[VA Employee's Claim for Backpay and Compensatory Damages]

A labor union requested backpay and compensatory damages on behalf of a former Veterans Administration (VA) employee, who contended that VA improperly demoted and then dismissed him while he was suffering from a job-related illness. GAO held that: (1) there was no evidence that VA committed an improper personnel action or violated any law when it demoted the claimant prior to his dismissal; and (2) there was no statutory authority for the payment of compensatory damages. Accordingly, the claims were denied.