Personnel, Labor and Employment Division
Our Personnel, Labor, and Employment (PLED) team works on behalf of District residents to ensure government personnel decisions are made fairly while supporting the needs of the District government. The division represents government agencies in administrative and personnel related matters. At our core, DC government is comprised of people who want to make life better for residents and visitors. It is critical to make sure that the District retains dedicated personnel who can do this important work. By ensuring that suitable personnel work for the District government, PLED helps to build trust between residents and local government, and in turn enable our government to operate effectively.
In-House Advice Giving and Negotiation
The Chief Counsel for PLED and Senior Advisor to the Attorney General serve as OAG’s in-house counsel on personnel matters, provides legal advice to OAG HR and managers, and conducts legal sufficiency review of various investigations. The Chief Counsel also serves as OAG’s chief negotiator for collective bargaining agreements.
The Personnel and Labor Relations Section
The Personnel and Labor Relations Section defends District government agencies, primarily in matters related to (1) disciplinary actions, (2) public sector workers’ compensation claims, (3) charges of discrimination and (4) reductions in force. PLRS attorneys appear in practice before Police Adverse Action Panels; Fire Trial Boards; The District of Columbia Office of Employee Appeals; American Arbitration Association and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Arbitrators; The Public Employee Relations Board; The Office of Administrative Hearings; The Compensation Review Board; The Office of Human Rights; The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
PLRS attorneys also defend administrative mattered appealed to the District of Columbia Superior Court from final decisions of the Office of Employee Appeals, the Public Employee Relations Board, the Office of Human Rights, the Office of Risk Management, and non-performance of duty injury determinations made by both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
Office of Privacy and Confidentiality
PLED houses the District’s Office of Privacy and Confidentiality (OPC) established for sustained compliance with, among other things, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA). OPC serves as the District’s single point of contact for HIPAA privacy and security; oversees HIPAA operations for certain agencies, coordinates the District’s privacy and security officers; receives and resolves privacy and security complaints from the public and employees; monitors and reports on interpretations of HIPAA regulations; and conduct independent investigations for corrective action.