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Civil Rights for Civil Servants
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Mindfulness and Survival: Coping with the Federal Shutdown
We are now more than a month into the government shutdown. Across the country, federal employees continue holding the nation together even as paychecks stop and fatigue deepens. At...
The Real Horror: When Civil Rights Enforcement Goes Dark
Federal employees face enough fear this Halloween with the ongoing shutdown. Yet there’s something even more unsettling—parts of our government’s civil-rights machinery have been q...
Forced LWOP During Shutdown Work — Know Your Rights
Some federal employees are being told to keep working during the shutdown but record those hours as leave without pay (LWOP). That directive is not lawful. If you’re required to wo...
Understanding Federal Disability Retirement
When medical conditions make it impossible to meet the core duties of your federal job—even with reasonable accommodation—disability retirement may offer a stable path forward. Thi...
Understanding Chapter 43 vs. Chapter 75: What Federal Employees Must Know
A growing number of agencies, especially the Department of Defense, are fast-tracking removals by handling “performance” issues under Chapter 75 instead of Chapter 43. Both chapter...
Shutdown Day 29: Court Blocks RIFs, Talks Resume, Key Deadlines Loom
The federal shutdown continues into its fourth week, but this past week brought a mix of progress, pressure, and one major legal win for federal employees. Here’s what matters most...
DoD Fast-Track Removals: What the “Department of War” Memo Means for You
A newly leaked “Department of War” memo is changing how the Department of Defense handles removals for “unacceptable performance.” It directs supervisors and HR to act with “speed ...
Federal Judge Halts Shutdown RIFs Nationwide
Good news for federal employees: a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting all shutdown-related Reduction in Force (RIF) actions. This means agencies cannot issue...
CDC Workforce Purge: Reform or Retaliation?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lost roughly a third of its workforce in just eight months. According to recent reporting, the Department of Health and Human Ser...
VA Pride Lanyard Ban: Why It Likely Violates Federal Law
If a VA hospital bans rainbow lanyards or warns employees they can be fired for wearing Pride colors, that’s not just poor optics—it’s likely unlawful. Under Title VII of the Civil...
Leaked Memo Reveals Push to Use Shutdown for Federal Layoffs
A newly leaked document confirms what many suspected: some in Washington saw the recent shutdown not just as a funding lapse, but as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce...
FDA Payroll Glitch: What Federal Employees Should Know
Roughly 7,000 FDA employees recently saw their paychecks vanish or shrink after an internal timekeeping error coded them as furloughed—even though they’re exempt. In federal terms,...
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