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.
How Federal Employees Can Prepare for a Government Shutdown
Step One: Know Your Status
The single most important action to take today is clarifying whether you are exempt, excepted, or furloughed. Exempt positions remain funded, excepted e...
2026 Federal Pay Raise: What Employees Need to Know
Federal employees have been bracing for a pay freeze in 2026. But the White House’s just-released alternative pay plan delivers a modest surprise: a raise is back on the table—thou...
CDC Vaccine Expert Resigns Over Politics in Science
The resignation of Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, one of the nation’s leading vaccine experts, is not just another D.C. headline. His departure signals something far more personal: federa...
FLETC Training Freeze Leaves Federal Agencies Vulnerable
The Trump administration has announced that the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) will pause nearly all training for non-ICE agencies through year’s end. This decisi...
CDC Leadership Crisis and Federal Governance Breakdown
The attempted removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez highlights a critical legal issue: under federal law, only the President—not agency heads or political appointees—can dismiss a ...
Grand Jury Pushback: The “Ham Sandwich” Case That Didn’t Stick
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. ...
Ninth Circuit May Halt Union Contract Cancellations
In recent weeks, some federal agencies have moved aggressively to cancel collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). For employees, this has felt like the ground shifting under their ...
Who Runs the CDC: Science or Politics?
On August 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Susan Monarez was “no longer director” of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within hour...
Common Mistakes Whistleblowers Make — and How Attorneys Prevent Them
Federal employees who blow the whistle often step onto legal ground that feels both urgent and unstable. Many try to navigate the process alone, only to find themselves boxed in by...
Whistleblower Rights After Disclosure with National Consequences
When Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration, reported that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) copied the entire Social Security da...
Silencing Black Women in Power: A Federal Reserve Trailblazer Forced Out
The recent removal of Dr. Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, is more than a personnel decision—it is a warning. Dr. Cook is not a novice. She i...
The Banner vs. Reality: Workers First or Workers Forgotten?
When a towering banner with the words “AMERICAN WORKERS FIRST” was draped across the Department of Labor, the image was meant to project strength and reassurance. But for federal e...
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.