12 Prohibited Personnel Practices
In the United States, all workers are protected from certain types of personnel practices, particularly those involving discrimination. However, federal employees receive particular protection under the law from a wide range of undesirable employment activities. It is important for federal employees to understand which types of personnel practices are prohibited in order to better protect their rights. The following is a listing of the twelve personnel practices prohibited by the Office of Special Counsel (OSC):
- Discrimination in any form based on a range of factors, including race, age, disability, religious affiliation, and many others.
- Requesting or considering recommendations for employees based on improper factors (those not relating to personal experience or job-related abilities).
- Attempting to influence an employee’s political behavior.
- Restricting individuals from competing for employment.
- Causing someone to withdraw an employment application with the purpose of improving or harming another person’s employment prospects.
- Showing preference or providing advantages to someone in order to improve or harm someone’s employment prospects.
- Practicing nepotism, or the beneficial treatment of relatives in employment.
- Retaliation against whistleblowers.
- Engaging in personnel actions based on an employee exercising his or her right to file a complaint.
- Discrimination based on an employee’s non job-related behavior.
- Violating a veterans’ preference requirement.
- Violating any law or regulation concerning merit system principles.
Contact Us
If you or someone you know is a federal employee who has been the victim of a prohibited personnel practice, experienced legal representation can help you fight for justice. Contact the federal employment attorneys of the Vaughn Law Firm today at 877-615-9495 to discuss the details of your case with a qualified member of our legal team.
