What Just Happened Series: Understanding Federal Employee Rights

In his second term in office, President Donald Trump has already taken sweeping measures on immigration, the environment, the U.S. military, and the structure of the federal government. With so many executive orders, policy changes, and novel actions, it’s easy to wonder, “What just happened?” In this podcast mini-series we help to answer exactly that question. On each episode of “What Just Happened,” we’ll talk with leading experts, from former government officials to practitioners and professors – the people who understand how government works from the inside and have been engaged with these issues for years. They will explain the legal background and implications of how the Trump administration’s actions affect how the U.S. government operates in Washington, across the country, and around the world. As always, this is not a political podcast – we are explaining the meaning and consequences of policy changes that may not be immediately apparent. Any opinions expressed are those of the speaker. Today, we will focus on the federal civil service. What are the different types of civil servants, what protections do they have, what remedies are available to them, and what comes next for those Americans who have dedicated their careers to public service. Our guest is Suzanne Summerlin. Suzanne is a labor and employment attorney specializing in federal workforce issues. She has extensive experience in litigation, union advocacy, and federal labor policy. Among other jobs, Suzanne was previously an attorney for the National Federation of Federal Employees. This podcast does not contain legal advice. If you need legal assistance, you should contact an attorney. Show Notes: David Aaron ( LinkedIn – X ) Tess Bridgeman ( LinkedIn – BlueSky – X ) Ryan Goodman ( Bluesky – LinkedIn ) Suzanne Summerlin ( LinkedIn ) Suzanne’s Just Security articles “Beware the ‘Deferred Resignation’ Offer: A Legally Dubious Proposal for Federal Employees” and “Federal Employee Rights: What Probationary Employees Need to Know” Just Security’s coverage of the Trump administration’s executive actions Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)