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Shaun Southworth leading a federal employment training session with members of the Southworth PC team
 

Federal Employees: Know Your Rights Amid Office Chaos

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If you've been paying attention to recent news, you know that federal employees are being forced back into office spaces that are barely functional—some without desks, working Wi-F...

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Federal Probationary Terminations: What We Know About Class Actions and Individual Challenges

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Federal Probationary Terminations: What We Know About Class Actions and Individual Challenges

Are Recent Probationary Terminations Illegal?

A federal judge in California recently...

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Dellinger Case: A Major Turning Point for Federal Whistleblowers

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A significant legal battle is unfolding that could impact every federal employee, especially those relying on whistleblower protections. The case of Hampton Dellinger, the head of ...

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Protecting Your Federal Career: Telework & Reasonable Accommodations

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As agencies push aggressive return-to-office policies, federal employees requesting telework as a reasonable accommodation are facing an uphill battle. Many agencies are making cri...

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Protecting Your Federal Career: The Truth About Probationary Terminations Part 3

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Losing your federal job during probation can feel sudden, unfair, and even unlawful. Many employees assume they have no rights, but that’s not always true. Some terminations violat...

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Protecting Your Federal Career: The Truth About Probationary Terminations Part 2

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If you’re a federal employee in your probationary period, you may have heard about agencies terminating workers under alleged performance issues. But what if those terminations are...

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Protecting Your Federal Career: The Truth About Probationary Terminations Part 1

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If you’re in your probationary period as a federal employee, you might have recently heard troubling news—mass firings happening across multiple agencies. Many employees are being ...

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Mindful Strategies for Responding to Job Justification Emails

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Another weekend, another email demanding that you justify your job. If you’re feeling anxious, frustrated, or even harassed by these messages, you are not alone. This tactic is des...

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Federal Judge Strikes Down OPM’s Mass Firing Policy

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In a major legal victory, a federal judge ruled that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) overstepped its authority by implementing a directive that led to widespread firings o...

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Judge Questions OPM’s Role in Mass Federal Firings

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If you’re a federal employee—especially if you’re in your probationary period—there’s a court case you need to pay attention to. A federal judge, William Alsup of the Northern Dist...

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Supreme Court Paused Foreign Aid Freeze: What It Means for Federal Employees

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A significant legal battle is unfolding that could have lasting implications for federal employees. Recently, the Trump administration froze $2 billion in foreign aid, prompting a ...

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Federal RIFs: What You Need to Know and How to Protect Yourself

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A major shift may be coming for federal employees. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have issued a new memo outlining a two-pha...

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More ways to learn

Choose the format that helps you understand what is happening.

The Mindful Federal Employee is part of a broader public-education ecosystem from Shaun Southworth, Lydia Taylor, and Southworth PC. Use the resource that fits the question and the moment.

Podcast

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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Mindfulness

Work Peacefully

Use practical mindfulness tools to create space between workplace pressure and the decision you make next.

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About the people behind the work

Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor

Meet the federal employment attorneys behind this public-education work and the podcast Civil Rights for Civil Servants.

Meet Shaun & Lydia

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