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.

 
Partial Shutdown Risk Rises Due to Escalating Dispute Over DHS dhs employees federal employee rights federal employment government shutdown mindfulness at work Jan 24, 2026

As of the final week before the January 30, 2026 funding deadline, the risk of a partial government shutdown has materially increased. This shift is not driven by abstract budget math or routine parti...

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General Strikes and Federal Employee Discipline Risks discipline defense federal employment hatch act mindfulness at work workplace protests Jan 23, 2026

Minnesota is seeing something rare in modern American life: a general strike. Unlike a single-union walkout or a permitted march, a general strike asks ordinary people to pause daily routines—work, sc...

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January 30 Shutdown Deadline: What Federal Employees Should Know appropriations law federal employment federal pay government shutdown mindfulness at work Jan 23, 2026

For many federal employees, the word “shutdown” triggers an immediate stress response. This is not abstract politics—it is rent, child care, medical appointments, and the basic ability to plan the nex...

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Can ICE Force Entry Without a Judge’s Warrant? administrative warrants constitutional law federal employment fourth amendment ice enforcement Jan 22, 2026

For many federal employees—and for anyone who values constitutional limits on government power—the most important legal battles are not abstract. They happen at the front door. A recently surfaced ICE...

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What Trump v. Cook Signals for Federal Job Protections federal employment for cause removal independent agencies mspb appeals supreme court Jan 22, 2026

Federal employees have been asking a practical question after yesterday’s Supreme Court argument: does this case actually matter to everyday federal job protections? The short answer is yes—though not...

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The Government Admitted It Lost Track of Social Security Data federal accountability federal employment privacy act social security data whistleblower protections Jan 22, 2026

Most Americans trust that their Social Security information is protected by some of the strictest safeguards in the federal government. Recent court filings, however, reveal a troubling reality: the g...

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HHS Telework Order Blocked by Arbitration Ruling collective bargaining federal employment flra return to office telework rights Jan 22, 2026

Federal employees received a notable reality check this week: a presidential return-to-office memo does not automatically override negotiated union contracts. In a significant arbitration decision, th...

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When a “Detail” Becomes a Legal Problem at Education appropriations law details and reassignments federal employment federal unions mindfulness at work Jan 21, 2026

When an agency tells employees to grab a PIV card and laptop and report to another department’s building, it is easy to dismiss it as an inconvenience. But what is unfolding at the Department of Educa...

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Social Security Data Misuse and Federal Accountability federal data security federal employment hatch act privacy act social security administration Jan 21, 2026

Recent court filings by the Department of Justice revealed a deeply unsettling concession: individuals associated with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have accessed and misu...

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Did Federal Layoffs Really Lead to Higher Pay in 2025? federal employee stress federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals workforce reductions Jan 21, 2026

In 2025, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were pushed out of government service. At a one-year press briefing, the President celebrated those cuts and claimed that displaced workers quickly ...

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Can a President Cancel the Midterms? Legal Reality for Feds constitutional law election law federal employment insurrection act mindfulness at work Jan 20, 2026

Federal employees are asking a question that feels alarming but understandable in the current climate: Can a president cancel the midterm elections? Often bundled with that fear is a second layer of a...

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January 30 Shutdown Deadline: What Federal Employees Should Do Now dhs employees federal employment federal worker rights government shutdown mindfulness at work Jan 20, 2026

As the January 30 funding deadline approaches, many federal employees are feeling a familiar mix of tension and uncertainty. That reaction is not overblown. This is the narrow window when shutdowns ar...

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