S.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Center, Tampa (Board decision, May 30, 2025)

ECAB final decision. The Board dismissed the appeal as untimely and did not review the underlying OWCP decision. A party may petition the Board for reconsideration within 30 days of issuance unless this order specifies another period, under 20 C.F.R. § 501.7(a). FECA compensation decisions are generally not subject to court review under 5 U.S.C. § 8128(b).

Plain-English summary

A VA employee appealed an OWCP decision issued in July 2023. The Board found the 180-day appeal period ended in January 2024, but the appeal was not filed until April 2025. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction without reviewing the underlying claim.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Federal Employees' Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.
• Outcome: Appeal dismissed as untimely.
• Key point: The appeal was filed after the Board's 180-day jurisdictional deadline.

Full text (ECAB public release)

United States Department of Labor
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

________
)
S.B., Appellant
)
)
Docket No. 25-0517
and ) Issued: May 30, 2025
)
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, VA )
MEDICAL CENTER, Tampa, FL, Employer )
__________ )

Appearances: Case Submitted on the Record
Appellant, pro se
Office of Solicitor, for the Director

ORDER DISMISSING APPEAL

Before:
ALEC J. KOROMILAS, Chief Judge
PATRICIA H. FITZGERALD, Deputy Chief Judge VALERIE D. EVANS-HARRELL, Alternate Judge

On April 30, 2025 appellant filed an appeal from a July 27, 2023 merit decision of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards assigned the appeal Docket No. 25-0517.

The Board has duly considered the matter and notes that the Board has jurisdiction to review final adverse decisions of OWCP issued under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).1 For final adverse decisions of OWCP issued on or after November 19, 2008, the Board’s review authority is limited to appeals which are filed within 180 days from the date of issuance of OWCP’s decision. 2

The 180 th day following the July 27, 2023 decision was January 23, 2024. As appellant did not file an appeal with the Board until April 30, 2025, more than 180 days after the July 27, 2023 OWCP decision, the Board finds that the appeal docketed as No. 25-0517 is untimely filed. The Board is without jurisdiction to review the appeal. Appellant has not explained the failure to timely file an appeal with supporting documentation sufficient to establish compelling 1 5 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.; 20 C.F.R. §§ 501.2(c) and 501.3(a).
2
20 C.F.R. § 501.3(e) provides in pertinent part: “Any notice of appeal must be filed within 180 days from the date of issuance of a decision of the OWCP.” circumstances. Because there is no final adverse decision issued by OWCP within 180 days of the filing of the instant appeal, the Board concludes that the appeal docketed as No. 2 5-0517 must be dismissed.3 Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the appeal docketed as No. 25-0517 is dismissed.

Issued: May 30, 2025
Washington, DC

Alec J. Koromilas, Chief Judge
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Patricia H. Fitzgerald, Deputy Chief Judge Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Valerie D. Evans-Harrell, Alternate Judge Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

3
The Board’s decisions and orders are “final upon the expiration of 30 days from the date of their issuance.” 20 C.F.R. § 501.6(d).

2