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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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Stop Doom-Scrolling: A Reset for Federal Employees
Late at night, the headlines feel louder. Reduction-in-force rumors. Telework rollbacks. Policy shifts. Leadership changes. The mind starts asking: Are they pushing us out? Is my p...
Telework Accommodation and Disability-Based Commute Barriers
When a supervisor says, “Commuting isn’t our problem,” it can feel like the door just slammed shut. But in federal disability law, the real question is more nuanced. A long or unpl...
Parking Lot Protocol Before a Telework Meeting
Many federal employees recognize the pattern: telework is suddenly “under review,” a vague “quick sync” appears on the calendar, and before the meeting even starts, the body reacts...
Telework Accommodation and Medical Records
If your agency is asking for your “full medical file” to approve telework, pause. Under the Rehabilitation Act (which applies ADA standards to federal employees), agencies are enti...
Telework Denied for “Teamwork”? Know the Law
If a telework accommodation was denied with phrases like “teamwork,” “collaboration,” or “we need you here face-to-face,” pause before accepting that answer as final. Those words m...
Are EEOC and MSPB Still Fair for Feds?
Lately, many federal employees have been asking the same question: Is the system already decided? With nonstop headlines about politics and the courts, it can feel like filing an E...
Telework and “Undue Hardship” Under the Rehab Act
When a supervisor says, “Telework is an undue hardship,” it can sound final. It is not. Under the Rehabilitation Act—applying ADA standards—the agency must provide a reasonable acc...
Judge Bars DOJ From Searching Reporter Devices
A federal judge in Virginia just took the unusual step of blocking the Department of Justice from reviewing a reporter’s seized electronic devices—and ordered that the court, not D...
OPM Performance Appraisal Rule: Key Risks for Feds
On February 24, 2026, OPM published a proposed rule that could significantly reshape how federal employees are rated, rewarded, and disciplined. Comments are due by March 26, 2026....
Managing Federal Workplace Anxiety Before Discipline
For many GS-9 and above federal employees, the body reacts to a calendar invite or HR/LR email before the mind has processed a single word. Chest tightens. Jaw clenches. Thoughts j...
Federal Telework Accommodation: Build Your Record
When telework is questioned, the greatest risk often is not the policy memo. It is the record being created—quietly—while trying to get through the week.
In federal employment law...
How to Request a Telework Accommodation (No Magic Words Required)
One of the most damaging myths in federal workplaces right now is this: that you must use specific legal language to request a telework accommodation. You do not.
You do not have ...
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