Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County is an Air Force installation with a civilian workforce that spans aircraft maintenance, logistics, administration, and base support services. Not every civilian there is hired the same way, and the type of position you hold decides which rights you have. A Maryland federal employee attorney will usually start by asking exactly how you are employed. Below are five workplace rights civilian employees at Joint Base Andrews should understand, followed by five Maryland law firms that represent employees in workplace disputes.
What workplace rights do civilian employees at Joint Base Andrews have?
1. Do your rights depend on how you were hired?
Yes. Most Air Force civilians are appropriated fund employees, paid from funds Congress sets aside each year, and they have standard civil service protections. Nonappropriated fund employees, often called NAF employees, work in programs paid largely from their own revenue, such as recreation, lodging, and child care. They are federal employees but follow different personnel rules. Dual-status technicians with the Air National Guard fall under 32 U.S.C. § 709, and contractor staff are not federal employees at all. Your SF-50 or NAF personnel action form shows your category.
2. Can you appeal a removal or long suspension?
Most appropriated fund employees who have finished a one-year probationary period can. Removals, demotions, and suspensions of more than 14 days are generally appealable to the Merit Systems Protection Board within 30 days of the action’s effective date. Before the decision, you are entitled to at least 30 days’ advance notice, at least 7 days to reply, and access to the evidence the agency relied on. NAF employees generally do not have MSPB appeal rights and instead use Defense Department administrative procedures, so read any NAF notice for its own deadlines.
3. Are you protected from discrimination?
Yes, and this right applies to both appropriated funds and NAF employees. Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Rehabilitation Act all apply, and complaints go through the Air Force’s EEO process. You must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of the discriminatory act. Contractor employees file with the EEOC against their actual employer instead, usually within 300 days in Maryland.
4. Are you protected if you report wrongdoing?
Yes, though the channel depends on your category. Appropriated fund employees are covered by the Whistleblower Protection Act, and retaliation complaints go to the Office of Special Counsel. NAF employees are protected by a separate statute, 10 U.S.C. § 1587, which bars reprisal for disclosing violations of law, mismanagement, waste, or abuse of authority, with complaints handled through the Defense Department Inspector General.
5. What rights do you have if you also serve in the Guard or Reserve?
Many Andrews civilians are also reservists or Guard members. Federal employees in the Reserve or National Guard generally receive up to 15 days of paid military leave per fiscal year under 5 U.S.C. § 6323. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, known as USERRA, protects your job while you serve and bars discrimination based on military service. Complaints can go to the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service or, for federal employees, directly to the MSPB.
Which Maryland law firms help Joint Base Andrews employees?
- The Mundaca Law Firm
- Zuckerman Law
- Thatcher Law Firm
- Obineche Law Firm
- Smithey Law Group
1. The Mundaca Law Firm: Maryland Federal Employee Attorney
The Mundaca Law Firm is led by Francisco E. Mundaca, Esq., Founding Partner, with a Maryland office at 1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway, Suite 300, in Annapolis. The firm represents federal workers at agencies across Maryland, including military installations with civilian workforces, NIH, FDA, the Social Security Administration, and NSA.
For civilian employees on military installations, its federal practice covers responses to proposed removals, demotions, and suspensions; MSPB appeals; EEO discrimination complaints; whistleblower retaliation claims; security clearance matters; and reductions in force. Consultations are confidential.
2. Zuckerman Law
A firm with a Chevy Chase office whose practice includes whistleblower matters.
3. Thatcher Law Firm
A Greenbelt, Maryland firm whose practice includes employment matters.
4. Obineche Law Firm
A Greenbelt, Maryland firm whose practice includes employment, immigration, and injury matters.
5. Smithey Law Group
An Annapolis firm that handles employment law matters.
Where should Joint Base Andrews civilians start?
First confirm whether you are an appropriated fund employee, a NAF employee, a dual-status technician, or a contractor, because each category follows different rules. Then note the deadlines that apply: 45 days for an EEO counselor and 30 days for most MSPB appeals. Keep copies of personnel actions, military orders, and any reports of wrongdoing you have made. If you work at Joint Base Andrews and are facing discipline, discrimination, or retaliation, a Maryland federal employee attorney can help you identify your rights and act before a deadline passes.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
