Understanding Federal Employment Law: A Guide for Federal Employees and Their Attorneys

Understanding Federal Employment Law is a clear, comprehensive guide to the laws and procedures governing workplace rights within the federal government. Written for federal employees, attorneys, HR professionals, and policy specialists, this book explains how federal employment disputes are handled from start to finish.

Unlike private-sector cases, federal employment claims require strict compliance with administrative processes before a lawsuit may be filed. This book walks readers step by step through the EEOC complaint process, MSPB appeals, mixed case claims, and the procedural deadlines that often determine the outcome of a case.

The book also examines key federal statutes, including Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and related workplace protections. Readers will gain a practical understanding of burden-shifting frameworks such as the McDonnell Douglas analysis, along with real-world examples illustrating how courts and administrative bodies evaluate discrimination and adverse action claims.

In addition, the book addresses recent executive orders and policy changes affecting the federal workforce, helping readers understand how shifting regulations influence employment protections.

Practical, timely, and accessible, Understanding Federal Employment Law is an essential reference for anyone navigating the federal workplace system. Whether protecting your rights, advising clients, or studying government employment policy, this guide delivers the clarity and structure needed to confidently engage with federal employment law.

Kimberly P. Mayfield, J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, is a co-author or editor of three books on federal and state laws. She worked as a federal attorney for over thirty years and represented a federal department before Federal courts and administrative forums. She also served as a Special United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas for many years and, before working for the federal government, as a briefing attorney for a Texas Court of Appeals. Marilyn E. Phelan, J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, and PhD, Texas Tech University, was the Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Law at Texas Tech University School of Law. Being designated as a Horn Professor is one of the highest honors Texas Tech University can bestow on its professors. Dr. Phelan is a life member of the two leading legal institutions-the American Law Institute and the Uniform Law Commission. She was certified by the Texas State Bar on tax law and has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition to authoring or co-authoring seventeen books and over fifty articles on legal issues relating to federal tax law and to nonprofit organizations to include discussions of employment laws, she has co-authored two faith-based books.