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

Ninth Circuit Pauses RIF Disclosure Order—What It Means for Feds

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On July 18, 2025, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to disclose details of 40 reduction-in-force (RIF) plans affecting 17 federal agencies. That breakthrough offered...

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The VA Is Losing Frontline Staff—and It’s Hurting Veterans

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In recent months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has quietly shed nearly 7,500 frontline employees—the very people who serve veterans face-to-face every day. The result? A...

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VA “Mission Review”: No RIF, But Not “No Risk” Either

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There’s big news coming out of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): the feared mass RIF (Reduction in Force) affecting 80,000 employees is officially off the table. Instead, le...

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Judge Slaps Down OMB Secrecy: What It Means for Federal Employees

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Russell Vought, former OMB Director and self-styled “trauma king,” once said the quiet part out loud: that his goal was to make civil servants afraid to come to work. But last week...

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Will the Oyer Case Undermine Civil Service Protections?

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A lesser-known legal challenge quietly gaining traction could have major implications for senior-level federal employees. In Oyer v. Department of Justice, DOJ argues that a longti...

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Why Some Agencies Are Pausing RIFs—and What It Means for You

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Some agencies that once charged ahead with mass reductions in force (RIFs) are now quietly tapping the brakes. Officially, they’re citing early retirements and voluntary departures...

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D.C. Circuit Ruling Threatens Union Rights for Federal Workers

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On July 16, 2025, the D.C. Circuit Court allowed President Trump’s executive order to take effect, redefining more than 30 federal agencies as “national-security” operations. While...

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Agencies Reassess RIFs Amid Voluntary Exits and Legal Pressure

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If you’re a federal employee watching the Reduction in Force (RIF) situation unfold, you’re likely feeling the emotional whiplash. Just this week, the White House admitted to track...

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What the McMahon v. New York Ruling Means for Federal Layoffs

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Federal employees, especially those affected by recent RIFs at the Department of Education, are right to feel unsettled. In McMahon v. New York, the Supreme Court issued a brief, u...

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DOJ Blocks Release of RIF Plans in California Federal Layoff Case

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A new filing in the California RIF lawsuit reveals the Biden administration’s decision to keep federal layoff plans—formally called Agency RIF & Reorganization Plans (ARRPs)—under ...

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What the State Department, Education, and HHS RIFs Mean for Federal Employees

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The July 11 layoff notices at the U.S. State Department sent shockwaves through the federal workforce. More than 1,350 employees—civil service and Foreign Service alike—were told t...

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SC Ruling Allows Federal Layoffs at Education Department to Proceed

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A new Supreme Court order has intensified the uncertainty for federal employees affected by Reduction in Force (RIF) actions—and it’s part of a growing trend. In McMahon v. New Yor...

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