I have no idea how I ended up on this org's mailing list, but it has some interesting links; if the real estate market continues its present dormancy, I may follow up some of them
/Every day there is fresh bad news out of Washington. DOGE’s dismantling of our government — its disregard for laws, civility and basic decency — is staggering. We’ve particularly been grieving the harm caused to you and to the people you have served both here in America and around the world. As DOGE’s dismemberment of federal agencies continues, we wonder what will be the next critical government service to fall. There is good reason to be very, deeply concerned about the fate of our country. But for the first time in what feels like a long time, we also started to feel a tiny glimmer of something different: hope.
First, let's consider that the courts are affirming what we have all known to be true: This administration’s actions to destroy the civil service and the institutions that Congress created and that you serve are illegal, plain and simple. And it is clear the administration has taken notice.
In this letter, we’ll provide some updates on federal employment matters; cover recent wins and newly-filed lawsuits that fight back against these illegal acts; and look to the damage this administration has already caused and the fight to come.
Federal employment resources
We get frequent questions (understandably!) from civil servants looking to better understand their rights and benefits, now that both are under siege. Below are a number of resources that federal employees can consult to get a better picture of their own situation.
On retirement benefits: Some employees have considered voluntarily resigning out of the fear that being fired would jeopardize retirement benefits — but this is not the case for the vast majority of feds!
On the “Fork” Offer: Federal labor unions sued to block the “Fork in the Road” offer that we wrote about last week, questioning whether it would be honored and arguing it violated the law. A judge agreed to stop — for now — the deferred resignation program from being implemented.
On eligibility for unemployment: When the “Fork” offer was still on the table, Washington Post reporters answered questions from readers, including whether people who accepted the offer would be eligible for unemployment benefits where they lived. (Answer: for many people, it’s unlikely.)
On the rights of probationary employees: Yes, probationary employees have fewer employment protections than non-probationary employees — but that doesn’t mean there are none. Check out Just Security’s FAQ page for more.
Additional resources:
The Federal Workers Rights blog maintained by the law firm James & Hoffman.
Protect Democracy’s updated webpage with resources for civil servants.
Webinars on federal employee rights from the Partnership for Public Service.
Stay up-to-date on the administration’s many, many early moves with this New York Times tracker.
Senator Tim Kaine’s resources page for federal workers includes a kind statement that is worth a read. Representative Jamie Raskin’s resource page is here, as is a recording from his town hall focused on federal workers.
Fighting back and early wins
This administration and its allies were open about their “shock and awe” strategy to overwhelm people to a point where fighting back to defend the rule of law would begin to feel futile. Is what is happening to our democracy overwhelming? Absolutely. But is fighting back futile? Has the battle already been lost? Absolutely not.
Federal employees, unions, nonprofits, and other organizations are filing lawsuits — some seeking to immediately stop the administration’s lawlessness — and often, they are winning.
These efforts to defend our democracy are critical on their own terms, but they are also essential to giving us all the hope that motivates us to continue the fight.