The Security Clearance Insecurity podcast welcomes new legal contributors Elisabeth Baker-Pham of Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C. and John Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC to the mic. In this episode, the panel breaks down how security clearance decisions intersect with employment law, why agencies handle cases differently, and what cleared professionals should know before filling out an SF-86, responding to investigators, or facing a statement of reasons. A must-listen for anyone navigating the cleared workforce this year.

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What does flexibility really mean for the national security workforce—and why does it matter now?

In this episode, ClearanceJobs’ Lindy Kyzer is joined by workforce strategist and former federal executive Mika Cross for a timely conversation on the future of federal and cleared work. Drawing from congressional testimony, workforce data, and decades of public service experience, they unpack how telework, hybrid models, and strategic flexibility directly impact mission readiness, talent retention, and national security outcomes.

The discussion explores:

• Why flexibility is a national security imperative, not a workplace perk
• The real costs of losing high-performing cleared professionals
• Military spouse employment and its impact on readiness
• What the President’s Management Agenda signals for the federal workforce
• How national security agencies can lead on agility, trust, and innovation

This episode offers critical insight for cleared professionals, federal leaders, recruiters, and policymakers navigating the evolving realities of government work.

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On this episode of Security Clearance Insecurity, Lindy Kyzer sits down with Elisabeth Baker Pham, attorney and federal employment expert, to unpack how government shutdowns trigger far more than political drama, they create real financial strain that can jeopardize a cleared worker’s livelihood and their security clearance.

Elisabeth breaks down the most immediate financial impacts she sees when federal employees and contractors suddenly lose income, from missed paychecks to debt that spirals faster than many expect. She explains how those shutdown-driven money problems often resurface later in a clearance file - late mortgage payments, credit card delinquencies, even tax complications - and how adjudicators typically view financial issues that clearly started during a lapse in appropriations.

For clearance holders staring down bills they can’t pay, Elisabeth offers practical, actionable steps: how to talk to creditors, what to document for future mitigation, and how to communicate with your agency during the shutdown itself. And with shutdown threats becoming a regular occurrence, she outlines the long-term financial and legal strategies every cleared professional should put in place now so the next disruption doesn’t put their bank account or their clearance at risk.

Whether you’re a federal employee, a contractor, or a security-clearance professional supporting a cleared workforce, this episode delivers the guidance you need to navigate financial uncertainty without compromising your national-security career.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.