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Civil Rights for Civil Servants
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OPM Calls $9.5 Billion in Paid Leave a "400% Return." Its Own Numbers Say Otherwise.
OPM Director Scott Kupor says the $9.5 billion the federal government paid its own employees not to work last year was "a massive benefit to the taxpayer," describing it as a 400 p...
Every VA Hospital Reported Severe Staffing Shortages. Then VA Called Its Own IG Report Unreliable.
The VA Inspector General's annual staffing shortage report is out, and for the first time in the seven years Federal News Network has tracked these reports, every one of the 139 VA...
Twenty-Two Cases, Two Million Feds: OPM Reopens Comments on Its Federal Removal Rule Through September 29
Would you rewrite the federal removal rules for two million people based on twenty-two cases? That is what is on the table. The Office of Personnel Management has reopened the publ...
Should Petty Friday Live or Die? Federal Employees, Tell Us What You Want From Hey Feds
Should Petty Friday live or die? That is the question Shaun Southworth is putting to federal employees this week, and he is only half joking. Not many viewers say they like the seg...
"You Won't Be Personally Liable": What the DHS Whistleblower Disclosure Means for Federal Employees Given a Questionable Order
When agency leadership tells federal employees "you won't be personally liable," it is worth asking what that sentence actually promises. A whistleblower disclosure made public Mon...
Supreme Court Keeps USPS Mail-Ballot Rules Blocked: Why Federal Employees Should Still Vote Early
The Supreme Court's decision on the Postal Service's mail-ballot rules is good news for anyone planning to vote by mail this fall, but the headlines leave out the part that matters...
USDA Relocation Pause: What the Government Cut From the Proposed Stay Order and Why It Matters
The USDA relocation pause is good news for federal employees holding reassignment letters, but the details are less clear than the headline. On Thursday, September 10, 2026, a fede...
Judge Rules DHS Plan to Cut FEMA in Half Was Unlawful: What FEMA CORE Employees Need to Know
A federal judge has ruled that the DHS plan to cut FEMA in half was unlawful, delivering a major win for FEMA employees. On Friday, September 11, 2026, Judge Susan Illston of the U...
Federal Judge Stays OPM's "Favorite Executive Order" Question on Federal Job Applications
A federal judge has stayed OPM's "favorite executive order" question on federal job applications, handing federal employees and applicants a significant win. On Friday, September 1...
Your FY2026 Performance Rating Now Carries RIF Points: Four Moves to Make Before It Closes
Your FY2026 performance rating is worth RIF retention points now, and for many federal employees the appraisal period closes on September 30. Seven points: that is what a Level 5 r...
CDC Told Employees to Resend Accommodation Medical Records in 20 Days or Lose Their Case. Is That Legal?
Can your agency sit on your reasonable accommodation request for months, then tell you to resend your medical records in 20 days or lose your case and your interim accommodation? C...
EPA Says It Is "Not Bound" by an Arbitrator's RIF Award. Federal Law Says Otherwise.
EPA lost an arbitration over its 2025 reduction in force and reorganization, and its entire public response, as reported by Federal News Network, was eight words: "EPA is not bound...
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