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.

 
Watchdog Firings and the Real Cost of “Savings” at Your Agency federal employment ig firings mindfulness at work rif notices watchdog oversight May 22, 2025

When federal employees hear about massive government savings—like the $170 billion touted by DOGE —it sounds promising. But if you’re a career fed, especially GS-9 and above, here’s the uncomfortable ...

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Two Federal Rulings Halt Trump's Anti-Union Order—For Now collective bargaining executive orders federal employment mindfulness at work union rights May 22, 2025

In a major turn for federal employees, two court rulings have temporarily stalled the Trump administration’s efforts to strip away collective bargaining rights from large portions of the federal workf...

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How Defunding DEI Threatens America’s Scientific Future dei in stem federal employment scientific innovation title vii workplace discrimination May 21, 2025

When a high-level federal official with no scientific training calls diversity “an existential threat to research,” federal employees should take note—not just for what it signals politically, but for...

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When “Doing More with Less” Becomes a Dangerous Illusion agency cuts epa layoffs federal employment irs delays mindfulness at work May 21, 2025

Federal employees have long faced the myth that service improves when agencies are “streamlined.” But recent testimony from agency leaders to Congress suggests a deeper problem: a narrative that cutti...

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When FEMA Is Gutted, Everyone Feels the Storm disaster readiness emergency response policy federal employment fema cuts mindfulness at work May 21, 2025

Imagine a Category 4 hurricane charging toward the coast—but this time, FEMA isn’t fully staffed, trained, or funded. That’s no longer hypothetical. In the wake of the Trump administration’s $646 mill...

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How to Stay Grounded After a Federal Layoff or Suspension federal employee rights federal employment layoffs mindfulness at work mspb appeals May 20, 2025

When layoffs or removals hit the federal workforce, the damage runs deeper than numbers. These are lives interrupted—mothers, veterans, researchers—cut adrift often with little warning and even less s...

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NIH News: Lab Leaks, Layoffs, and Budget Cuts ctap dei cuts federal employment mspb appeals nih rif May 20, 2025

The new NIH director's first town hall was anything but routine. In a candid moment, he acknowledged that NIH-funded research may have leaked from a lab, and openly called the recent mass Reduction in...

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Federal Retirement Cuts: What Congress Dropped—and What It Didn’t civil service protections federal employment fehb audit fers retirement mspb appeals May 20, 2025

Congress quietly removed a proposed 4.4% salary contribution hike from its budget package—potentially saving federal employees billions over the next decade. But before you breathe too easy, five othe...

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Was Your RIF Illegal? Red Flags Federal Employees Should Look Out For federal employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif appeals May 19, 2025

In recent months, we've seen a troubling pattern: federal agencies issuing Reduction in Force (RIF) notices that raise serious legal questions. According to some legal scholars and judges, many of the...

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The RIF Freeze May End—What That Means for You federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif appeals supreme court stay May 19, 2025

Federal employees are in a moment of deep uncertainty. A federal judge recently paused sweeping Reduction in Force (RIF) actions across 21 agencies, citing likely violations of civil service law. Now,...

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Agencies May Sideline Unions After Court Revives Executive Orders executive orders federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals union rights May 19, 2025

A recent federal appeals court decision has shaken the foundation of collective bargaining rights for millions of federal employees. On Friday, a split panel of the D.C. Circuit lifted the injunction ...

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Trump Admin's Stay Request Could Trigger Immediate Federal RIFs constitutional law federal employment mspb appeals rif supreme court May 16, 2025

On Friday, May 16, 2025, the administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a federal district court’s order that has temporarily blocked the largest Reduction in Force (RIF) initiative in modern...

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