Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-102
§6385 Prohibition of Coercion
Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart E — Attendance and Leave › CHAPTER 63 — LEAVE › SUBCHAPTER V — FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE › § 6385
Summary
Employees must not, directly or indirectly, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or try to do those things to stop another employee from using rights under this subchapter. That rule covers offering or giving favors (for example, hiring, a promotion, or pay) or threatening to withhold or take those things away. Employee — the meaning given in section 2105.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §6385
Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)An employee shall not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other employee for the purpose of interfering with the exercise of any rights which such other employee may have under this subchapter.
(b)For the purpose of this section—
(1)the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as appointment, promotion, or compensation), or taking or threatening to take any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation); and
(2)the term “employee” means any “employee”, as defined by section 2105.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective 6 months after Feb. 5, 1993, see section 405(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–3, set out as a note under section 2601 of Title 29, Labor.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 6385
Title 5, Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102