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.
Listen to the podcastNews, rights, tools & learning
Federal Employee Resource Center
Search timely updates, plain-English explainers, practical guides, podcasts, and mindful-action resources. Start with the question you are trying to answer.
OPM's New Suitability Rule, and Why One Outlet Called It "Nixonian"
OPM's new suitability rule lets the agency order the removal of a sitting federal employee for conduct that happened after they were hired ā€” and Government Executive's headline for...
Before July 30: Three Things to Clean Up Under OPMā€™s New Suitability Rule
A new OPM suitability rule takes effect July 30, 2026, and it creates a second path for removing sitting federal employees that runs entirely outside the Chapter 75 adverse-action ...
OPM Finalizes Rule Letting Agencies Fire Current Employees as 'Unsuitable'
OPM has finalized a new suitability rule that lets agencies remove current federal employees for serious misconduct that happens after they're hired ā€” closing a gap that, until now...
OPM Suitability Rule: 5-Day Removal Notices Ahead?
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a suitability and fitness rule that could reshape federal employment protections as you know them. The public comment period c...
New 5-Day Suitability Rule Could Fast-Track Federal Removals
A March 2025 OPM memo and a June 3 draft rule introduce a drastic shift: federal employeesā€”even career SES and veteransā€”can now be declared "unsuitable" and removed within five bus...
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.
Mindfulness
Work Peacefully
Use practical mindfulness tools to create space between workplace pressure and the decision you make next.
Explore mindfulness resourcesAbout 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 & LydiaThe Federal Employee Briefing
The important developments, without the all-day scroll.
Join 3,900+ federal employees getting sourced workforce news and practical next steps on weekdays. It is a free public-service resource from Southworth PC.