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.

 
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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Federal Workforce Cuts and Political Pressure in 2026 civil service protections federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals schedule f Jan 20, 2026

Federal employees are hearing the phrase “good government” a lot lately—but a new report suggests the reality inside agencies looks far less reassuring. The Partnership for Public Service has released...

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When Enforcement Turns Deadly: Legal Guardrails and Moral Limits civil rights investigations federal employment ice enforcement mindfulness at work use of force accountability Jan 16, 2026

Federal employees are trained to understand authority, hierarchy, and risk. They also understand that government power—especially armed power—must be exercised within strict legal and ethical boundari...

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When Government Messaging Crosses a Constitutional Line civil rights eeo rights federal employment government ethics mindfulness at work Jan 16, 2026

Federal employees expect policy disagreements. They do not expect official government channels to echo language historically associated with extremist ideologies. Yet recent agency social media posts ...

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TSA Blocked from Ending Union Rights by Federal Judge collective bargaining federal employment injunctions mspb & grievances tsa union rights Jan 16, 2026

For Transportation Security Officers and other TSA bargaining-unit employees, a recent federal court order delivered a rare moment of clarity—and accountability. A judge found that TSA leadership “pla...

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Why Federal Employment Law Requires Specialized Attorneys eeo process federal employee rights federal employment law mindfulness at work mspb appeals Jan 15, 2026

Federal employees often hear a familiar refrain: “An employment lawyer is an employment lawyer.” That assumption can be costly. Federal employment law is not a niche add-on to private-sector practice—...

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Reporter Search Warrants and Federal Employee Risk classified information federal employment media leaks mindfulness at work whistleblower rights Jan 15, 2026

When federal agents execute a search warrant at a reporter’s home, it is not just a media ethics issue. For federal employees, it is a risk signal. A recent search of Washington Post reporter Hannah N...

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