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.
CFPB RIF Ruling: What Federal Employees Must Know
On August 15, 2025, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., issued a major decision on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Reduction in Force (RIF) case. The rulin...
When Workplace Violence Strikes: Mindful Guidance for CDC Employees
On August 8, near CDC’s Roybal campus in Atlanta, a gunman opened fire. More than 500 rounds were discharged, 150 windows shattered, and a DeKalb County police officer—David Rose—w...
Missed the MSPB Deadline? HHS RIF Employees May Have Until Aug. 21
If you were separated from HHS on July 14 as part of the recent RIF and thought you missed your Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) filing deadline, you may still have a window t...
Public “Watchlists” Target Federal Employees: Legal & Safety Risks
Imagine waking up to find your name, photograph, salary, and career history posted online—not by your agency, but by a private group branding you “subversive” for lawful work you p...
BLS Shake-Up Raises Alarms Over Data Independence
On August 1, 2025, President Biden removed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer—just days after a weaker-than-expected July jobs report. Internal emails o...
VA OIG Finds Sharp Rise in Severe Staffing Shortages
A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirms what many feared: severe staffing shortages in the Veterans Health Administration ha...
Federal Court Orders OMB to Restore Spending Transparency Site
On August 12, 2025, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the White House budget office to bring its spending-transparency website back online by Friday, August 15. The site—kn...
Black Women and the Federal Workforce Decline
Between May and August, more than 300,000 Black women left—or were pushed out of—the U.S. workforce. The headlines barely noticed, but the impact is anything but small. For many, t...
Religious Rights at Work: Where the Law Draws the Line
Recent headlines suggest a push to “empower federal employees to share their faith at work.” While that might sound like a new right, religious expression in federal workplaces has...
OPM Orders Removal of COVID-19 Vaccine Records from Federal Files
On August 8, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a government-wide directive requiring agencies to delete all records of federal employees’ COVID-19 vaccination s...
MSPB RIF Appeal Deadlines: Why Filing Early Matters
When a federal Reduction in Force (RIF) strikes, the clock starts ticking fast. Under Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) rules, you generally have 30 days from the later of (1) ...
CBS Report Challenges Federal “Savings” Claims
CBS News recently analyzed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) records and found a major gap between headline claims and actual numbers. On three high-profile HHS contracts—...
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.