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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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RIF Notices This Fall: What the New OPM Rules Really Mean for You
If you received a RIF notice this fall—or even heard rumors of one—the new guidance tied to the Continuing Appropriations Act changes your legal footing in very real ways. Under th...
Shutdown Aftermath: What Federal Employees Need to Know Now
Five days after a 43-day shutdown, many federal employees describe the same emotional mix: relief that the lights are back on, anger at the instability, confusion about pay, and fe...
Returning After a 43-Day Shutdown: What Federal Employees Should Expect
When a shutdown ends, most people assume the crisis is over. But for GS-9 and above federal employees—especially those handling audits, contracts, IT systems, compliance, or missio...
DoD Shutdown Back Pay: What Federal Employees Should Expect
For many Department of Defense civilians, the first question after a shutdown ends is simple: When will the money arrive? Agencies have already signaled that back pay may start lan...
Avoiding AWOL After a Shutdown Ends
When a shutdown ends, most federal employees feel immediate relief—pay will resume, operations restart, and uncertainty loosens its grip. But there’s a lesser-known risk that surfa...
Shutdown Back Pay, RIF Rollbacks, and Your Next Steps
When a shutdown finally ends, relief often mixes with uncertainty. Many federal employees wake up wondering two things: When will the paycheck land? and Am I safe? This week’s reop...
Your Workplace, Your Data: Why This Survey Matters
Federal employees have been through a year of exhaustion, sudden policy shifts, and record uncertainty. When many were asked recently what hit the hardest, the surprise wasn’t lega...
Shutdown Over: When Federal Employees Get Paid
When a shutdown finally ends, the first question most federal employees ask is simple: When will the money actually hit my account? The uncertainty is exhausting, especially after ...
Shutdown Deal 2025: What the Senate Plan Means for Federal Employees
Federal employees have lived through 41 days of uncertainty—missed paychecks, frozen operations, and a flood of RIF notices that never should have been issued. With the Senate’s pa...
Federal Employee Open Season 2026: What to Do During the Shutdown
Federal employees, here’s the bottom line: Open Season runs November 10 through December 8, and it continues regardless of the shutdown. Your coverage, elections, and deadlines all...
First Circuit Upholds Full November SNAP Payments
This week brought long-awaited clarity for millions of families—and for federal employees trying to interpret the latest court moves. Despite reports suggesting a “Supreme Court ru...
Senate Shutdown Deal: What It Means for Federal Employees
After forty grueling days of uncertainty, the Senate has advanced a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government. The measure would fully fund VA, USDA, and the legislative branch...
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