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

Shutdown Averted Until December 11: What the Continuing Resolution Means for Federal Employees

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A government shutdown on October 1 has been averted for federal employees, pending the President's signature. The House voted 370 to 48 to pass a continuing resolution that keeps a...

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Senate Passes Its Own Funding Bill 89-4: What Changed, and What Didn’t

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Federal employees tracking government shutdown risk got a new data point Monday: the Senate voted 89-4 to advance its own stopgap funding bill, and it does not match the one the Ho...

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The House Passed a Stopgap to December 4. Here's Your Real Shutdown Timeline.

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A federal government shutdown remains a real possibility this fall, even though the House just voted to fund the government. On Tuesday, the House passed a stopgap continuing resol...

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Government Shutdown Looming October 1: Three Moves for Federal Employees to Make Now

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A government shutdown could begin as soon as October 1, 2026, and federal employees who wait until the fiscal year ends to prepare may find themselves scrambling. Congress has pass...

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DHS Shutdown Ended: What Federal Workers Should Do Next

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The record-setting Department of Homeland Security shutdown ended on Thursday, April 30, 2026, when President Trump signed bipartisan legislation funding much of DHS, though not im...

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DHS Shutdown Rights for TSA and Excepted Employees

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As of March 23, 2026, the partial DHS shutdown has stretched past five weeks, and the pressure is no longer abstract. Senate negotiators met on March 19 and left without a deal, wi...

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Shutdown Over: When Federal Employees Get Paid

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When a shutdown finally ends, the first question most federal employees ask is simple: When will the money actually hit my account? The uncertainty is exhausting, especially after ...

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Shutdown Deal 2025: What the Senate Plan Means for Federal Employees

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Federal employees have lived through 41 days of uncertainty—missed paychecks, frozen operations, and a flood of RIF notices that never should have been issued. With the Senate’s pa...

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Senate Shutdown Deal: What It Means for Federal Employees

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After forty grueling days of uncertainty, the Senate has advanced a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government. The measure would fully fund VA, USDA, and the legislative branch...

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Federal Shutdown Day 21: What Federal Workers Need to Know

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The federal shutdown has now stretched into week four—day 21—with no funding deal in sight. Senate Republicans met at the White House to signal unity, but neither side has shifted....

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Federal Shutdown Back Pay: What the Law Really Says

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This week has been a rollercoaster for federal employees. On Wednesday, the IRS assured furloughed staff they were guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends. By Thursday, that mes...

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Federal Shutdown Day 13: Back Pay Restored, Paycheck Risks Ahead

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The federal shutdown entered its 13th day with no end in sight. The Senate again failed to advance either party’s funding proposal and adjourned until Tuesday, leaving agencies fro...

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Hear Shaun Southworth and Lydia Taylor explain federal employee rights, public service, workplace systems, and the people navigating them.

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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.

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