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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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IRS Workforce Cuts and “Better Results” Claims
Recent testimony to the Senate claimed the IRS delivered its “most successful filing season in history” despite a 27% reduction in staff. For federal employees, that statement dese...
When Agency Decisions Ignore Expertise
Recent accounts from a former senior USAID official describe a familiar pattern: leadership sets the outcome first, then asks career staff to explain how to implement it. For feder...
Tax Debt Risks for Federal Employees Explained
Tax issues are not just a financial problem for federal employees—they can become a career issue. Under 5 C.F.R. Part 731, suitability determinations consider “willful failure to c...
Religious Harassment in Federal Workplaces
Religious expression has long existed in federal workplaces, but recent reports suggest a shift in tone and source. When religious messaging originates from agency leadership—Secre...
OPM Retirement Backlog and Federal Employee Delays
Federal employees planning retirement often expect delays. What is harder to accept is a delay caused by the government reducing the very staff responsible for processing earned be...
FEMA Workforce Cuts and Federal RIF Risks
Recent sworn testimony from FEMA leadership raises a critical issue for federal employees: what happens when an agency sets workforce reduction targets before determining operation...
State Department RIF Limbo: Legal Risks for Feds
A reduction in force (RIF) is supposed to be a defined process with a clear endpoint: notice, separation date, and either termination or rescission. What is unfolding at the State ...
FBI Budget Proposal and Extremism Definitions Explained
A recent budget proposal seeks $166 million to expand FBI counterterrorism efforts, including a multi-agency initiative to “proactively identify” domestic extremism. The language m...
OPM Health Data Collection: Oversight or Overreach?
Federal employees are right to pause when they hear that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is requesting large-scale health data from FEHB carriers. On paper, OPM has clear ...
Can Federal Employees Undo a Buyout After Leaving?
Many federal employees assume that once a buyout is signed—whether through VERA, VSIP, or a DRP—that decision is final. In most cases, that assumption is correct. These agreements ...
USPS Suspends FERS Contributions: Legal Limits Explained
Under 5 U.S.C. § 8423, federal employers “shall” contribute to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). That language is mandatory, not discretionary. For most agencies, the...
Medical Privacy Rights for Federal Employees
Federal employees often assume that HIPAA protects their medical information at work. That assumption is understandable—but incorrect. HIPAA governs healthcare providers and insure...
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