TRS Supports Federal Workers

TRS Supports Our Federal Workforce

This public webpage is designed to support TRS members who are part of the Federal workforce. Please check back here often to learn of resources available that we are able to pass along to you. If there is something that you want to see on this page, please contact Cantor Shochet.

Regular Meetings for TRS Members who are part of the Federal Workforce

****NEW: Our next group meeting for any federal worker is next Sunday, March 30th 11:30-12:30 pm. At this meeting we will be joined by 3 mental health professionals to talk about how to handle your emotional state during this difficult time. The first hald of our meeting will be with the full group, and then we will break up in to small groups for a more intimate discussion with our mental health professionals. If you know of federal workers at TRS, please invite them to this meeting.

Next meeting: Sunday, March 30– 11:30 am-12:30 pm at TRS.

New Information That Our TRS Advisory Group Members Want to Pass Along

Posted 3/24/25

Moment magazine article about what the DC area Jewish community is doing to help federal workers.

Posted 3/23/25

Congressman Don Beyer’s email to his constituents about what he is doing to help federal workers.

Job Fairs and Events in Alexandria: 

• Thursday, March 27 – Transferable Skills Workshop: Thriving Beyond the Federal Workforce

“This workshop is designed to help former federal employees identify their transferable skills, build emotional resilience, and take proactive steps toward their next career opportunity.”

• Friday, April 18 – Back To Work Hiring Event

“Meet employers from various industries, explore job opportunities, and take the next step in your career. No pre-screenings will be conducted on-site—just bring your resume and be ready to connect.”

• Tuesday, April 22 – In-Person MJ Morgan Group Hiring Event

“Join us at the Workforce Development Center for MJ Morgan Group Hiring Event.

Job Fairs and Events in Arlington:

• Wednesday, April 2 – Community Employment Day Career Fair and Roundtable

“The 25th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair and Job Fair for DC and Virginia invites you to meet with major DC and Virginia employers, their recruiters, staffing managers, and HR Directors who are seeking to hire.”

• Saturday, April 5 – Leadership, Career, & Volunteer Expo

“The Leadership, Career, and Volunteer Expo is a free event that includes leadership development seminars, opportunities to connect with community leaders from the business, nonprofit, and local government sectors, and a job and volunteer fair. Free headshots will also be available.”

• Thursday, May 15 – Hire Vets Now Networking and Hiring Fair

“This event is a networking reception and career fair offering transitioning service members, military spouses and veterans the opportunity to connect with Virginia employers looking to hire military talent. Participating employers are offering career opportunities in IT, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, defense, government, law enforcement and more.”

Job Fairs and Events in Fairfax County

• Tuesday, April 1 – Talent Tuesday: Conversation with a Recruiter

“Connect with a recruiting manager to review resume tips, interviewing techniques, and best practices on how to represent yourself when applying to jobs. Hosted by one of our partners, this event is open to all jobseekers.”

Job Fairs and Events in DC:

• Tuesday, March 25 – Smart Resume: Tips, Tools and Techniques and How to Write a Professional Cover Letter

“This workshop offers best practices and valuable tips for creating resumes and cover letters to achieve success when applying for jobs. You’ll learn how to create effective and professional resumes and cover letters that standout with employers.”

• Friday, March 28 – DC Department of Employment Services: Federal Webinar Series on DOES Programs and Unemployment Insurance

“The District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services will host a series of webinars on DOES Programs and Unemployment Insurance for the benefit of former Federal employees impacted by recent reductions in force.”

• Thursday, May 15 – The DC Department of Human Resources’ Spring Into a New Career Fair

The Social Justice Committee has a blog page that also may have events and resources for federal workers.

 

Posted 3/17/25

Meeting Notes: We had a small turnout of folks at our meeting on Sunday. There were retirees and current workers there. This is a really great opportunity to just share, yell, scream, or get logistical help with moving forward. I encourage you to come to the March 30 meeting. I will announce before then, if I am able to get a mental health professional there to facilitate it.  I do want to point out that the TRS Caring Committee is offering to provide food to federal workers who just need a break and feel the warm embrace of your TRS community. Email if you want more info.

Posted 3/13/2025

Our Caring Committee wants to help you! The Caring Committee knows how difficult things have been lately, and we want to support you. Our Caring volunteers would love to give you a break from meal planning and prep by providing meals now and again for you and your family, delivered to your home (with any dietary restrictions taken into account).   If you would love a few nights free from thinking about dinner (of course you do, right?!), please sign up by emailing to let us know, and we will contact you with more info. A Caring Committee volunteer will be at this Sunday’s meeting to explain this.

Signal App. If you are a TRS member, we have a private group on the Signal app just for us to communicate about federal worker issues. If you would like to be included, please let Cantor Shochet know via email.

LinkedIn. If you use LinkedIn and you want to join a private TRS group for job searching or connecting with other TRS members, we are trying to set this up. Contact Cantor Shochet via email or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Job postings. TRS is trying to create a database for our members who want to search for jobs from other TRS members, as well as members who want to post jobs or other services. If you would like to be included, please contact Cantor Shochet via email.

