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

Can a President Remove an Entire Science Board?

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On April 24, every member of the National Science Board (NSB) was abruptly removed via a brief email from the Presidential Personnel Office. No transition plan. No explanation. Jus...

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IRS Refund Delays and Enforcement Cuts Explained

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Federal employees are often asked to reconcile two competing narratives: what agency leadership reports to Congress and what unfolds inside the workplace. The IRS’s recent “home ru...

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FAIR Act 2027: 4.1% Federal Pay Raise Explained

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Democrats have introduced the FAIR Act proposing a 4.1% federal pay raise for 2027—3.1% across-the-board plus an average 1% locality adjustment. Whether it ultimately passes remain...

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Can the Department of Education Be Dismantled?

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If you work in the federal government right now, the headlines can feel destabilizing. One day your agency is supposedly being “dismantled.” The next, your job is “moving.” And no ...

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Black History Month in Federal Workplaces: Who Makes It Happen

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If someone has ever been responsible for planning a Black History Month event at work, the pattern is familiar. The group emails. The speaker outreach. The scramble to make somethi...

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GAO Telework Report: What SSA Employees Need to Know

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A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on federal telework is already circulating inside the Social Security Administration (SSA), and it deserves close attention from...

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2,300 Unlawful ICE Detentions Since July 2025

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Federal employees are trained to think in systems, not slogans. That is why a striking number deserves careful attention: since July, federal judges have ruled at least 2,300 times...

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Government Shutdown Nears an End: What Federal Employees Should Watch

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After weeks of uncertainty, there’s a cautious sense of hope. The latest political signals suggest that the government shutdown—now one of the most disruptive in recent memory—coul...

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Pentagon’s Rare Generals’ Summit: What It Means for DoD Civilians

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Next week, hundreds of generals, admirals, and senior enlisted advisors have been ordered to gather at Quantico for an unusual in-person session with the Secretary of Defense. Whil...

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Why Some Agencies Are Pausing RIFs—and What It Means for You

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Some agencies that once charged ahead with mass reductions in force (RIFs) are now quietly tapping the brakes. Officially, they’re citing early retirements and voluntary departures...

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Schedule F Is Back: What Federal Workers Must Know

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We’re witnessing a potentially seismic shift in federal employment protections. Axios is reporting that the Trump administration is preparing to reintroduce Schedule F—a controvers...

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A Public Website that Tracked Tax Dollars Vanished: Why This Matters to Feds

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A quiet but critical event has unfolded in federal government operations—one that should concern every federal employee. Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called...

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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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About 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.

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