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FAQs

 Accordion Control

 Prohibited Personnel Practices

 

 

I am a HUD resident. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I work for the Postal Service. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I am a government contractor or employee of a government contractor. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I am a uniformed officer of the military. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I am a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I am a non-appropriated fund (NAF) employee. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
I believe my veterans’ preference rights were violated. Can I file a PPP complaint at OSC?
Is there a statute of limitations or a deadline for filing a PPP complaint at OSC?
Can you tell me over the phone if I have a good case?
Do I need a lawyer to file a PPP complaint at OSC?
Can I file a PPP complaint anonymously at OSC?
I have filed an EEO complaint and/or administrative grievance. Can I still file a PPP complaint at OSC?
What is OSC’s policy about PPP complaints of discrimination?
How long does it take for my PPP complaint to be resolved?
How do I contact the OSC employee assigned to my case?

 Disclosure of Wrongdoing

 

 

How is a disclosure to OSC different from disclosures through other government channels?
What happens when you make a disclosure?
What happens if the Special Counsel finds that the information you disclosed is not, or is not substantially likely to be, the type of wrongdoing that it can refer to an agency?
How long does it take?
Are all employees, former employees, or applicants for employment in the federal government able to file a disclosure?

 Hatch Act

 

 

Is a Hatch Act investigation an administrative or criminal matter?
Please explain the scope of the Special Counsel’s May 20 opinion that the prohibition against displaying political items while on duty or in the workplace is now also applicable to items promoting “current or contemporaneous political figures.”
Can I wear a face mask or other personal protective equipment (PPE) to work if the PPE has a partisan political image or slogan?
May I serve as a presidential elector?
What is a partisan political group?
Are organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (501(c)(4) organizations) partisan political groups?
A Hatch Act complaint has been filed against me, can I find out who filed it?
Can I display a picture of a candidate for partisan political office in my workspace?
Can I wear a partisan political button or T-shirt while I am at work or display such items in my office?
Can I have a screen saver on my computer or a picture in my office with a political message (e.g., a campaign sign, campaign logo, etc.)?
If I have a bumper sticker on my personal car, am I allowed to park the car in a government lot or garage, or in a private lot/garage if the government subsidizes my parking fees?
Will I violate the Hatch Act if I listen to radio programs discussing partisan politics or candidates for partisan political office, or read a book about politics or political candidates while I am in the federal workplace?
Is it a Hatch Act violation for a federal agency to have televisions in the federal workplace that are tuned to stations such as Fox News or MSNBC?
If the sitting President is a candidate for reelection, may federal employees display his or her picture in their offices?
Can a federal employee display in his office a photograph of his spouse or child even if the spouse or child is a candidate in an election for partisan political office?

 USERRA

 

 

Who does USERRA cover?
Who investigates USERRA claims?
How long does a USERRA claim take?
If I am going away on military duty, do I need to give copies of my orders to my employer?
When I return from military duty, do I have to report back to work right away?
How should my employer have me listed in their payroll system while I am on military duty?
I have more questions about USERRA, are there other resources available to me?

 Alternative Dispute Resolution

 

 

Who mediates the case?
What is the cost?
What is an OSC subject matter expert?
What occurs during a mediation session?
Who attends the mediation session?
How do we get started?
Where will the mediation be held?
What is mediation?
How should you prepare for a mediation session?
How long does a mediation session last?
What happens after the mediation session?
How successful is mediation?
What if I say “no” to mediation? Will it reflect badly on me (or my agency)?
How does mediation work?

 Outreach, Training, & Certification

 

 

Is the program voluntary?
What are the consequences of failing to comply with the statutory obligation?
How do I know if my agency is currently in compliance with OSC’s Certification Program?
Is the No FEAR Act training sufficient to meet the supervisory training requirement?
Are government corporations subject to the Section 2302 requirements and required to complete certification?
Once I register for the program, how will I know that my agency is in compliance with OSC’s Certification Program?
How often will agencies need to be certified as being in compliance with OSC’s Certification Program?
How often does an agency need to train supervisors on PPPs and the Whistleblower Protection Act/Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (WPA/WPEA)?
How often do employees need to be notified of their rights and remedies under the WPA/WPEA?
Will this program generate frivolous complaints?
If an agency has employees that are not covered by all Title 5 provisions, will they need to certify under OSC’s program?
What is 2302(c) certification?
Does OSC offer training?