The Labor and Employment Law Office (LEL) of the Human Resources Staff has a Department-wide policy and oversight role in the area of Labor and Employment Law. In that capacity, LEL is responsible for providing advice to component employee relations staffs and General Counsels’ Offices on matters relating to performance, disciplinary and adverse actions, claims of reprisal, and the Department’s Agency Grievance Procedure. It works with and provides advice and guidance to managers and ER staff throughout the Department on drafting notices of disciplinary and adverse actions and responses to employee grievances. It also provides advice to component labor management relations staff and Offices of General Counsel regarding negotiability issues, impasses, arbitrations, agency head review, the Department’s Order on labor relations, unfair labor practices (ULP) and representation cases. The office drafts all exceptions to arbitration awards and ULP decisions of Administrative Law Judges, statements of position in response to Union negotiability appeals for all Department components and offices, boards and divisions. LEL provides support to the Department in petitions before the Courts of Appeals and provides legal advice on Human Resources Staff issues when requested. LEL staff also represent the Department before the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and coordinates and implements the Department’s LR/ER training programs. LEL is also comprised of an Operations Group which provides labor relations and employee relations services for the Justice Management Division and the Offices, Boards and Divisions.

Eric Daniels
Assistant Director
202-616-3749

Matthew Hirt
Attorney
202-616-3703

Melanie Jones
Attorney
202-305-3013

Melanie Russell
Attorney
202-514-0138