Govexec.com website has information and up to date news for federal workers.

Pay and Benefits Watch from the Govexec website on pay and benefits issues during a shutdown and related stories including a crash course in retirement planning.

If you are involved in federal contracts and NGOs that depend on federal funding, let us know so that we can post resources for you too. Contact Cantor Shochet via email.

Job opening: Director of Communications for J Street.

Job opening: Director of Public Policy for the Louis Brandeis Center

 

Posted 3/6/25

Article about Alexandria supporting Federal Workers

Fairfax County Federal Worker Resource Hub webpage.

 

Posted 2/27/25

Childcare, Eldercare, meal trains, other caring resources may be available through our Caring Committee and Director of Caring, Stefanie Bloom. Please contact her for what needs you have, or resources you can offer.

Financial assistance is becoming available through TRS via our own members’ gifts and funds through the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington for our members impacted by changes to the federal workforce and federal grant funding. If you would like to apply for assistance, please be email our Director of Philanthropy, Hannah Moore.

Virginia announces Job Hub for Commonwealth residents impacted by the federal job cuts.

 

Posted 2/20/25

Representative Don Beyer’s website resource page for federal workers.

The non-profit organization, Protect Democracy, has a portal, that is anonymous and confidential, for documenting specific information about federal contract terminations, examples of impacts on projects, programs and operations, staff cuts and data access issues without using personal information.

Federal workers who have a disability can read this informational document from Bazelon Center, ACLU and DREDF about your rights.

The law firm James and Hoffman has posted on their website that they are also about to file a suit on behalf of probationary employees (they have received over 800 inquiries) that they indicate will utilize different arguments than the ones being advance by Democracy Forward.

If you are a probationary employee, you may want to check out this resource from Protect Democracy.

Women Lawyers On Guard have updated its resource document of legal resources for federal workers.

Read HR-related OPM memos posted by the Chief Human Capital Officers Council.

Read the White House’s EO page. These sites are where you can read the original documents without having to go through media or other sites.

 

Previously posted:

Erica Newland of Protect Democracy’s article on Feb 11 called “Dear Civil Servant”

On retirement benefits: This web article by a law firm representing federal employees rights speaks about 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 federal employees, according to the article.

On the “Fork In The Road” Offer: Federal labor unions sued (read the law suit here) to block the “Fork in the Road” offer, questioning whether it would be honored and arguing it violated the law. Here is an article by Iowa Public Radio website explaining how a US District 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: Here is an FAQ on Just Security’s website about probationary employees who have fewer employment protections than non-probationary employees — but that doesn’t mean there are none.

Additional resources:

• The Federal Workers Rights blog maintained by the law firm James & Hoffman.
• 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.
• The Just Security website lists current law suits on the federal employment issue.

Resources to Help Federal Workers

1. Attorneys who are available to help (some are pro bono, some require payment). TRS is not endorsing any lawyer or organization.

• Whistlebloweraid.com This an organization providing legal help to federal employees. They are accessing a pool of lawyers coalescing to help those in need.
• Here is a new whistleblower reporting option that was recently set up.
• List of federal employment law specialists, generated by one of our federal retired attorneys.
• Here are more employment lawyers from another TRS attorneys.

2. Contact Cantor Shochet to be connected to some TRS members who are offering to be mentors/advisors for federal workers.

3. Senator Tim Kaine’s (VA) message to federal workers. In it he lists resources for federal employees.

4. View Representative Jamie Raskin’s (MD) webinar for federal workers.

5. Resources Cautioning about the “Fork in the Road” Deferred Resignation offer:

• Article by Michelle Singletary in Feb 2 Washington Post. Contains multiple reasons strongly advising government employees not to exercise the “Fork in the Road” resignation offer.
• Protect Democracy website information to help federal employees separate truth from fiction on the “Fork in the Road.”
• FAQ from Civil Service Strong website about the “Fork in the Road.”
• Article about TSP (the federal version of a 401(k), probationary employees and the legality of the “Fork in the Road” offer.
• The Justice Connection website has a great resource page for federal employees.

6. Resources for Federal Employees in General:

• The Partnership for Public Service website: (PPS) New Federal Employee Resource Hub
• Free webinars for federal employees on current challenges by Partnership for Public Service.
• Webinars from National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. They have been hosting webinars about the federal employee situation.
• Upcoming webinars from National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.
• Civil Service Strong website ( a project of Democracy Forward and partners – contains general information).
• “What Civil Servants Need to Know in Week Two“ article (a project of Protect Democracy and partners).
• Democracy 2025 Resource Center website (a coalition of a number of organizations) challenging and tracking challenges to certain administration actions.
• It is suggested you should download your SF50 and LES forms and other documents as soon as possible.
• The Justice Connection website has resources specifically for Justice Department employees and others.

7. Assistance specifically for USAID employees

• USAIDStopWork website

8. Resources for federal employees exploring the nonprofit sector from one of our members. For other resources, please contact Cantor Shochet to be put in touch with this member.

9. Volunteer Opportunities listed here if you want to help federal employees.