Maintaining Discipline

Number: 9751.1B HRM
Status: Active
Signature Date: 06/16/2025
Expiration Date: 06/30/2028

Purpose

This Order provides guidance on handling disciplinary actions and includes the Agency’s Table of Penalties.

Background

This Order has been revised to comply with the January 20, 2025 Executive Order (EO) 14171, Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce.  EO 14171 revokes EO 14003 issued on January 22, 2021, and requires that any changes made to agency disciplinary policies under section 3(e)(v) and 3(f) of EO 14003 be rescinded. 

Applicability

This Order applies to all GSA employees. The following are exceptions:

  1. The Office of Inspector General (OIG), given its independence under the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 (5 U.S.C. §§ 401-424).
  2. The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, due to its independent authorities.

Cancellation

This Order supersedes GSA Order HRM 9751.1A, Maintaining Discipline, dated July 14, 2022.

Summary of Changes

In accordance with EO 14171, the Order has been updated to rescind changes previously made pursuant to EO 14003. This updated Order:

  1. Requires consideration of all past misconduct (not only similar past misconduct) when taking a disciplinary action;
  2. Removes reference to settlement agreements that allow for disciplinary actions to be removed or omitted from an employee’s Official Personnel Folder;
  3. Requires that to the extent practicable, decisions on proposed removals be issued within fifteen (15) days of the end of the employee reply period;
  4. Provides that progressive discipline is not required in all cases and that the penalty for an instance of misconduct should be tailored to the facts and circumstances;
  5. Provides that the removal procedures set forth in Chapter 75 of Title 5, United States Code should be used in appropriate cases to address instances of unacceptable performance; and
  6. Removes references to the negotiated grievance procedure in compliance with EO 14251, Exclusions from Federal Labor Relations-Management Relations Program.

Roles and Responsibilities

  1. The Office of Human Resources Management will assist supervisors and managers in addressing employee conduct and will carry out this policy in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. 
  2. Executives in the Office of the Administrator, Heads of Services and Staff Offices (HSSOs) and Regional Administrators (RAs) are responsible for the maintenance of discipline and adherence to the standards of conduct by officials and employees under their jurisdiction.
  3. Immediate supervisors, in all instances, have the primary responsibility for acquainting employees with the standards of conduct, maintaining discipline and morale, and initiating appropriate corrective action when it becomes necessary. This is a daily responsibility of supervisors and not merely action taken at times when the employee may deviate from acceptable forms of conduct. Supervisors must thoroughly understand the purposes of disciplinary action and the methods for taking proper corrective action.