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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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Are EEOC and MSPB Still Fair for Feds?
Lately, many federal employees have been asking the same question: Is the system already decided? With nonstop headlines about politics and the courts, it can feel like filing an E...
Telework and “Undue Hardship” Under the Rehab Act
When a supervisor says, “Telework is an undue hardship,” it can sound final. It is not. Under the Rehabilitation Act—applying ADA standards—the agency must provide a reasonable acc...
Judge Bars DOJ From Searching Reporter Devices
A federal judge in Virginia just took the unusual step of blocking the Department of Justice from reviewing a reporter’s seized electronic devices—and ordered that the court, not D...
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....
Managing Federal Workplace Anxiety Before Discipline
For many GS-9 and above federal employees, the body reacts to a calendar invite or HR/LR email before the mind has processed a single word. Chest tightens. Jaw clenches. Thoughts j...
How to Request a Telework Accommodation (No Magic Words Required)
One of the most damaging myths in federal workplaces right now is this: that you must use specific legal language to request a telework accommodation. You do not.
You do not have ...
DOGE’s $110B Savings Claim Under Scrutiny
A year after DOGE’s cost-cutting push, many federal employees are asking a simple question: were the numbers real, or was the government handed a scoreboard that obscured mission d...
DHS Partial Shutdown: What Feds Should Do Now
As of February 23, 2026, most of the federal government is funded through the end of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security is not. Congress passed full-year appropri...
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...
AWOL Threats and Telework Accommodation Rights
If you’re being told, “Report in-person or you’ll be marked AWOL,” pause—but do not panic.
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is often the pivot point where a disability accommodation di...
DoD Graduate School Limits and Military Readiness
Reporting indicates that beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Department of Defense may restrict certain professional military education, fellowships, and certificate prog...
AFGE Wins HUD Telework Arbitration Case
Federal employees received significant news this week: AFGE Council 222 secured a class-wide arbitration win requiring HUD to restore routine telework agreements that were rolled b...
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