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.
When a federal Reduction in Force (RIF) strikes, the clock starts ticking fast. Under Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) rules, you generally have 30 days from the later of (1) the RIF’s effective ...
If you're facing a Reduction in Force (RIF) and appealing to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)—especially on your own—there’s one legal insight that could change everything: the three-layer er...
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...
Federal employees, especially those affected by recent RIFs at the Department of Education, are right to feel unsettled. In McMahon v. New York, the Supreme Court issued a brief, unsigned “Shadow Dock...
The July 11 layoff notices at the U.S. State Department sent shockwaves through the federal workforce. More than 1,350 employees—civil service and Foreign Service alike—were told their positions are b...
The State Department has confirmed reductions in force (RIFs) targeting roughly 3,400 positions, with around 2,000 notices expected to arrive imminently—possibly today. Roles tied to passports, visas,...
If you’ve received a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice or fear one is coming, understanding what triggers a fresh 60-day notice—and what doesn’t—can protect your job, retirement timeline, and peace of m...
VA Secretary Doug Collins announced that a department-wide reduction in force (RIF) is officially “off the table.” For many federal employees, this lifts the heavy fear of 70,000–80,000 rumored cuts t...
Federal employees across 21 agencies—including the VA, IRS, and Department of Education—are holding their breath this week. A nationwide injunction blocking a massive Reduction in Force (RIF) plan is ...
Federal employees, especially those recently impacted by Reduction in Force (RIF) notices, received a powerful message this week: the law still protects your job. In a pivotal hearing, Judge Susan Ill...
Federal employees facing a potential layoff under a controversial executive order may have just gained a powerful ally: the U.S. Constitution. On May 9, a federal judge in San Francisco signaled she’s...
If you work at the Department of Veterans Affairs—or know someone who does—this week’s developments are hard to ignore. Secretary Doug Collins just confirmed in congressional testimony that the VA's 1...
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