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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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Mindfulness and Survival: Coping with the Federal Shutdown
We are now more than a month into the government shutdown. Across the country, federal employees continue holding the nation together even as paychecks stop and fatigue deepens. At...
Shutdown RIFs and the Human Cost of Uncertainty
The latest shutdown-related Reduction in Force (RIF) filings put names, faces, and fears on record—reminders that behind every “cost-saving measure” are human beings who have serve...
When DOGE Policies Hit Home: Federal Workers Speak Out
When sweeping policies land in Washington, headlines often focus on politics, numbers, and high-level strategy. What’s harder to capture is what those shifts feel like in the cubic...
Deferred Resignation Reversals: What Federal Employees Should Know
This year’s “Fork in the Road” Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) was framed as a way to streamline the federal workforce. Many employees at the Department of Labor and other agenc...
Due Process Prevails in Lisa Cook Case
Last night, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals made headlines by blocking the administration’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. For federal employees, this case...
Judge Ruled OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Were Not Lawful
Earlier this year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to list every probationary employee, update that list daily, and fire nearly everyone not labeled “mis...
From Defense to War: What the Pentagon’s Rebrand Means
On September 5, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to present itself publicly as the “Department of War.” The Pentagon’s new website, war.gov, is alre...
HHS RIF Notice Failures: RIF Notice Comes After You’re Locked Out
For many Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees, July 14 wasn’t just another Monday—it was the moment they found out they’d already been separated. At 5:00 PM, ema...
Navigating Increased Office Tracking in Federal Agencies
Recent reports have surfaced indicating increased scrutiny and monitoring of federal employees' office attendance and remote work habits. According to CBS News, a leaked memo from ...
Mindful Response to Sudden Return-to-Office Orders
Imagine relaxing on a Sunday evening, only to receive a text at 9:00 PM demanding you report to your duty station Monday morning—or risk losing your leave. This is not hypothetical...
Were You a Probationary Federal Employee Let Go in February? Here’s What You Need to Know.
If you were one of the many probationary federal employees dismissed this past February, your situation may feel uncertain, disorienting—even unfair. Recent courtroom developments,...
When “Five Wins” Becomes a Trap: How to Protect Your Federal Career
If you’re a federal employee facing pressure to report weekly accomplishments—or “five wins”—you’re not alone. In recent weeks, agencies from the EPA to NIH have been quietly scali...
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