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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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What the New OPM Memo Means for Your Federal Career
On June 17, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued an 18-page directive that quietly rewrites the performance rules for all civil service employees—GS-5s to SES alike. Whi...
OPM’s Final Rule Just Raised the Stakes for Probationary Feds
On June 24, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a sweeping final rule: Strengthening Probationary Periods in the Federal Service. This rule scraps the older “sile...
Court Blocks Executive Order Targeting Federal Unions
A significant legal development is offering breathing room for thousands of federal workers: a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting parts of an executive order...
NIH Ruling Signals Legal Opening for Equity Advocates in Federal Agencies
A recent federal court ruling found that cuts to the National Institutes of Health’s diversity research were not just bureaucratic missteps—they amounted to “palpable racial discri...
How Federal Hearings Really Work: A Look Behind the Curtain
Most federal employees never see the inside of a hearing room—virtual or otherwise—until their own job is on the line. And when they do, the experience can feel overwhelming: thous...
Presidential War Powers: Who Really Decides When the U.S. Goes to War?
As federal employees await the Supreme Court’s decision on the RIF (Reduction in Force) case, another issue of executive power is making waves: the constitutional limits on preside...
Congress May Grant Sweeping Powers to Restructure Federal Agencies
Buried in the latest Senate reconciliation bill is a proposal that could profoundly alter the federal civil service. The Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 would revive executive ...
OPM’s New Directive Reshapes Federal Performance Evaluations
On June 17, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued an 18-page memorandum that redefines the performance appraisal landscape for all federal employees. Among the swee...
Federal Judge Slams NIH Cuts to DEI Research as Discriminatory
This week, a federal court issued a powerful ruling that every federal employee should pay attention to—especially those working in policy, healthcare, science, or civil rights. A ...
Can VA Doctors Refuse Treatment Based on Politics or Marital Status?
Internal changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) medical staff bylaws have stirred significant controversy—and confusion. Leaked language reportedly removes “political ...
Court Blocks Key Parts of DEI Funding Ban
Late yesterday, a federal district court in California issued a pivotal ruling that directly affects federal employees, contractors, and nonprofits receiving government funding. In...
Federal Job Cuts: What They Don’t Say Out Loud
If you’re a federal employee of color, especially in HR, administrative, or clerical roles, recent agency job cuts aren’t just business—they’re deeply personal. A New York Times ar...
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