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.
Can the MSPB Stay Independent? A Private White House Meeting and a Broken Precedent Raise the Question
The Merit Systems Protection Board — the independent body federal employees count on when they're fired — may have made its most consequential ruling in decades after a private mee...
The CFPB Layoff Freeze Held — But the D.C. Circuit Did More Than Headlines Are Saying
The headlines say the federal appeals court kept the CFPB layoff freeze in place. That part is accurate. But the D.C. Circuit did more than that — and the part most reporting has g...
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...
When “DEI” Becomes a Legal Standard Without a Definition
A recent federal court ruling allowed deposition videos of former DOGE staffers to remain public, emphasizing a core principle: transparency outweighs discomfort when government of...
OPM Performance Appraisal Rule: Key Risks for Feds
On February 24, 2026, OPM published a proposed rule that could significantly reshape how federal employees are rated, rewarded, and disciplined. Comments are due by March 26, 2026....
Supreme Court Tariffs Case and Federal Power Limits
Federal employees have been watching the Supreme Court closely this term. The recent tariffs decision is more than a trade-policy headline. It is a separation-of-powers case that c...
RIF During a Congressional Freeze: What Federal Employees Need to Know
When Congress passes a continuing resolution (CR) that prohibits agencies from initiating, carrying out, implementing, or even noticing a reduction in force, most federal employees...
Federal Judge Halts Shutdown-Based RIFs Nationwide
In a sweeping move late Thursday, Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) stopping the administration from carrying ou...
Supreme Court Stay Imperils MSPB & NLRB Autonomy
On May 22, the Supreme Court issued a late-night order allowing President Trump to remove the heads of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and National Labor Relations Board ...
Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Federal Protections
There’s a Supreme Court showdown unfolding that every federal employee should be paying attention to. It centers on the case Trump v. Wilcox, and it may dramatically reshape how in...
Probationary Employees, Due Process, and the Power of MSPB
In a case that has sent ripples through the federal workforce, the Trump administration recently asked the Supreme Court to block a ruling requiring the rehiring of 16,000 federal ...
Mass Firings of Federal Employees: What You Need to Know
Recent mass firings of federal employees have created a legal and bureaucratic mess. Over 24,000 probationary federal employees were terminated under questionable circumstances, an...
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.