As the United States enters its sixth month of COVID-19-related shutdown in some form, the long-term behavioral impacts of the "new normal” are beginning to appear. Recent studies and official guidance indicate that Americans are experiencing elevated levels of unhappiness and anxiety due to the ongoing pandemic.
These issues and emotions can exacerbate and amplify the already-evident stresses coronavirus has brought to the federal law enforcement workplace: teleworking pressures, safety concerns, feelings of isolation, and lower degrees of teamwork and camaraderie. Federal law enforcement officers already have some of the most pressure-filled jobs in the federal workforce, and the additional coronavirus concerns only adds to that pressure. All federal law enforcement officers should be prepared for a potential increase in agency-directed disciplinary actions and should ensure they are legally, financially, and emotionally protected by carrying a federal employee professional liability insurance policy ("PLI”) from FEDS Protection.
Federal law enforcement officers are one of the groups in the federal workforce that need professional liability insurance the most— one of the reasons agencies are statutorily required to reimburse all federal law enforcement officers up to half the cost of a professional liability insurance premium. After the agency reimbursement, having a FEDS policy can cost as little as $145. A FEDS Protection PLI policy covers federal law enforcement officers for:
- Administrative & Disciplinary Matters. FEDS Protection pays for legal defense for any administrative investigation or judicial sanction proceeding arising out of any act, error, or omission while rendering a professional service. This applies to any administrative investigation including but not limited to OIG, OPR, OSC, Office of Inspection, Congressional, and agency-directed investigations as well as disciplinary actions.
- Personal Capacity Lawsuits / Bivens Actions. You can be sued. DOJ can deny representation. You can be held liable for a judgment. FEDS Protection pays for legal defense and indemnity protection if you are sued for any act, error or omission arising out of the course and scope of employment.
- Criminal Investigations. Some of the most common criminal investigations involving federal employees are due to conflict of interest statutes where intent is not a prerequisite to prove the crime, alleged misappropriation of federal funds, or inadvertent release of Privacy Act or other statutorily-protected information. FEDS PLI pays for legal defense for any criminal investigation or proceeding into any act, error, or omission arising out of your rendering of a professional service.