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.

 
Federal Shutdown 2025: Survival Steps and Legal Protections federal employment rights federal shutdown furlough guidance legal protections mindfulness at work Oct 27, 2025

Roughly 1.4 million federal employees have now missed a full paycheck. About half are furloughed; the rest are “excepted,” required to work without pay. The strain isn’t theoretical—it’s reshaping liv...

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Supporting Federal Employees Through the Shutdown: A Resource Guide from Southworth PC government shutdown shutdown resources Oct 27, 2025

At Southworth PC, our mission is clear: protect the rights and careers of federal employees. As the government funding lapse continues—affecting paychecks, benefits, mission-critical work and workplac...

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Intentional Calm: Two Daily Habits to Steady Federal Workdays federal employment furlough stress mindfulness at work resilience workplace wellbeing Oct 27, 2025

For federal employees facing furloughs or ongoing instability, the sense of control can vanish overnight. One powerful way to regain balance is through intention—using deliberate, daily practices that...

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Can the President Order Military Strikes on Drug Boats? federal employment law of armed conflict military orders mindfulness at work whistleblower protections Oct 24, 2025

Since early September, reports have surfaced of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The White House has justified the actions by claiming the ...

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Carrying Federal Employees’ Voices to Capitol Hill Oct 24, 2025

The best part of my job has always been simple to name and hard to describe: standing up for the people who stand up for America. Federal service is a quiet kind of courage—steady, unseen, and essenti...

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Shutdown Negotiations Resume: What Federal Workers Need to Know back pay rights federal employment law federal shutdown mindfulness at work rif litigation Oct 24, 2025

There’s finally a hint of movement in Washington. As of Friday, October 24, 2025, two competing Senate bills—one from Senator Ron Johnson to pay “excepted” employees and the military, and another from...

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EEOC Lawsuit Tests Limits of Executive Power on Discrimination Cases civil rights act disparate impact eeoc lawsuit executive authority federal employment law Oct 24, 2025

Federal employees, here’s why you should care about a new lawsuit against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In September, the EEOC quietly instructed its offices to halt all disparat...

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Court Filings Seek Full Injunction to Halt Shutdown RIFs administrative procedure act federal employment mspb appeals preliminary injunction shutdown rifs Oct 23, 2025

Federal employees, the plaintiffs in the shutdown-RIF lawsuit are now asking the court to extend its temporary restraining order (TRO) into a Preliminary Injunction—a longer-term safeguard that would ...

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Shutdown RIF Case: Court Expands Federal Worker Protections federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif case shutdown law Oct 23, 2025

Federal employees across agencies remain protected under Judge Susan Illston’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which continues to block all shutdown-related Reduction in Force (RIF) actions. In sho...

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Department of Defense vs. Department of War: What the Law Actually Says department of defense executive orders federal employment government history legal analysis Oct 22, 2025

If you’ve seen talk of “restoring the Department of War,” you’re not imagining it—but the legal reality is simpler than the headlines. Under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, the Department of Defense (DoD) i...

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Inspector General Removals and Why Federal Employees Should Care federal employment inspectors general merit system mindfulness at work whistleblower protection Oct 22, 2025

On October 15, the White House removed Parisa Salehi, the Senate-confirmed Inspector General (IG) at the Export-Import Bank—without giving Congress the 30-day notice and written rationale required by ...

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SSA Shutdown AWOL Policies May Violate the Rehabilitation Act awol federal employment rehabilitation act shutdown rights ssa employees Oct 22, 2025

Federal employees classified as “excepted” during the shutdown—especially at SSA—are facing a confusing mix of leave cancellations, telework denials, and AWOL threats. If this sounds familiar, it’s wo...

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THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING

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Stay informed, stay protected. The Federal Employee Briefing delivers expert insights on workforce policies, legal battles, RTO mandates, and union updates—so you’re never caught off guard. With job security, telework, and agency shifts constantly evolving, we provide clear, concise analysis on what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do next.

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