5 U.S.C. § 7503 — Cause and procedure

(a) Under rules from the Office of Personnel Management, an agency may suspend an employee for 14 days or less. The agency needs a cause that helps the agency work better. This can include being rude to the public — confirmed by a supervisor's report of four such incidents in one year — or any other pattern of rude conduct. (b) Before suspending an employee for 14 days or less, the agency must give the employee: (1) advance written notice stating the specific reasons; (2) a reasonable amount of time to answer, in speech and in writing, and to provide sworn statements and other evidence; (3) the right to be represented by a lawyer or other representative; and (4) a written decision, with specific reasons, as soon as possible. (c) The agency must keep copies of the notice, the employee's answer (written, or a summary if spoken), the decision notice, any suspension order, and supporting material. The agency must give these to the Merit Systems Protection Board if it asks, and to the employee if the employee asks.