Skelly and Coleman Hearings

If an employee is served with a Notice of Adverse Action or a Notice of Rejection During Probation, the employee has the right to request what is known as a “Skelly Hearing”. If facing separation for being Absent Without Leave (AWOL), employees have the right to “Coleman Hearings.” Don’t let the name fool you: while these hearings have certain legal requirements, they are largely informal affairs that must occur before the effective date of the Adverse Action, Rejection, or AWOL Separation. Each is a name-clearing opportunity that seldom results in a change to discipline or the decision to reject someone or follow through with AWOL separation.

Participating in these hearings is optional and has no bearing on one’s rights to appeal a Notice of Adverse Action or Rejection During Probation. There can be advantages to requesting a Skelly Hearing, but there can also be advantages to skipping it entirely.

CASE Staff can provide advice to members on a case-by-case basis to help them evaluate whether they would benefit from participating in a Skelly or Coleman Hearing.