(a) A covered Department employee may appeal an adverse action identified under § 9701.704(a) to MSPB. Such an employee has a right to be represented by an attorney or other representative, and to a hearing if material facts are in dispute. However, separate procedures apply when the action is taken because of a mandatory removal offense or is in the interest of national security. (See §§ 9701.707 and 9701.613, respectively.)
(b) MSPB may decide any case appealed to it or may refer the case to an administrative law judge appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105 or other employee of MSPB designated by MSPB to decide such cases. MSPB or an adjudicating official must make a decision at the close of the review and provide a copy of the decision to each party to the appeal and to OPM.
(c)(1) If an employee is the prevailing party in an appeal under this section, the employee must be granted the relief provided in the decision upon issuance of the decision, subject to paragraph (c)(3) of this section, and such relief remains in effect pending the outcome of any petition for review unless—
(i) An adjudicating official determines that the granting of such relief is not appropriate; or
(ii) The relief granted in the decision provides that the employee will return or be present at the place of employment pending the outcome of any petition for review, and the Department, subject to paragraph (c)(2) of this section, determines in its sole, exclusive, and unreviewable discretion, that the return or presence of the employee is unduly disruptive to the work environment.
(2) If the Department makes a determination under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section that prevents the return or presence of an employee at the place of employment, such employee must receive pay, compensation, and all other benefits as terms and conditions of employment pending the outcome of any petition for review.
(3) Nothing in the provisions of this section may be construed to require that any award of back pay or attorney fees be paid before the decision is final.
(d) The decision of the Department must be sustained under paragraph (b) of this section if it is supported by a preponderance of the evidence, unless the employee shows by a preponderance of the evidence—
(1) Harmful error in the application of Department procedures in arriving at the decision;
(2) That the decision was based on any prohibited personnel practice described in 5 U.S.C. 2302(b); or
(3) That the decision was not in accordance with law.
(e) The Director of OPM may, as a matter of right at any time in the proceeding, intervene or otherwise participate in any proceeding under this section in any case in which the Director believes that an erroneous decision will have a substantial impact on a civil service law, rule, regulation, or policy directive.
(f) Except as provided in § 9701.709, any decision under paragraph (b) of this section is final unless a party to the appeal or the Director of OPM petitions MSPB for review within 30 days after receipt of the decision or MSPB reopens and reconsiders a case on its own motion. The Director may petition MSPB for review only if he or she believes the decision is erroneous and will have a substantial impact on a civil service law, rule, regulation, or policy directive. MSPB, for good cause shown, may extend the filing period.
(g) If MSPB or an adjudicating official is of the opinion that consolidation or joinder could result in more expeditious processing of appeals and would not adversely affect any party, MSPB or an adjudicating official may—
(1) Consolidate appeals filed by two or more appellants; or
(2) Join two or more appeals filed by the same appellant and hear and decide them concurrently.
(h)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (h)(2) of this section or as otherwise provided by law, MSPB or an adjudicating official may require payment by the Department of reasonable attorney fees incurred by an employee if the employee is the prevailing party and MSPB or an adjudicating official determines that payment by the Department is warranted in the interest of justice, including any case in which a prohibited personnel practice was engaged in by the Department or any case in which the Department's action was clearly without merit.
(2) If the employee is the prevailing party and the decision is based on a finding of discrimination prohibited under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), the payment of reasonable attorney fees must be in accordance with the standards prescribed in section 706(k) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(k)).
(i)(1) MSPB or an adjudicating official may not require settlement discussions in connection with any appealed action under this section. If either party decides that settlement is not desirable, the matter will proceed to adjudication.
(2) Where the parties agree to engage in settlement discussions before MSPB or an adjudicating official, these discussions will be conducted by an official specifically designated by MSPB for that sole purpose. Nothing prohibits the parties from engaging in settlement discussions on their own.
(j) If an employee has been removed under subpart F of this part, neither the employee's status under any retirement system established by Federal statute nor any election made by the employee under any such system will affect the employee's appeal rights.
(k) The following provisions modify MSPB's appellate procedures applicable to appeals under this subpart:
(1) All appeals, including class appeals, will be filed no later than 20 days after the effective date of the action being appealed, or no later than 20 days after the date of service of the Department's decision, whichever is later.
(2) Either party may file a motion for representative disqualification at any time during the proceedings.
(3) The parties may seek discovery regarding any matter that is relevant to any of their claims or defenses. However, by motion, either party may seek to limit such discovery because the burden or expense of providing the material outweighs its benefit, or because the material sought is privileged, not relevant, unreasonably cumulative or duplicative, or can be secured from some other source that is more convenient, less burdensome, or less expensive.
(i) Prior to filing a motion to limit discovery, the parties must confer and attempt to resolve any pending objection(s).
(ii) Neither party may submit more than one set of interrogatories, one set of requests for production of documents, and one set of requests for admissions. The number of interrogatories or requests for production or admissions may not exceed 25 per pleading, including subparts; in addition, neither party may conduct/compel more than 2 depositions.
(iii) Either party may file a motion requesting additional discovery. Such motion may be granted only if the party has shown necessity and good cause to warrant such additional discovery.
(4) Requests for case suspensions must be submitted jointly.
(5) When there are no material facts in dispute, the adjudicating official must render summary judgment on the law without a hearing. However, when material facts are in dispute and a hearing is held, a transcript must be kept.
(6) Given the Department's need to maintain an exceptionally high degree of order and discipline in the workplace, an arbitrator, adjudicating official, or MSPB may not modify the penalty imposed by the Department unless such penalty is so disproportionate to the basis for the action as to be wholly without justification. In cases of multiple charges, the third party's determination in this regard is based on the justification for the penalty as it relates to the sustained charge(s). When a penalty is mitigated, the maximum justifiable penalty must be applied.
(7) An initial decision must be made no later than 90 days after the date on which the appeal is filed. If that initial decision is appealed to MSPB, MSPB must render its decision no later than 90 days after the close of the record before MSPB on petition for review.
(8) If the Director seeks reconsideration of a final MSPB order, MSPB must render its decision no later than 60 days after receipt of the opposition to OPM's petition in support of such reconsideration. MSPB must state the reasons for its decision so that the Director can determine whether to seek judicial review and to facilitate expeditious judicial review.
(9) MSPB, in conjunction with the Department and OPM, will develop and issue voluntary expedited appeals procedures for Department cases.
(l) Failure of MSPB to meet the deadlines imposed by paragraphs (k)(7) and (k)(8) of this section in a case will not prejudice any party to the case and will not form the basis for any legal action by any party.
(m) Except as otherwise provided by 5 U.S.C. 7702 with respect to cases involving allegations of discrimination, judicial review of any final MSPB order or decision is as prescribed under 5 U.S.C. 7703.