Bonnie G. Lawson |
| As the Chief Steward for NTEU Chapter 9 for four years, I look forward to serving our members daily. I function as your advocate and friend, and my door is always open to you. |
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Among the most common employee complaints that stewards handle are issues involving absence without official leave (AWOL), sick leave restrictions, leave without pay (LWOP), and standards for acceptable medical documentation. This issue of the Steward Update will include a review of the law and provide some guidance on handling these matters: |
| Leave Issues |
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Last year NTEU won two arbitration cases involving the proper steps to be taken to lower an annual appraisal. These two decisions reinforce the contract’s position that to lower an evaluation, counseling must occur between the manager and employee; the employee will then be granted adequate time to improve. The following is a brief discussion on the lowering of evaluations: |
| Performance Evaluations |
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Stress has physical symptoms—a speeding heart rate, quick breathing, and spikes in adrenalin and other stress hormones in the bloodstream—surveys have found 26 to 40 percent of workers describe themselves as “very” or “extremely” stressed by work: |
| Helping Stressed-Out Employees |
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Newly hired federal employees are required to complete a probationary period based on the type of appointment the employee was hired under. Should an employee be required to serve a second probationary period when an employee is promoted to a different position? |
| Can we help probationary employees? |
