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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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Federal Overtime After Lesko: Why Written Approval Matters
Federal employees are often told, “Just stay late—we’ll sort out the overtime later.” For years, many assumed that if management knew about the work and benefited from it, pay woul...
When Agencies Cap “5s”: The Hidden Risks of Forced Performance Ratings
For many federal employees, a performance year ends with a quiet shock: strong feedback all year, solid results, and then a rating capped at a “3” because the office “can’t give to...
Southworth PC Proudly Sponsors Feed the DMV
This Saturday, December 20th, Southworth PC is proud to sponsor Feed the DMV in partnership with Radio One DC. This is a community food drive focused on something simple and urgent...
Feed the DMV: Let's Show Up for Our Community
Federal employees are no strangers to uncertainty. Shutdown threats, benefit cuts, inflation, and recent federal job losses have pushed many households across the DMV to the edge. ...
TSA Union Contracts and the Risk of Agency Whiplash
Federal employees expect their workplace rights to operate like guardrails—not like a light switch that flips on and off depending on who is in charge. Yet Transportation Security ...
VA Cuts “Vacant” Jobs: Why Staff Feel the Impact Anyway
For many VA employees, being told “it’s not layoffs, it’s just vacancies” does not feel reassuring. When teams are already stretched thin, vacant positions represent hope: reinforc...
Federal HR 2.0: Why Your Records Matter More Than Ever
Federal employees know the frustration of being told, “The system says…,” even when personal paperwork clearly shows something different. That moment—when a computer record outweig...
MSPB Certifies Rare Class Appeals for HUD and OPM Probationary Firings
For many federal employees, being labeled “probationary” has long felt like being disposable. February 2025 seemed to confirm that fear when HUD and OPM terminated hundreds of prob...
Can Congress Restore Federal Union Rights in 2025?
Federal employees across several agencies felt the shift almost immediately this year: bargaining tables went quiet, contracts suddenly felt fragile, and management decisions began...
DOJ Memo Tells Auditors to Ignore PREA Protections
A leaked Department of Justice memo has left many federal employees, especially those in corrections, law enforcement, and oversight roles, asking the same anxious question: What h...
IRS Ends Hardship Telework — What That Means for Your Accommodation Rights
IRS employees are waking up to a harsh reality: the agency has closed out pending hardship telework requests without individualized review, citing a top-down return-to-office manda...
How OPM’s Push for Forced Distribution Could Impact Your Federal Career
OPM’s recent announcement that it wants to “normalize” agency performance ratings should get every GS-9 and above employee’s attention. Behind the technical language is a major shi...
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