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

Nationwide RIF Injunction: Why the Ninth Circuit Decision Matters

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Federal employees across 21 agencies—including the VA, IRS, and Department of Education—are holding their breath this week. A nationwide injunction blocking a massive Reduction in ...

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Targeted Restructuring in the Federal Workforce:

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For decades, the federal government has offered Black professionals a rare foundation of career stability, growth, and retirement security. Today, that legacy is under threat. Deep...

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A Federal RIF Freeze: What the Latest Court Ruling Means

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Federal employees, especially those recently impacted by Reduction in Force (RIF) notices, received a powerful message this week: the law still protects your job. In a pivotal hear...

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How to Appeal a Federal RIF to the MSPB

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If you’ve received a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice, you’re likely navigating shock, anxiety, and an avalanche of questions. As a federal employee, the stakes are high—your pensio...

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How to Stay Grounded After a Federal Layoff or Suspension

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When layoffs or removals hit the federal workforce, the damage runs deeper than numbers. These are lives interrupted—mothers, veterans, researchers—cut adrift often with little war...

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NIH News: Lab Leaks, Layoffs, and Budget Cuts

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The new NIH director's first town hall was anything but routine. In a candid moment, he acknowledged that NIH-funded research may have leaked from a lab, and openly called the rece...

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Federal Retirement Cuts: What Congress Dropped—and What It Didn’t

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Congress quietly removed a proposed 4.4% salary contribution hike from its budget package—potentially saving federal employees billions over the next decade. But before you breathe...

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Was Your RIF Illegal? Red Flags Federal Employees Should Look Out For

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In recent months, we've seen a troubling pattern: federal agencies issuing Reduction in Force (RIF) notices that raise serious legal questions. According to some legal scholars and...

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The RIF Freeze May End—What That Means for You

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Federal employees are in a moment of deep uncertainty. A federal judge recently paused sweeping Reduction in Force (RIF) actions across 21 agencies, citing likely violations of civ...

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Agencies May Sideline Unions After Court Revives Executive Orders

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A recent federal appeals court decision has shaken the foundation of collective bargaining rights for millions of federal employees. On Friday, a split panel of the D.C. Circuit li...

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Trump Admin's Stay Request Could Trigger Immediate Federal RIFs

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On Friday, May 16, 2025, the administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a federal district court’s order that has temporarily blocked the largest Reduction in Force (RIF) ...

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How a Supreme Court Shift Could Undermine Your Rights Across State Lines

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A pending Supreme Court decision could unravel how federal workplace rights are protected—and federal employees need to brace for the potential fallout. At the center of the case i...

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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.

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.

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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.

Meet Shaun & Lydia

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