accomplished by the agency...
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