Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit advocacy group, demanded action to implement the law last week in a petition for rulemaking, and warned if the agency fails to do so within 60 days, the nonprofit will file a lawsuit.
In the years since the Administrative Leave Act was signed into law, PEER said federal agencies’ “abuse” of the administrative leave system for feds under investigation has continued unabated. Between fiscal 2018 and 2020, the National Park Service tallied 530,000 in paid administrative leave at a cost of more than $10 million, while PEER, which often represents federal scientists in employment cases, has witnessed multiple instances where their clients were on leave for extended periods of time.
