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.

 
Can the President Deploy Federal Agents Without Consent? constitutional law dc home rule act federal employment insurrection act mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Recent headlines have raised the question: can the President send federal agents—or even the National Guard—into cities that never asked for them? The answer depends heavily on geography and the law.

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2026 Federal Pay Raise: The August 31 Deadline That Shapes Your Pay alternative pay plan federal employment federal pay freeze locality pay mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Every year, federal employees wait to see whether the president will allow automatic pay adjustments to take effect. By law, if the president does nothing, federal workers receive an across-the-board ...

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OPM Orders FEHB and PSHB Plans to End Gender-Affirming Care Coverage federal employment fehb benefits health coverage mindfulness at work opm guidance Aug 21, 2025

On August 15, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a carrier letter that will dramatically change federal employee health benefits starting in 2026. For the first time, OPM has ordered all ...

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CDC RIF Terminations: Your 30-Day MSPB Deadline cdc terminations federal employment mindfulness at work mspb deadlines rif appeals Aug 21, 2025

When final termination notices arrive, the clock is already ticking. This week, at least 600 CDC employees received notice that their positions are being eliminated through a Reduction-in-Force (RIF)....

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OMB Apportionments Database Restored budget law federal employment mindfulness at work omb apportionments transparency Aug 20, 2025

Federal employees working in program management, budgeting, or oversight know that an agency’s ability to act often comes down to funding flows. That’s why the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ma...

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Probationary Feds: Why “Fully Successful” Ratings Won’t Always Save Your Job federal employment irs terminations mindfulness at work mspb appeals probationary employees Aug 20, 2025

A recent watchdog report revealed that the IRS terminated over 7,000 probationary employees—even though 99% of those with ratings were marked “Fully Successful” or higher. Performance was not the deci...

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HHS RIF Pause in Rhode Island Case: Here's What You Need to Know federal employment hhs rif mindfulness at work mspb appeals rhode island case Aug 19, 2025

Federal employees at HHS have been hit with a whirlwind of updates in the Rhode Island litigation. Last week, a federal judge extended the pause on certain reduction-in-force (RIF) actions, clarifying...

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IG Oversight Under Strain: Safeguarding Your Federal Career federal employment inspector general mindfulness at work mspb appeals whistleblower rights Aug 18, 2025

Every federal agency has an Inspector General (IG) office, established to serve as the independent watchdog. Their role is to audit, investigate waste, fraud, and abuse, and to ensure that staff can s...

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The Risk of Replacing Monthly Jobs Data with Quarterly Updates bls federal employment mindfulness at work trump administration worker rights Aug 18, 2025

For decades, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has been one of the few agencies consistently trusted across party lines. Its monthly jobs report is more than a headline—it’s the primary tool econom...

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Civil Service Protections Still Stand for Federal Employees civil service protections federal employment mindfulness at work rif rules whistleblower rights Aug 18, 2025

Every week, federal employees write me with the same anxious question: is the civil service dead? With headlines about RIFs, hiring freezes, and reorganization schemes, it’s easy to feel that way. But...

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CFPB RIF Ruling: What Federal Employees Must Know cfpb rif civil service rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals Aug 18, 2025

On August 15, 2025, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., issued a major decision on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Reduction in Force (RIF) case. The ruling was split—two judg...

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When Workplace Violence Strikes: Mindful Guidance for CDC Employees cdc employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals workplace violence Aug 15, 2025

On August 8, near CDC’s Roybal campus in Atlanta, a gunman opened fire. More than 500 rounds were discharged, 150 windows shattered, and a DeKalb County police officer—David Rose—was killed responding...

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