THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH-APRIL 2026 61 AFSA NEWS Foreign Service Grievance Board Vacancies Half of the 20 positions on the Foreign Service Grievance Board (FSGB) became vacant October 1, 2025, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not make the required appointments to fill the expiring two-year terms of 10 members. Under the Foreign Service Act, the Secretary of State is responsible for appointing board members based on recommendations from the foreign affairs agencies and AFSA when it was recognized as the exclusive representative. The board was created by Congress under the 1980 Foreign Service Act to provide due process to Foreign Service members who believe they have been deprived of a right or benefit under law or regulation. It comprises retired Foreign Service employees and professional arbitrators and attorneys well known for their integrity who serve staggered two-year terms. Until these appointments are made, the board’s caseload will continue to grow, delaying due process for Foreign Service members and harming government efficiency. Prolonged delays can also slow decisions in cases that may result in employee separations or other disciplinary actions. AFSA continues to monitor the situation but has no authority to compel the appointments. n tection of early retirement benefits is also a priority for our members. Beyond the simple survey boxes, what do our members care about when they write to us? The same themes come up again and again: reversing the RIFs, reforming the EER and promotion system, updating the assignment process, protecting collective bargaining and union activity, lobbying for VERA and parity with military benefits, and obtaining that elusive last tranche of OCP. With this in mind, here are some of the proposals AFSA is considering. Most are revenue-neutral—a congressional priority—or would entail only minimal funding considerations. • Ensure that members of the Foreign Service who are RIFed or forced into premature retirement have rehiring rights for any vacancies in their specialty and at their rank. • Restore and protect the annuity exception. This simple provision—which allows those who reach their time in class (TIC) to continue working for another couple of years until they reach the retirement age of 50 with 20 years of service. This only affects a small number of members every year but has an outsized impact on morale. • Institute clear guidelines for RIFs, specifically whether they are necessary and whether they are based on worldwide competitive groups that take into account rank, cone, board results, and veteran status. • Amend 22 USC 4132 to grant the Foreign Service Grievance Board jurisdiction to decide grievances of former Service members separated without notice. Grievances must be filed before separation from the Service, but this year has seen cases of Service members who have been separated abruptly and without an opportunity to bring a formal grievance. • Institute time limits on Bureau of Personnel and Training disciplinary cases and Diplomatic Security security investigations, which can currently drag on for years. • Safeguard the integrity of the FS recruitment process. Department leadership is disregarding 22 USC 2651.a, 3926, 3941, and not extending hiring offers according to rank order on the register. Identify criteria for those who should join the FS, and ensure clear and open application of the rules of the FS registers. • Require State and other agencies to supply tenure and promotion lists to the Hill on a timely basis. • Maintain the leadership and qualifications of the Director General. For decades, human resources policy at the State Department has been led by an individual of distinguished rank and experience. This position should be designated for a member of the SFS who would retain their traditional portfolio of overseeing State Department human resources policy. • Enact a legislative mandate for the continuation of fellowship programs for entry into the FS. Currently, several dozen members of the Rangel, Pickering, and Payne cohorts have completed their education and internship requirements and are awaiting invitations for entering classes. This list is not exhaustive. Our experiences over the past year have led to occasions where we considered other proposals as the need for them became clear, and we expect this trend to continue. Everything we do, however, is done with the aim of protecting and guaranteeing the integrity of the Service that we love. —Lisa Heller, Director of Professional Policy Issues n
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=