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

DOGE’s $110B Savings Claim Under Scrutiny

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A year after DOGE’s cost-cutting push, many federal employees are asking a simple question: were the numbers real, or was the government handed a scoreboard that obscured mission d...

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DHS Partial Shutdown: What Feds Should Do Now

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As of February 23, 2026, most of the federal government is funded through the end of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security is not. Congress passed full-year appropri...

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Supreme Court Tariffs Case and Federal Power Limits

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Federal employees have been watching the Supreme Court closely this term. The recent tariffs decision is more than a trade-policy headline. It is a separation-of-powers case that c...

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AWOL Threats and Telework Accommodation Rights

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If you’re being told, “Report in-person or you’ll be marked AWOL,” pause—but do not panic.

AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is often the pivot point where a disability accommodation di...

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DoD Graduate School Limits and Military Readiness

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Reporting indicates that beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Department of Defense may restrict certain professional military education, fellowships, and certificate prog...

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AFGE Wins HUD Telework Arbitration Case

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Federal employees received significant news this week: AFGE Council 222 secured a class-wide arbitration win requiring HUD to restore routine telework agreements that were rolled b...

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Telework Accommodations Still Apply Under RTO Memos

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Federal employees are being told a familiar story: “Leadership says return-to-office, so telework accommodations are over.” That framing is legally risky—and often a sign the agenc...

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DHS Administrative Subpoenas and Federal Employee Speech

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Federal employees are watching new reports closely: the Department of Homeland Security has reportedly issued large numbers of administrative subpoenas to major tech companies seek...

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Federal Telework Accommodation Rights Explained

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Federal employees across agencies are reporting the same pattern: telework is being reduced or rescinded, even when it was requested as a disability accommodation. The confusion of...

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Telework Accommodation Rights for Federal Employees

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Federal employees are increasingly hearing a troubling message: “Telework accommodations are basically over.” That statement may reflect agency frustration or shifting workplace cu...

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FLRA General Counsel and Federal Union Rights

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If you are a federal employee in a bargaining unit, the nomination of a new General Counsel for the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) is not abstract politics. It goes direc...

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Federal VSIP Buyouts, Cyber Hiring & 2027 Pay Raise

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If you are a federal employee watching restructuring rumors swirl, recent movement in Congress deserves careful attention. Two workforce bills have cleared the House Oversight Comm...

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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.

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