Workforce Watch Ep. 3. Federal Mass Layoffs Resume, Disaster Response Falters, and Hiring Freezes Extends
🚨 Supreme Court greenlights federal mass layoffs. Schumer demands answers after Texas flood response fails. Trump extends hiring freeze through October. In this episode of Workforce Watch, I break down the most critical federal workforce developments impacting public service, safety, and science.We cover:The July 8 SCOTUS decision allowing mass federal layoffs before legal reviewJustice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s powerful dissent warning of constitutional overreachChuck Schumer’s call for an investigation into how staffing cuts delayed Texas flood aidTrump’s hiring freeze extension and its ripple effects on government capacityOPM’s walk-back on controversial Trump-era hiring essay promptsMassive MSPB appeal backlogs leaving fired workers in limboEPA retaliation against scientists—and why it mattersThe backlash to Trump’s so-called “Gold Standard Science” executive orderI also spotlight how cuts to FEMA, NOAA, and other critical agencies are putting lives at risk—and why we must rebuild the federal workforce before the next crisis.🎧 Whether you’re a fed, nonprofit leader, or civic-minded citizen, tune in for expert HR insight, plain-language analysis, and grounded commentary on what these policies mean for our future.Subscribe to Workforce Watch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Substack to stay informed, grounded, and ready.🛡️ Disclaimer: Workforce Watch is an independent newsletter created in a personal capacity. All views and opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect the views of any federal agency, department, or employer. Content is created during personal time using publicly available information and is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
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Federal Layoffs Paused—But America’s Brain Drain Has Begun | Workforce Watch Ep. 2
Federal layoffs may be on pause—for now—but the deeper crisis is here: a mass exodus of scientists, public health experts, and policy minds from federal service. In this episode of Workforce Watch, Yoreim breaks down the latest federal workforce rulings, the legal battles brewing behind the scenes, and the chilling brain drain reshaping America’s scientific future. Plus: What the fall of Chevron means for agency power, why OPM's FedScope data overhaul matters, and the grassroots networks rising from the rubble.🎙 Hosted by Yoreim, a proud Latina public servant, Workforce Watch offers real talk, critical context, and cultural clarity on what’s really happening inside the federal government.📌 Topics Covered:Supreme Court’s shadow docket & EO 14210The scientific brain drain from agencies like NASA, NSF & EPAThe fall of Chevron & its impact on agency authorityHHS and State Department layoffsOPM’s FedScope data changesFEMA’s budget crisis & whistleblower protections💡 Subscribe on Substack for deep dives, breakdowns, and bonus content: https://workforcewatch.substack.com/🛡️ Disclaimer: Workforce Watch is an independent newsletter created in a personal capacity. All views and opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect the views of any federal agency, department, or employer. Content is created during personal time using publicly available information and is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
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Episode 1: Inside the Collapse: Layoffs, Loyalty Tests, and the Fight for Federal Power
The federal workforce is under attack—and this week proves it. From cyber threats triggered by U.S. airstrikes on Iran to mass agency layoffs, power grabs, ICE arrests, and the war on remote work, this episode of Workforce Watch exposes the escalating dismantling of our public institutions and the real-world impact on our democracy, safety, and everyday lives.Host Yoreim Virella breaks down:The fallout of the DOGE initiative and 280K+ federal layoffsImminent Iranian cyberattacks and DHS's inability to respondSCOTUS, Senate, and OPM decisions reshaping job protectionsThe racist erasure of Latino leaders and ICE targeting journalists“Big Balls” Coristine and Musk's infiltration of federal agenciesWhy the return-to-office push is really about control, not productivityThe rise of Fired But Fighting, a powerful watchdog group of laid-off fedsPlus: How the attacks on workplace flexibility disproportionately harm worker's with disabilities, caregivers, and workers of color—and what you must know to stay ahead.🧠 Stay informed. Stay powerful.💥 Hit play for the federal tea you won’t hear on mainstream media.Disclaimer: Workforce Watch is a personal podcast focused on breaking down federal workforce developments, public policy, and the lived experience of public servants. All views are my own and do not represent the views of any agency or employer. Content is created during personal time using publicly available information.
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Introducing Workforce Watch: Federal Workforce News, Mass Layoffs & the Fight to Save Public Service
280,000 federal workers laid off. 27 government agencies restructured. And it’s barely making headlines.Welcome to Workforce Watch, the go-to podcast for breaking down federal workforce news, mass layoffs, HR policy changes, and the fight to protect public service and democracy.Hosted by Yoreim Virella Rivas—a federal HR expert with 13+ years of experience across nonprofit, private, and government sectors—this show explains how massive government restructuring is quietly dismantling labor rights, eliminating vital public programs, and reshaping the future of work in America.Every week, you’ll get insider briefings on what’s happening inside federal agencies, what these changes mean for workers and communities, and why we need to act now.🎧 Hit subscribe if you care about labor rights, democracy, public service, and what’s really happening inside government.Follow Workforce Watch for weekly updates on federal workforce policy, public sector layoffs, and how political shifts are changing the future of work in real time.Disclaimer: Workforce Watch is a personal podcast focused on breaking down federal workforce developments, public policy, and the lived experience of public servants. All views are my own and do not represent the views of any agency or employer. Content is created during personal time using publicly available information.
🎙️ Workforce Watch
The federal workforce is being dismantled in real time, and most people have no idea.
Hosted by public servant, HR expert, and Latina activist Yoreim Virella Rivas, Workforce Watch unpacks how the dismantling of the federal workforce is reshaping our democracy from the inside out.
Each week, Yoreim breaks down the structural changes most media outlets miss from mass federal layoffs and political appointee takeovers to attacks on unions, and public service programs. These aren’t isolated events, they are essentially part of a coordinated effort to weaken institutions, sil
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