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.

 
Southworth PC is Hiring for Associate Attorneys attorneys for federal employees eeoc representation federal employment law firm hiring mspb appeals Nov 20, 2025

For many federal employees, the last year has felt like one long emergency: shutdown-era RIFs, whistleblower retaliation, due-process fights, and careers jeopardized by clearance issues. In that kind ...

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Why State’s New “Fidelity” Standard Threatens Merit Protections civil service protections dei in government federal employment merit systems mspb appeals Nov 20, 2025

Federal employees have seen many political swings over the years, but the State Department’s reported decision to award retroactive promotions and back pay to nearly 300 employees who were previously ...

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CDC Workforce Cuts and What Federal Employees Need to Know cdc workforce federal employment merit systems mindfulness at work reorganizations Nov 19, 2025

Federal employees returning from the shutdown are walking into workplaces changed by months of uncertainty—but nowhere is the disruption more visible than at the Centers for Disease Control and Preven...

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OPM’s Draft Schedule F Rule and the Risk to Career Civil Service Rights civil service protections federal employment merit systems law mspb appeals schedule f Nov 19, 2025

Federal employees have heard whispers for months, but the recently leaked draft regulations go further than expected: nearly 50,000 career employees could lose core civil service protections based on ...

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Education Dismantling and What It Means for Federal Employees appropriations law civil rights enforcement education department federal employment mspb appeals Nov 19, 2025

Federal employees are watching a quiet but sweeping restructuring take place: core functions of the Department of Education are being carved out and reassigned to Interior, State, HHS, and Labor. Thes...

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Federal Unions After the Discharge Petition: What This Means for You collective bargaining federal employment federal unions mspb appeals workplace rights Nov 17, 2025

For the first time in years, a bipartisan majority of the House has signed a discharge petition forcing a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act—legislation aimed at undoing the sweeping executiv...

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DHS’s $220M Border Ads: What Federal Employees Need to Know dhs federal employment government ethics mindfulness at work procurement integrity Nov 17, 2025

When a 43-day shutdown left federal employees scrambling to cover rent and groceries, another story unfolded almost unnoticed: DHS quietly pushed out a $220 million “emergency” media campaign that byp...

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Avoid Costly FEHB Surprises: Open Season 2026 Changes You Must Check federal benefits federal employee rights federal employment fehb open season mindfulness at work Nov 17, 2025

Open Season brings predictable adjustments each year, but 2026 carries a less familiar risk: eight FEHB plan options are disappearing, including NALC High and NALC CDHP—two plans with tens of thousand...

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Schedule F Returns: What the New FOIA Lawsuit Means civil service rights federal employment opm policy careers schedule f Nov 17, 2025

A new FOIA lawsuit seeks OPM’s secret Schedule Policy/Career lists. Here’s what federal policy employees need to know about potential at-will conversion.

Federal employees in policy-facing roles—atto...

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RIF Notices This Fall: What the New OPM Rules Really Mean for You federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm guidance rif rules Nov 17, 2025

If you received a RIF notice this fall—or even heard rumors of one—the new guidance tied to the Continuing Appropriations Act changes your legal footing in very real ways. Under that law, agencies can...

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Shutdown Aftermath: What Federal Employees Need to Know Now federal employment federal pay mindfulness at work rif rights shutdown guidance Nov 17, 2025

Five days after a 43-day shutdown, many federal employees describe the same emotional mix: relief that the lights are back on, anger at the instability, confusion about pay, and fear about what Januar...

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Returning After a 43-Day Shutdown: What Federal Employees Should Expect federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals shutdown guidance workplace stress Nov 14, 2025

When a shutdown ends, most people assume the crisis is over. But for GS-9 and above federal employees—especially those handling audits, contracts, IT systems, compliance, or mission-critical deadlines...

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Stay informed, stay protected. The Federal Employee Briefing delivers expert insights on workforce policies, legal battles, RTO mandates, and union updates—so you’re never caught off guard. With job security, telework, and agency shifts constantly evolving, we provide clear, concise analysis on what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do next.

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