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Civil Rights for Civil Servants
Hear Shaun Southworth and Lydia Taylor explain federal employee rights, public service, workplace systems, and the people navigating them.
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USPS Suspends FERS Contributions: Legal Limits Explained
Under 5 U.S.C. § 8423, federal employers “shall” contribute to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). That language is mandatory, not discretionary. For most agencies, the...
Medical Privacy Rights for Federal Employees
Federal employees often assume that HIPAA protects their medical information at work. That assumption is understandable—but incorrect. HIPAA governs healthcare providers and insure...
VA Loan Foreclosures: Legal Gaps Hurting Veterans
Federal employees and veterans alike understand that government systems are supposed to provide stability—especially in times of crisis. But recent changes to VA-backed mortgage re...
MSPB Back Pay Tax Relief for Federal Employees
One of the most frustrating realities in federal employment law is that even a successful case can carry hidden costs. A recent Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) decision offer...
HHS RIF Lawsuit Survives: What It Means for Feds
A federal court in Rhode Island recently refused to dismiss the challenge to the March 27 HHS reorganization and reduction in force (RIF). That decision matters because it confirms...
FY2027 Federal Job Cuts and Growth Explained
The FY2027 budget proposal offers something federal employees rarely receive this clearly: a roadmap of priorities. While it is not yet law, it reflects where leadership intends to...
Trump's FY2027 Budget: Proposed Staffing Changes for Every Federal Agency
President Trump's FY2027 budget proposal lays out agency-by-agency staffing plans for the federal workforce. After cutting more than 300,000 federal employees in his first year in ...
Negotiated Settlements Terminated: What Feds Should Know
A recent federal decision to terminate long-standing Title IX settlements protecting transgender students presents a legally unusual situation. These agreements—some negotiated ove...
MSPB RIF Cases: What Federal Employees Should Expect
For federal employees challenging a Reduction in Force (RIF), the instinct is often to focus on the outcome—the job loss. But early MSPB litigation is rarely about that alone. Judg...
VA Arbitration Ruling Reinforces Union Rights
Recent reports involving senior military promotions raise a deeper concern that extends beyond any single agency: the erosion of merit-based decision-making. Allegations that promo...
Merit vs. Politics in Federal Promotions
Recent reports involving senior military promotions raise a deeper concern that extends beyond any single agency: the erosion of merit-based decision-making. Allegations that promo...
Religious Messaging in Federal Agencies: Legal Limits
Federal employees often ask where the line falls between personal faith and workplace conduct. That line became especially important after a Cabinet-level, agency-wide email framed...
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