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

Congress Required This DoD Office by Law. It Went From 40 People to 9.

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Federal employees have watched a familiar pattern repeat across agencies this year, and a Pentagon office offers one of the clearest examples yet: an office Congress required by st...

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DoD Canceled Your Union Contract — Your EEO and MSPB Rights Didn't Go With It

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Across the Defense Department, some civilian employees are reportedly being told by managers that their union no longer exists. That claim is false — and it matters, because employ...

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DoD “Voluntary” Border Details: What Civilian Employees Should Document

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Defense civilian employees may recently have received a memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth encouraging volunteers for temporary details to the Department of Homeland Security...

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DoD Graduate School Limits and Military Readiness

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Reporting indicates that beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Department of Defense may restrict certain professional military education, fellowships, and certificate prog...

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How the 2026 NDAA Draft Could Reshape DoD Civilian Careers

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For GS-9 and above employees navigating an already shifting federal landscape, the draft 2026 National Defense Authorization Act carries quiet but significant implications. While t...

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DoD Shutdown Back Pay: What Federal Employees Should Expect

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For many Department of Defense civilians, the first question after a shutdown ends is simple: When will the money arrive? Agencies have already signaled that back pay may start lan...

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Senate Floated Piecemeal Reopening: Here's What It Means

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Senate leaders are floating a plan to pass full-year funding one agency at a time, with Defense likely first. In plain terms: some components could return to work and receive back ...

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Pentagon’s Rare Generals’ Summit: What It Means for DoD Civilians

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Next week, hundreds of generals, admirals, and senior enlisted advisors have been ordered to gather at Quantico for an unusual in-person session with the Secretary of Defense. Whil...

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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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