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

Protect Your Federal Career: Avoiding AWOL & Disciplinary Mistakes

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With return-to-work mandates rolling out, agencies are cracking down on telework. Many federal employees who have been working remotely for years now face strict orders to return t...

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Protect Your Federal Career: Prepare for Potential RIFs Now

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If you’re a federal employee with civil service protections, it’s time to pay attention. Reports indicate that reductions in force (RIFs) may be on the horizon. While probationary ...

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Understanding Your Rights Under the ADA & Rehab Act

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Did you know that many medical conditions qualify as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act? Some conditions are so likely to be co...

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Illegal Delays are Denials: Protecting Your Right to Reasonable Accommodation

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If you’ve requested a reasonable accommodation as a federal employee, you might assume your agency will process it promptly. Unfortunately, delays are all too common—and they can e...

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Federal Employees: Know Your Rights in the Reasonable Accommodation Process

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Navigating workplace accommodations as a federal employee can be frustrating, especially when agencies delay or dismiss requests. Under 29 CFR § 1630.2(o)(3) and EEOC guidance, fed...

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Protecting Your Medical Privacy as a Federal Employee

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Did you know that your federal agency is legally required to keep your medical information confidential—even if you don’t have a disability? Many employees assume that only HIPAA p...

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Trump’s Executive Order & Federal Agencies: What It Means for Federal Employees

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A major shake-up is happening in Washington, and it directly impacts federal employees working in regulatory agencies. President Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to b...

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EEOC Shifts Focus, But Your Rights Remain Intact

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There’s been growing concern among federal employees about recent EEOC decisions regarding LGBTQ+ discrimination cases. The private sector has seen the EEOC step away from certain ...

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Federal Layoffs and Restructuring: What You Need to Know

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If you’re a federal employee, recent workforce reductions at agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and USAID should be on your radar. A federal judge has te...

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Court Denied a TRO Against DOGE: What this Decision Means for You

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A critical legal update just unfolded for federal employees: a judge has denied a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have blocked Elon Musk and the Department of Governme...

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Federal Employees: Your Right to Telework and How to Protect It

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If you're a federal employee being called back to the office but need telework as a reasonable accommodation, know this—your agency cannot retaliate against you for making that req...

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The Supreme Court and Federal Whistleblower Protections: What’s at Stake?

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A major legal battle is unfolding that could directly impact the independence of federal agencies and the rights of federal employees. The Supreme Court is reviewing the sudden rem...

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More ways to learn

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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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