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Maryland Federal Employment Lawyer Protecting Government Employees

The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. represents federal government employees across the nation in a wide range of employment-related matters, including personnel actions, whistleblower claims and discrimination actions.  Federal employees have a range of legal rights and remedies that are unique to federal workers and, in many cases, have a different procedural framework within which to pursue employment-related claims. Our Maryland federal employment lawyer is experienced in counseling federal employees through this complex procedural framework, as well as zealously advocating on their behalf.

When you meet with us, we thoroughly review your options and the law and then put together a comprehensive strategy to achieve your goals.

Federal Workers Asserting Claims for Discrimination

The rights of federal employees asserting discrimination claims are governed exclusively by Title VII, which prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, gender, religion or national origin.  Unlike private-sector employees, federal workers asserting claims for discrimination in the workplace have a different procedural framework that they must adhere to.  The first step in the process is that federal employees must file an informal complaint with their agency’s EEO counselor within 45 days of the discriminatory act.

Our Maryland Federal Employment Lawyer Protects Whistleblowers

Federal workers who disclose a violation of any law, rule, regulation or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety may be entitled to protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act.  If you are a federal employee in Maryland and you believe you have been retaliated against for making such a disclosure, you need an experienced Maryland federal employment lawyer to assert your rights and to protect you from any adverse disciplinary action.

Federal Employee Personnel Actions

If you are a federal employee who is facing an adverse personnel action, The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. can effectively represent you to protect your rights.  We are prepared to represent you in responding to a Performance Improvement Period notice from your agency and, if necessary, ultimately to represent you before the Merit Systems Protection Board.  The experienced employment attorneys here at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. can counsel you on how to effectively navigate the process so that we can eliminate or mitigate any adverse impact on your personnel file.

Federal and Private Employees Have Comparable Rights

The most prominent situation in which employee rights are basically equal will be when it comes to protections against discrimination. There are a number of federal laws that bar public and private employers from discriminating against employees for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
• Age (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967)
• Pregnancy (Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978)
• Disability (Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)
• Pay discrepancies based on sex (Equal Pay Act of 1963)
• Genetic information (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008)
• Whistleblowing (Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 and the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 just to name a few)

But there are instances in which federal employees will enjoy greater discrimination protections than private employees.

Federal Employees Enjoy Enhanced Rights 

Federal employees often enjoy rights that are similar to those in the private sector, but with slightly greater protections. 

As an example of enhanced rights, almost any federal employee that suffers from employment discrimination will be able to rely on a federal law to seek a legal remedy for the discrimination they face. In contrast, many private employees do not have this ability. That’s because many federal anti-discrimination laws do not apply to all employers.

For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) doesn’t apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees. So if you worked for a business with only 14 employees, your boss could fire you because of your race and there’s nothing you can do about it under Title VII.

Some states have their own anti-discrimination laws to address these situations. For instance, Virginia’s Human Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination for employers with more than five, but less than 15 employees. Unfortunately, Maryland’s anti-discrimination employment law only applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

But when you work for the federal government, you rarely have to worry about the size of your employer as being a limitation to your legal rights.

Find Out How a Maryland Federal Employment Lawyer Can Help

Working with the experienced attorneys here at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. is simple, confidential and efficient.  We have years of experience counseling and representing federal government employees.  When you meet with us, we thoroughly review your options and the law and then put together a comprehensive strategy to achieve your goals.  Attorney Jamaal (“Jay”) W. Stafford is an experienced litigator based in Maryland and is no stranger to the courtroom.  He brings to bear his litigation experience and employment law expertise to craft creative solutions for each of his clients.  You can contact us or call us at 410-514-6099 to discuss your employment issue with a Maryland federal employment lawyer so that we can put in place a plan that works for you. We handle claims for federal employees nationwide. 

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