This is a story about great legal training. But it starts with a snowstorm and McDonald’s breakfast burritos.
Monday, March 3, 2014. Federal government offices in D.C. were closed for a snow day but I was headed in anyway.
Back then I ate a lot of McDonald’s. Like every morning. The drive-thru by my house was efficient so I developed a habit of grabbing two breakfast burritos and coffee on my way to work. Bad for me but delicious.
There was a young guy who worked the drive-thru window every morning. Very laid back. Always friendly. Super fast with the money. He had a ponytail that hung down his back, almost to his waist, until one day he didn’t. He just cut it off and got a regular guy haircut.
Anyway, by 6:30 that morning the snow had started to accumulate and the roads were getting bad. I wouldn’t have gone to work myself but I had enrolled in a legal training program that began that morning and didn’t want to miss it. I had a government car so I was willing to risk the drive.
And I still had time to grab burritos.
As I pulled around to pay, there was that kid. While virtually every federal employee in D.C. was at home in bed enjoying a snow day, here he was: at work, at McDonald’s, at 6:30 in the morning, in a snowstorm, laid back and friendly as ever, just to sell me burritos.
I still think about that kid sometimes. I recently told my son that story to illustrate the meaning of dependability and work ethic.
Employees like that are hard to find.
And that’s exactly why I was braving snowy roads to attend legal training. At the time, I was the Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Internal Affairs Division. Many investigations into employee misconduct result in disciplinary actions that implicate specific federal employment laws. To better understand those laws I had enrolled in the Federal Employment Law Training Group’s “MSPB Law Week.”
The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) does what its name suggests by hearing appeals from federal employees who have faced adverse actions related to their employment. Like what might result from an IA investigation.
FELTG had a reputation for delivering top-notch training and it did not disappoint. I learned so much and was so impressed that I also attended FELTG’s “EEOC Law Week” and a course on “Conducting Misconduct Investigations.” The training was invaluable.
It was on that snowy Monday in 2014 that I met Deborah J. Hopkins, now President of FELTG.
I recently began working as outside counsel to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) and that legal training took on renewed importance. That prompted me to reach out to Deb and renew my subscription to FELTG’s newsletter.
Deb’s article this week dispelled a common misconception that a rude supervisor equals a ‘Hostile Work Environment.’ It made me think of that morning and I wanted to share.
I don’t eat much McDonald’s these days but I still use that training.
I hope that kid is doing well.