Brought to you by Southworth PC—Attorneys for Federal Employees

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. Agencies Scramble to Rehire Thousands After DOGE Lay-Offs

Multiple cabinet departments—including State, HUD, FDA and the IRS—are urgently reinstating staff they let go during this spring’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) purge. Roughly 135,000 workers were separated, and some were summoned back within days, often to offices with no desks, laptops or badge access ready. Managers are ordering overtime, ad-hoc details and even volunteer “gap” duty to keep critical missions running. The White House still supports eliminating another 107,000 positions in the FY 2026 budget, even as overlapping court orders continue to block large-scale reductions in force (RIFs). Axios

Legal Insight:

Until the nationwide injunction on mass RIFs is lifted, any attempt to issue new separation notices tied to the February executive order is likely void—making those notices grievable and appealable to the MSPB. If you are reinstated, consider written terms covering back-pay under the Back Pay Act (5 U.S.C. § 5596), restoration of service credit, FEHB and TSP contributions. Returning at a lower grade without your consent could violate 5 C.F.R. § 351.703. Document all directives and keep contemporaneous notes; they become key evidence if unions win permanent relief or if Congress later orders retroactive remedies. Finally, remember that refusing to carry out an unlawful order is protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

2. VA Pays OPM $726 K to Plan Record Lay-Offs—Despite Court Freeze

The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a $726,000 inter-agency agreement for “seasoned HR specialists” from OPM to design layoffs of 80,000 + employees. VA officials admit they lack expertise for cuts of this magnitude and have required senior managers to sign NDAs while RIF targets change “daily.” The department remains covered by a federal injunction barring most agencies from issuing RIF notices, yet it is moving ahead in case the Supreme Court grants an emergency stay, allowing the RIFs to resume. Lawmakers warn that patient care will suffer if support staff disappear without a coherent plan. Government Executive

Legal Insight:

Because the injunction is still in force, any VA RIF notices issued now would be legally defective, giving employees a strong MSPB appeal and potential whistle-blower retaliation claims. Keep an eye on any Supreme Court stay order—if it comes, VA must still follow Part 351 procedures and give 60-day minimum notice before separating career staff.

3. ProPublica Identifies 109 Musk Acolytes Still Driving DOGE Agenda

More than 100 former Elon Musk associates remain embedded across nearly every cabinet agency, steering downsizing and tech decisions even after Musk’s departure from DOGE. At least 38 have worked for, or invested in, Musk-run companies, and two dozen still receive corporate pay or benefits—posing major conflict-of-interest risks. Some oversee layoffs in agencies that regulate their former employers; others continue to receive health and retirement benefits from private firms while shaping federal policy. Watchdogs warn that DOGE’s secrecy, bolstered by recent Supreme Court limits on disclosure mandates, hinders oversight. ProPublica

Legal Insight:

Three compliance checkpoints matter to rank-and-file feds: (1) Conflicts of interest—18 U.S.C. § 208 bars officials from working on matters affecting their own holdings or those of a former employer. Document potential violations and route them to your IG or OSC. (2) Ethics disclosures—hosting agencies must collect OGE-278s; failure to do so can itself be a violation under 5 C.F.R. § 2634.902. (3) Contractor-in-government rules—if any DOGE detailees are still paid by outside firms, their work may violate the “personal-services” ban in FAR § 37.104, rendering directives voidable. When you receive questionable orders, ask for them in writing and preserve notes; such contemporaneous evidence is vital if future investigations—or congressional inquiries—seek accountability and back-pay for unlawful actions.

Mindful Moment of the Day: 

Mindful Listening in Counseling Sessions 

Whether you’re an EAP counselor or a supervisor handling a distressed employee, anchor yourself first: feel both feet, breathe once into the belly, and silently note “here.” As the speaker unloads, keep 10 % of awareness on the subtle rise and fall of your own chest—this dual focus is proven to reduce empathic burnout by giving emotions a buffer zone. When your limbic system stays calm, mirror neurons fire more accurately, allowing you to detect real needs beneath the surface narrative. Paradoxically, the more you attend to your own breath, the safer and better heard the other person feels—turning a routine check-in into a trust-building moment that pays dividends across the whole team.