Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County is one of the Army’s largest research, development, and testing installations, and most of its workforce is civilian. Engineers, scientists, technicians, and acquisition specialists work under a mix of personnel systems, clearance requirements, and safety rules that create their own kinds of workplace disputes. A Maryland federal employee attorney who represents Army civilians sees the same handful of issues come up again and again. Below are five of the most common, followed by five Maryland law firms that represent employees in these situations.
What employment issues are common at Aberdeen Proving Ground?
1. How do alternative personnel systems affect your rights?
Many APG engineers and scientists work under demonstration personnel systems, such as laboratory demonstration projects or the Acquisition Workforce Demonstration Project, known as AcqDemo. These systems use pay bands and their own appraisal methods instead of the standard General Schedule. Each project’s rules are published in the Federal Register, and they can change how pay, ratings, and performance-based actions work. If you are disputing a rating or a pay decision, read your project’s notice before you respond.
2. What happens if your security clearance is suspended or revoked?
Many APG positions require a clearance, so losing one can cost you the job. For Defense Department civilians, a Statement of Reasons, the written list of security concerns, begins the process. You can generally respond in writing, request a personal appearance before an administrative judge at the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, and appeal to a Personnel Security Appeals Board. If the agency then removes you for failing to maintain a clearance, the Merit Systems Protection Board can review whether proper procedures were followed but not the merits of the clearance decision itself.
3. What rights do you have during reorganizations?
Army restructuring, transfers of function, and reductions in force can affect APG organizations. A reduction in force, or RIF, must follow federal rules that rank employees by tenure, veterans’ preference, length of service, and performance ratings. Employees who believe the agency miscalculated their standing can generally appeal to the MSPB. When a function moves to another location, employees may be offered a directed reassignment, and declining one can lead to removal.
4. Are you protected when you report a safety hazard?
Yes. Test ranges and laboratories carry real risks, and federal employees can report unsafe conditions to agency safety officials and to OSHA under rules at 29 C.F.R. Part 1960, which also prohibits reprisal. The Whistleblower Protection Act separately protects disclosures of a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. Retaliation complaints go to the Office of Special Counsel. If you are hurt on the job, file a Form CA-1 for a traumatic injury within 30 days to preserve continuation of pay under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act.
5. What if you experience discrimination at APG?
Army civilians must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of a discriminatory act. Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Rehabilitation Act all apply. APG also has a large contractor workforce, and contractor employees follow a different process: they generally file a charge with the EEOC against their actual employer, usually within 300 days in Maryland.
Which Maryland law firms help APG employees?
- The Mundaca Law Firm
- Pines Federal Employment Attorneys
- The Law Office of Andrew M. Dansicker
- Kathleen Cahill Law
- Lebau & Neuworth
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 Army civilians, its federal practice covers responses to Statements of Reasons and clearance revocations; responses to proposed removals, demotions, and suspensions; MSPB appeals; reductions in force; EEO discrimination complaints; and whistleblower retaliation claims before the Office of Special Counsel. Consultations are confidential.
2. Pines Federal Employment Attorneys
A Pikesville, Maryland firm focused on federal employment matters.
3. The Law Office of Andrew M. Dansicker
A Hunt Valley, Maryland office that handles employment law matters.
4. Kathleen Cahill Law
A Towson, Maryland firm whose practice includes employment law.
5. Lebau & Neuworth
A Towson firm whose practice includes employment and disability matters.
How can APG employees protect themselves?
Know which personnel system you work under, keep your clearance reporting current, and put safety concerns and accommodation requests in writing. Track the deadlines that matter: 45 days for an EEO counselor, 30 days for most MSPB appeals, and 30 days to report a workplace injury for continuation of pay. If you work at Aberdeen Proving Ground and are facing a clearance problem, discipline, a reorganization, or retaliation, a Maryland federal employee attorney can help you understand your rights and respond before a deadline passes.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
