The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider whether a 60-day appeal deadline for federal workers is a hard-and-fast “jurisdictional” rule, or whether it can sometimes be waived for fairness reasons.

In an order Friday, the court granted a petition filed by a longtime Department of Defense employee challenging his furlough after the 2013 congressional budget sequestration. Petitioner Stuart R. Harrow has asked the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and hold that the 60-day deadline to appeal rulings by a special personnel board for federal workers can be waived in certain cases.