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Our online community now tops 150,000 federal workers and supporters across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Each briefing distills the day’s most consequential developments, adds clear-eyed legal analysis, and pairs it with mindfulness tools that keep you steady no matter how turbulent the news cycle becomes. If this newsletter helps you stay informed, please pass it on: https://fedlegalhelp.com/newsletter. Your advocacy broadens the protective circle for every federal employee.

Top Three News Stories:

1. Justice Department Tells Judge It Will Not Release Agency RIF Playbooks

Yesterday, DOJ argued that the 40 layoff plans Judge Susan Illston ordered it to produce are “pre-decisional, deliberative, and protected by executive privilege,” and therefore off-limits to the unions, nonprofits, and cities suing to block mass reductions. Plaintiffs counter that the very existence of those final plans—ready to launch before the original injunction—shows they are no longer drafts. DOJ signaled it will move to dismiss the case entirely, setting up a showdown over how much transparency agencies owe before issuing pink slips. Reuters

Legal Insight: 

Courts routinely protect genuine pre-decisional documents, but once a RIF plan is adopted the deliberative-process shield drops. If Judge Illston finds the plans are effectively final, she can compel production under the Administrative Procedure Act and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 26(b)(1). For employees, disclosure could reveal whether agencies mis-ranked tenure groups or skipped veterans’ points—evidence that fuels MSPB appeals. Unions may also invoke 5 U.S.C. § 7114(b)(4) to demand sanitized versions for bargaining; DOJ’s privilege claim cannot override that statutory right once plans are final.

2. Some Agencies Retreat From Layoffs After Surge in Voluntary Exits

Several midsize agencies—Interior, Commerce, and SBA—have quietly withdrawn or downsized RIF packages because buyouts and early-outs exceeded expectations. Interior, for example, reached 85 % of its target head-count reduction through VSIPs alone, while Commerce filled gaps by converting term appointments to permanent without external hiring. OMB is still pushing agencies to “eliminate unnecessary positions,” but officials say the optics of involuntary job cuts during hurricane season and election preparations are forcing recalibration. Government Executive

Legal Insight:

Employees who accepted VSIPs within the last 30 days may rescind and return to duty if the agency agrees, but after funds are paid a five-year re-employment ban attaches under 5 U.S.C. § 3523. Term employees converted to permanent slots must meet competitive-service requirements; failure to follow merit-promotion rules can spark OPM oversight or a Prohibited Personnel Practice complaint. Agencies that cancel a scheduled RIF must still document why positions are no longer surplus—otherwise later separations may appear retaliatory or discriminatory.

3. National Labor Relations Board Plans Tech Upgrade While Trimming Head Count

The NLRB will replace legacy case-tracking software with a cloud-based platform by January 2026, funding the project in part by abolishing roughly 10 % of administrative-support roles. Chair Lauren McFerran said the board faces “existential” challenges as filings climb but budgets stagnate. The upgrade promises faster electronic docketing and AI-assisted brief searches, yet unions warn that losing 200 staffers could extend already record case backlogs. Federal News Network

Legal Insight:

Impact-and-implementation bargaining is mandatory when layoffs accompany mission changes; failure to provide cost-benefit data can be an unfair labor practice. Employees shifted to new IT duties without a desk audit may be entitled to temporary-promotion pay after 120 days. Staff should document any workload spikes during the transition—overtime and compensatory-time claims survive even amid downsizing.

Mindful Moment of the Day: 

Desk-Chair Yoga     

At 3 p.m., stand or stay seated and do three gentle stretches—neck rolls, side bends, or shoulder shrugs. Match your breath to movement. This small break not only loosens the spine but also gives your prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for focus—a reset. Movement and breath together are a powerful one-two punch for resetting your day.