YOUR RIGHTS AS A FEDERAL 

EMPLOYEE 

ENFORCED BY 

THE U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL 

I. THE U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL (OSC) is an independent agency

that investigates and prosecutes allegations of prohibited personnel practices (PPP).

WHAT IS A PROHIBITED PERSONNEL PRACTICE (PPP)?: 

Under 5 U.S.C. §2302(b)(l)-(b)(13) a federal employee authorized to take, direct others to 

take, recommend or approve any personnel action may not: 

• Discriminate (including discrimination based 

on marital status and political affiliation). 

EXAMPLE: Supervisor Joe refuses to promote 

Employee Jane because Jane is a registered 

Republican; or his refusal is because she is a 

single mother. (OSC will generally defer Title 

Vll discrimination allegations to the EEO 

process, rather than duplicating already existing 

procedures.) 

• Solicit or consider employment

recommendations based on factors other than

personal knowledge or records of job-related

abilities or characteristics. EXAMPLE:

Selecting Official Joe hires Applicant Jack based

on Senator Smith's recommendation that Jack be

hired because Jack is a constituent; or fails to

hire Applicant Jane because of Congressman

Smith's recommendation based on the

Congressman's ji-iendship with Jane's parents.

• Coerce the political activity of any person, or

take action against any employee as reprisal

for refusing to engage in political activity.

EXAMPLE: Supervisor Jane takes away

significant job duties of Employee Jack because

Jack will not make a contribution to Jane's

favorite candidate.

• Deceive or willfully obstruct any person from

competing for employment. EXAMPLE:

Supervisor Joe, located in Headquarters, orders

that no vacancy announcements be posted in the

field office where Employee Jack works because

he does not want Jack to get a newjob; or

falsely states that there will be extensive travel

in the position when he knows that there is no

travel.

• Engage in nepotism. EXAMPLE: Second-level

Supervisor Jane asks First-level Supervisor Joe to 

hire her son; or to promote her daughter. 

• Take a personnel action against an employee

because of whistleblowing. EXAMPLE:

Supervisor Joe directs the geographic

reassignment of Employee Jack because Jack

reported safety violations to the agency's Inspector

General; or because employee Jill reported a gross

waste o,/funds to the Office o,f Internal Affairs.

• Take a personnel action against any employee 

because of the exercise of an appe al, complaint, 

or grievance right. EXAMPLE: Supervisor Jane 

places Employee Jack on an undesirable detail 

because Employee Jack flied an administrative 

grievance about his pet:formance rating.

• Discriminate against an employee on the basis of 

conduct, which does not adversely affect the 

performance of the employee, including 

discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

EXAMPLE: Jack's employment is terminated 

because he attended a "Gay Pride" march; or he 

attended a "Pro-Life" event; or he attended an 

animal rights rally; or he attended a gun-owners' 

rights meeting.

• Take or fail to take a personnel action, if such 

action would violate a veterans' preference 

requirement. Example: Supervisor Jane hired 

Employee Jack, without considering Veteran 

Jennifer, who was included on the list of eligible 

employees. (OSC 's jurisdiction is for disciplina,y 

actions only; the Dept. of Labor has jurisdiction to 

investigate for corrective actions.).

• Access the medical record of another employee 

or an applicant for employment as a part of, or 

otherwise in furtherance of, any conduct 

described in paragraphs (1) through (13) of 5 

U.S.C. § 2302(b). 
	
	

	


			


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