12.20 A lot of federal employees had a hard year. This was a small way to show up for our community and do something tangible, together, for the entire community. Grateful for everyone who helped make Feed the DMV happen — and proud to stand with people who serve, even when it’s

Up early and heading out to Feed the DMV. Before I get there, I just want to say thank you. Because of the extra effort people made this week — liking posts, commenting, joining our newsletter — we raised a little over $700 on top of what our firm already committed. That’s real help for real

12.18 Yesterday, Judge Susan Illston issued a preliminary injunction ordering agencies to reverse hundreds of shutdown-period terminations and pause any further RIF implementation through January 30, 2026. The key point: it doesn’t matter when the RIF notice went out—courts are

12.17 A new federal lawsuit reads like a playbook for pushing out a career employee without the usual civil service process. It alleges a “reassignment” to IHS, administrative leave, loss of systems access, then a termination letter framed as “appointment” authority—after internal

12.15 They’re calling it “not layoffs, just vacancies,” but that can still mean no reinforcements and heavier workloads for the people who stay. Reporting says VA plans to eliminate up to 35,000 VHA health care positions, mostly unfilled roles. An unfilled position is still the

Just to update everyone: The Ninth Circuit has denied the Trump administration’s request to lift the injunction. That means the mass firings—RIFs at many agencies—remain on hold for now. The legal fight continues, but this is a major win for federal employees across the country.

RIF plans due today—did they plan for all those reinstatements? #askingforafriend

Long week… and good. But #youalreadyknow

Also failure to Venmo me $500 will be taken as a donation, Elon. Thanks in advance.

Oh cool, a new federal workplace rule: ‘Reply to an email or you resign.’ Totally normal. Definitely not coercion. Super legal, I’m sure.

What’s next? ‘Failure to clap during meetings will be considered a resignation’?

Federal employees serve the country, not a billionaire’s inbox.

Happy Presidents’ Day y’all! No kings allowed!

Spoons Always Win.

When faced with a fork in the road, federal employees chose the spoon—because spoons scoop, support, and stir things up, while forks just divide. In the great cutlery showdown, solidarity always wins. #SpoonSolidarity #ForkOff #MindfulResistance

Meet Justice—Our Chief Morale Officer!

Justice, our firm’s Standard Poodle, knows a thing or two about work-life balance. Here he is, living his best life at the beach in Florida—big smile, no stress.

Follow along for more insights (and maybe more Justice cameos)!

Southworth PC is Expanding to BlueSky!

In November, our firm, Southworth PC, launched The Mindful Workplace Podcast to help all employees navigate workplace challenges with clarity and confidence. Now, we’re taking our mission to Blue Sky. Happy to be here.

I’ve spent 20,000+ hours representing federal employees. I’ve seen what happens when power goes unchecked—careers ruined, truth buried.

But I’ve also seen people stand up and demand better.

We need to face what’s happening. Mindfully. Strategically. Together.