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

VA Loan Foreclosures: Legal Gaps Hurting Veterans

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Federal employees and veterans alike understand that government systems are supposed to provide stability—especially in times of crisis. But recent changes to VA-backed mortgage re...

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FY2027 Federal Job Cuts and Growth Explained

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The FY2027 budget proposal offers something federal employees rarely receive this clearly: a roadmap of priorities. While it is not yet law, it reflects where leadership intends to...

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Merit vs. Politics in Federal Promotions

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Recent reports involving senior military promotions raise a deeper concern that extends beyond any single agency: the erosion of merit-based decision-making. Allegations that promo...

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Religious Messaging in Federal Agencies: Legal Limits

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Federal employees often ask where the line falls between personal faith and workplace conduct. That line became especially important after a Cabinet-level, agency-wide email framed...

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Federal Workforce Cuts vs Defense Spending

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When leaders promise “efficiency,” federal employees should always ask two questions: what is being cut, and what is being protected? The contrast in this transcript is stark. Hund...

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DOJ Leadership Changes and Federal Employee Risks

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Recent leadership changes at the Department of Justice highlight a deeper concern for federal employees: the potential erosion of institutional independence. While political turnov...

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HHS Layoffs and the Public Health Fallout

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One year after thousands of Department of Health and Human Services employees were terminated, the consequences are no longer abstract. They are visible inside agencies, in delayed...

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VA Court Order Defiance and Union Rights Explained

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A federal court order is not a suggestion—it is binding law. Yet the Department of Veterans Affairs recently tested that boundary by claiming compliance with a court-ordered reinst...

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Southworth PC Expands Support for Federal Employees

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For federal employees facing discipline, probationary removal, EEO retaliation, or abrupt policy shifts, the quality of legal representation can change the course of a career. That...

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DOGE Ruling: What It Means for Federal Employees

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A March 23 federal court ruling in New Mexico v. Musk signals a meaningful shift in how courts may evaluate actions taken under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). For ...

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Federal Workplace Stress: A Mindful Reset for Burnout

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A recent survey of more than 11,000 federal employees placed governmentwide engagement at just 32 out of 100. Even more concerning, only 22.5% of respondents reported feeling safe ...

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Why Federal Employees Need Rest During Uncertainty

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Federal employees are navigating one of the most uncertain periods in recent memory—agency changes, litigation, shifting policies, and real concerns about job security. In that env...

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More ways to learn

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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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Mindfulness

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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.

Meet Shaun & Lydia

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