5 CFR 1201.28 : Administrative Personnel (§ 1.1 To Parts 10003-10049) — (§ 1200.1 To Parts 10003-10049) — Merit Systems Protection Board (§ 1200.1 To Parts 1217-1299) — Organization And Procedures (§ 1200.1 To Parts 1217-1299) — Practices And Procedures (§ 1201.1 To Appendix Iv To Part 1201) — Procedures For Appellate Cases (§ 1201.11 To § 1201.113) — Appeal Of Agency Action; Pleadings (§ 1201.21 To § 1201.29) — Case suspension procedures.

(a) Suspension period. The judge may issue an order suspending the processing of an appeal for up to 30 days. The judge may grant a second order suspending the processing of an appeal for up to an additional 30 days.

(b) Early termination of suspension period. The administrative judge may terminate the suspension period upon joint request of the parties or where the parties request the judge's assistance and the judge's involvement is likely to be extensive.

(c) Termination of suspension period. If the final day of any suspension period falls on a day on which the Board is closed for business, adjudication shall resume as of the first business day following the expiration of the period.

(d) Mediation. Whenever an appeal is accepted into the Board's Mediation Appeals Program (MAP), the processing of the appeal and all deadlines are suspended until the mediator returns the case to the judge. This provision does not apply where the parties enter into other forms of alternative dispute resolution.