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Shaun Southworth leading a federal employment training session with members of the Southworth PC team
 

Judge Rules OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Illegal

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Earlier this year, thousands of probationary federal employees were swept out of service under a government-wide directive. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had ordered age...

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Due Process Prevails in Lisa Cook Case

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Last night, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals made headlines by blocking the administration’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. For federal employees, this case...

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Federal Employees, Social Media, and Free Speech

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In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, agencies have begun issuing warnings about employee social media use. Some federal workers have already been placed on leave pending review of ...

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Judge Ruled OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Were Not Lawful

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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...

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Probationary Federal Employees Challenge OSC in Court

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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...

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Federal Employees: Preparing for a Possible Government Shutdown

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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 ...

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RIF Litigation Update: Three Cases Every Federal Employee Must Watch

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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...

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OPM’s Plan to End Progressive Discipline: What Federal Employees Need to Know

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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...

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The Risk of Ending Progressive Discipline in Federal Employment

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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...

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Department of War Rebrand: What It Means for Federal Employees

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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...

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When Agencies Are Reassigned to ICE: What Federal Workers Must Know

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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...

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Grand Jury Pushback: The “Ham Sandwich” Case That Didn’t Stick

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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. ...

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Hear Shaun Southworth and Lydia Taylor explain federal employee rights, public service, workplace systems, and the people navigating them.

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Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor

Meet the federal employment attorneys behind this public-education work and the podcast Civil Rights for Civil Servants.

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