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.

 
Ninth Circuit May Halt Union Contract Cancellations collective bargaining federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals union contracts Aug 28, 2025

In recent weeks, some federal agencies have moved aggressively to cancel collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). For employees, this has felt like the ground shifting under their feet. A CBA governs ...

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Who Runs the CDC: Science or Politics? cdc leadership federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals whistleblower protection Aug 28, 2025

On August 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Susan Monarez was “no longer director” of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within hours, her attorneys cou...

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Common Mistakes Whistleblowers Make — and How Attorneys Prevent Them federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals osc complaints whistleblower protection Aug 27, 2025

Federal employees who blow the whistle often step onto legal ground that feels both urgent and unstable. Many try to navigate the process alone, only to find themselves boxed in by deadlines, technica...

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FEMA Retaliation Concerns: What Federal Whistleblowers Need to Know federal employment fema employees mspb appeals retaliation cases whistleblower protection Aug 27, 2025

On August 26, 2025, more than a dozen FEMA employees were placed on paid administrative leave just hours after signing a public letter criticizing leadership decisions. The letter, endorsed by roughly...

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Whistleblower Rights After Disclosure with National Consequences federal employment mindfulness at work retaliation defense ssa data breach whistleblower protection act Aug 27, 2025

When Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration, reported that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) copied the entire Social Security database into its own ...

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Silencing Black Women in Power: A Federal Reserve Trailblazer Forced Out career protection discrimination federal employment lisa cook mindfulness at work Aug 26, 2025

The recent removal of Dr. Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, is more than a personnel decision—it is a warning. Dr. Cook is not a novice. She is one of the most re...

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The Banner vs. Reality: Workers First or Workers Forgotten? deferred resignation program federal employment mindfulness at work schedule f workplace rights Aug 26, 2025

When a towering banner with the words “AMERICAN WORKERS FIRST” was draped across the Department of Labor, the image was meant to project strength and reassurance. But for federal employees—and million...

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New Executive Order Expands Federal Public-Order Units executive orders federal employment mindfulness at work national guard tdys Aug 26, 2025

A new executive order is reshaping how federal public safety is managed in Washington, D.C.—and potentially beyond. It creates an inter-agency public-order unit, requires the Park Police and U.S. Atto...

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FEMA’s Erosion and What It Means for Disaster Response agency independence disaster response federal employment fema mindfulness at work Aug 26, 2025

On August 25, 2025, more than 180 current and former FEMA employees sounded an alarm that should concern every federal worker. Their public letter describes an agency hollowed out by political interfe...

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Can the President Deploy Federal Agents Without Consent? constitutional law dc home rule act federal employment insurrection act mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Recent headlines have raised the question: can the President send federal agents—or even the National Guard—into cities that never asked for them? The answer depends heavily on geography and the law.

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2026 Federal Pay Raise: The August 31 Deadline That Shapes Your Pay alternative pay plan federal employment federal pay freeze locality pay mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Every year, federal employees wait to see whether the president will allow automatic pay adjustments to take effect. By law, if the president does nothing, federal workers receive an across-the-board ...

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OPM Orders FEHB and PSHB Plans to End Gender-Affirming Care Coverage federal employment fehb benefits health coverage mindfulness at work opm guidance Aug 21, 2025

On August 15, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a carrier letter that will dramatically change federal employee health benefits starting in 2026. For the first time, OPM has ordered all ...

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