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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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When the System Feels Against You, Breathe
It’s not hyperbole to say this year has shaken the foundation for many federal employees. Being labeled “swamp creatures” or blamed for systemic dysfunction is not new—but the curr...
When Nepotism Becomes a Career-Ending Mistake
The recent ousting of NIH’s Chief Operating Officer, Eric Schnabel, is more than office gossip—it’s a legal and career cautionary tale for federal employees across agencies. Schnab...
USDA’s Reassignments: What It Means If You’re Asked to Move
The USDA has announced a sweeping relocation directive impacting over half of its 4,600 D.C.-based employees. Staff are being told to report to duty stations in Raleigh, Kansas Cit...
Ninth Circuit Pauses RIF Disclosure Order—What It Means for Feds
On July 18, 2025, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to disclose details of 40 reduction-in-force (RIF) plans affecting 17 federal agencies. That breakthrough offered...
The VA Is Losing Frontline Staff—and It’s Hurting Veterans
In recent months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has quietly shed nearly 7,500 frontline employees—the very people who serve veterans face-to-face every day. The result? A...
Trump’s OSC Nominee Raises Alarms for Federal Employee Protections
Federal employees, especially those in GS-9 positions and above, know the value of having a strong, impartial Office of Special Counsel (OSC). It’s the last line of defense for whi...
VA “Mission Review”: No RIF, But Not “No Risk” Either
There’s big news coming out of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): the feared mass RIF (Reduction in Force) affecting 80,000 employees is officially off the table. Instead, le...
Judge Slaps Down OMB Secrecy: What It Means for Federal Employees
Russell Vought, former OMB Director and self-styled “trauma king,” once said the quiet part out loud: that his goal was to make civil servants afraid to come to work. But last week...
Surprise RIFs by Email: What Federal Employees Must Know
Imagine logging off for the day—only to find an email notifying you that you've been separated from federal service, effective immediately. No warning. No exit ramp. If this scenar...
Judge Orders Full RIF Plans Released by July 23
A federal judge has ordered the release of agency-wide Reduction in Force (RIF) blueprints by July 23. If you’re a GS-9 or higher employee concerned about your job security, this r...
Will the Oyer Case Undermine Civil Service Protections?
A lesser-known legal challenge quietly gaining traction could have major implications for senior-level federal employees. In Oyer v. Department of Justice, DOJ argues that a longti...
What Federal Employees Should Know About Schedule G
Yesterday’s executive order unveiled Schedule G, a new employment category that could reshape the political staffing landscape across federal agencies. While it doesn’t directly im...
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