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.

 
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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Mindful Breathing for Federal Employees Under Shutdown Stress employee wellness federal employment mindfulness at work shutdown stress southworth pc Oct 21, 2025

If you’re a federal employee facing missed paychecks or furlough uncertainty, you’re not alone. Across the country, public servants are carrying heavy stress—financial strain, disrupted routines, and ...

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Shutdown RIF Update: Interior’s Numbers, TRO Expansion, and What Comes Next federal employment merit systems mspb appeals rif shutdown law Oct 21, 2025

Federal employees, here’s where things stand in the AFGE/AFSCME case that’s temporarily blocking shutdown-related RIFs. As of this week, the Department of the Interior has disclosed the largest planne...

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Judge Expands Shutdown RIF Protections for Union Members federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rifs union rights Oct 20, 2025

There’s a major update out of federal court—and it affects thousands of you navigating the shutdown’s uncertainty. On Friday, Judge Susan Illston expanded and clarified the Temporary Restraining Order...

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Chicago TRO Tightens Rules on Federal Agents and Use of Force civil rights federal employment federal law enforcement mindfulness at work use of force Oct 17, 2025

A federal judge in Chicago has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that sharply limits how federal agents can police immigration-related protests. The ruling, prompted by reports of excessive f...

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Partisan RIFs and the Law: Why Political Layoffs Are Illegal civil service protections federal employment mindfulness at work political retaliation rif law Oct 17, 2025

Federal employees, let’s cut through the noise. The President recently said upcoming federal layoffs would be “Democrat-oriented.” OMB followed with guidance urging agencies to “use this opportunity” ...

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Interior RIFs May Defy Court Order: What Federal Employees Should Do federal employment mindfulness at work mspb rights rif appeals shutdown law Oct 17, 2025

Credible reports suggest that the Department of the Interior may begin mass layoffs as soon as Monday—even though a federal court order temporarily prohibits all shutdown-related RIFs. Judge Susan Ill...

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NASA Union Rights Lawsuit Tests Presidential Power collective bargaining federal employment labor rights nasa employees national security orders Oct 16, 2025

Last week, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) filed a second lawsuit against the administration—this time over NASA. In March, the President invoked a rarely ...

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