The Federal Employee Survival Blog

Cut through the jargon and get the clarity you need to stay a step ahead of agency politics. Each article unpacks new policy shifts, court rulings, and workplace trends, then turns them into actionable tactics—so you can head off discipline, invoke EEO or whistleblower protections with confidence, and keep your documentation airtight. We also archive our most popular social-media explainer threads here, giving you the same insights followed by more than 150,000 people online even if you never scroll on those sites. Read, prepare, and keep your federal career firmly in your control.

 
How to Prepare for a Possible Government Shutdown federal employment financial preparedness furlough guidance government shutdown mindfulness at work Jul 30, 2025

As of now, Congress has failed to pass 10 of the 12 required spending bills, with current funding set to expire at midnight on September 30. For federal employees, that means it’s time—again—to brace ...

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How to Fight a RIF Without Paying $5,000 For an Attorney federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals reduction in force rif defense Jul 30, 2025

When a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice lands in your inbox, it can feel like the floor’s fallen out from under you. The panic, confusion, and urgency are real—especially when you learn the deadline to...

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When Leadership Fails: What Federal Employees Deserve civil service protections federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals toxic leadership Jul 29, 2025

A new survey shows what many of us already feel: 95% of federal employees are experiencing rising anxiety, depression, or insomnia in 2025. For those of you showing up to work despite chaos from above...

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How to File a RIF Appeal with the MSPB: Your Fast-Track Guide federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals pro se representation rif Jul 29, 2025

When a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice lands in your inbox, the panic can be paralyzing. Questions spiral: What’s my deadline? Do I have any rights? Should I hire a lawyer? And while some answers depe...

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Paul Ingrassia Nomination Delayed: What Federal Workers Should Know civil service rights federal employment mindfulness at work osc nomination whistleblower protections Jul 25, 2025

Last week, something rare happened in Washington: a pause that actually protects the federal workforce. The Senate abruptly yanked the confirmation hearing for Paul Ingrassia, a controversial nominee ...

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When the System Feels Against You, Breathe box breathing coping with stress federal employment federal layoffs mindfulness at work Jul 25, 2025

It’s not hyperbole to say this year has shaken the foundation for many federal employees. Being labeled “swamp creatures” or blamed for systemic dysfunction is not new—but the current political climat...

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Ninth Circuit Pauses RIF Disclosure Order—What It Means for Feds federal employment government transparency mindfulness at work ninth circuit stay rif litigation Jul 24, 2025

On July 18, 2025, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to disclose details of 40 reduction-in-force (RIF) plans affecting 17 federal agencies. That breakthrough offered a glimmer of transp...

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The VA Is Losing Frontline Staff—and It’s Hurting Veterans federal employment mindfulness at work va staffing crisis veterans affairs whistleblower protections Jul 23, 2025

In recent months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has quietly shed nearly 7,500 frontline employees—the very people who serve veterans face-to-face every day. The result? A system already stra...

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VA “Mission Review”: No RIF, But Not “No Risk” Either attrition vs rif federal employment mindfulness at work rif alternatives va mission review Jul 22, 2025

There’s big news coming out of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): the feared mass RIF (Reduction in Force) affecting 80,000 employees is officially off the table. Instead, leadership is opting t...

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Judge Slaps Down OMB Secrecy: What It Means for Federal Employees federal employment government transparency legal rights for feds mindfulness at work omb apportionment Jul 22, 2025

Russell Vought, former OMB Director and self-styled “trauma king,” once said the quiet part out loud: that his goal was to make civil servants afraid to come to work. But last week, a federal judge pu...

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Will the Oyer Case Undermine Civil Service Protections? civil service reform federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals ses protections Jul 18, 2025

A lesser-known legal challenge quietly gaining traction could have major implications for senior-level federal employees. In Oyer v. Department of Justice, DOJ argues that a longtime career employee—L...

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Why Some Agencies Are Pausing RIFs—and What It Means for You federal employment federal layoffs federal workforce mindfulness at work rif Jul 17, 2025

Some agencies that once charged ahead with mass reductions in force (RIFs) are now quietly tapping the brakes. Officially, they’re citing early retirements and voluntary departures as sufficient workf...

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