Podcast
Civil Rights for Civil Servants
Hear Shaun Southworth and Lydia Taylor explain federal employee rights, public service, workplace systems, and the people navigating them.
Listen to the podcastNews, rights, tools & learning
Federal Employee Resource Center
Search timely updates, plain-English explainers, practical guides, podcasts, and mindful-action resources. Start with the question you are trying to answer.
Judge Ruled OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Were Not Lawful
Earlier this year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to list every probationary employee, update that list daily, and fire nearly everyone not labeled “mis...
Probationary Federal Employees Challenge OSC in Court
Five former federal employees filed suit yesterday against the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), alleging the agency abandoned its duty to protect them from prohibited personne...
Federal Employees: Preparing for a Possible Government Shutdown
Congress has until October 1 to pass a short-term funding bill—known as a continuing resolution (CR)—to keep the government running. If passed, a CR typically extends funding into ...
RIF Litigation Update: Three Cases Every Federal Employee Must Watch
Federal employees across agencies are facing reductions in force (RIFs) at an unprecedented pace. While some layoffs have already gone forward, the courts are still weighing critic...
OPM’s Plan to End Progressive Discipline: What Federal Employees Need to Know
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has signaled it may eliminate the requirement that agencies use progressive discipline. If that rule is repealed, federal managers could by...
The Risk of Ending Progressive Discipline in Federal Employment
For decades, the federal workplace has recognized that mistakes happen and that growth is part of the process. Progressive discipline reflects this truth: employees receive coachin...
Department of War Rebrand: What It Means for Federal Employees
The Department of Defense is no more—it’s now officially the Department of War. While the shift may sound dramatic, the reality for federal employees is far less exciting. No new f...
When Agencies Are Reassigned to ICE: What Federal Workers Must Know
Recent reports confirm that tens of thousands of federal employees—many with no connection to immigration enforcement—are being reassigned to ICE. Nearly 20,000 workers from agenci...
Grand Jury Pushback: The “Ham Sandwich” Case That Didn’t Stick
Federal employees often hear the phrase, “a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich.” That saying captures a sobering truth: federal grand juries almost always side with prosecutors. ...
Ninth Circuit May Halt Union Contract Cancellations
In recent weeks, some federal agencies have moved aggressively to cancel collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). For employees, this has felt like the ground shifting under their ...
Who Runs the CDC: Science or Politics?
On August 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Susan Monarez was “no longer director” of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within hour...
Common Mistakes Whistleblowers Make — and How Attorneys Prevent Them
Federal employees who blow the whistle often step onto legal ground that feels both urgent and unstable. Many try to navigate the process alone, only to find themselves boxed in by...
More ways to learn
Choose the format that helps you understand what is happening.
The Mindful Federal Employee is part of a broader public-education ecosystem from Shaun Southworth, Lydia Taylor, and Southworth PC. Use the resource that fits the question and the moment.
Mindfulness
Work Peacefully
Use practical mindfulness tools to create space between workplace pressure and the decision you make next.
Explore mindfulness resourcesAbout the people behind the work
Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor
Meet the federal employment attorneys behind this public-education work and the podcast Civil Rights for Civil Servants.
Meet Shaun & LydiaThe Federal Employee Briefing
The important developments, without the all-day scroll.
Join 3,900+ federal employees getting sourced workforce news and practical next steps on weekdays. It is a free public-service resource from Southworth PC.