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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
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HRDG 4752 - Disciplinary or Alternative Actions - Section A

Last Modified: Jun 2, 2020
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Subchapter 4752 - Disciplinary or Alternative Action
Section A - Who are Employee Relations Specialists (ERS's)

 

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Where Is Your ERS? Employee Relations Specialists (ERS's) provide advice and guidance on employee and labor relations matters. ERS's service various agencies and organizational units as follows: APHIS Employee Relations Branch
ERS's Help Supervisors

Some of the ways in which an ERS can help supervisors are as follows:

  • Advise how to handle a situation involving an employee performance, conduct, or labor relations issue;
  • Assist with a decision of what alternative action or what disciplinary action may be appropriate;
  • Locate and interpret pertinent regulations;
  • Help determine if a regulation was properly communicated to an employee;
  • Help determine if a rule was violated by an employee, and whether it was enforced with discipline in the past;
  • Explain how to counsel and document properly;
  • If necessary, conduct further factfinding or an investigation;
  • Advise on alternatives to traditional discipline;
  • If official disciplinary action is warranted, assist in defining an appropriate penalty for the offense(s);
  • Write official disciplinary letters for the supervisor's signature (based on input from the supervisor);
  • Explain pertinent employee's rights and the regulations therein;
  • Advise and assist with grievances; and
  • Defend disciplinary actions taken by the Agency that go before a third party (i.e., arbitration or the Merit Systems Protection Board).
ERS's Help Employees

Some of the ways in which an Employee Relations Specialist (ERS) can help employees are as follows:

  • Answer questions on employee or labor relations matters;
  • Locate and interpret pertinent regulations;
  • Explain employee's rights and the regulations therein;
  • Explain the disciplinary/adverse action process;
  • Explain the administrative or negotiated grievance process;
  • If the employee alleges discrimination, provide the telephone number of the Civil Rights Enforcement and Compliance (CREC) office, or the name of an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor; or
  • Explain applicable regulations pertaining to bargaining unit employees (i.e., Weingarten right).
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