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.

Shutdown RIFs: What the Court’s Order Means for Federal Employees federal employment government shutdown mindfulness at work mspb rights rif appeals Nov 06, 2025

Roughly 4,000 layoff notices went out earlier in the government shutdown, but a recent federal court order has frozen most of them. The injunction—issued by a judge in San Francisco—temporarily halted...

Continue Reading...
 
Federal Disability Retirement: A Lifeline When Health Challenges Hit federal disability retirement federal employment law fers mindfulness at work opm benefits Nov 06, 2025

For many federal employees, health challenges can quietly transform once-manageable work into a daily struggle. Add the stress of shutdowns, furloughs, or RIF talk, and it’s no surprise that questions...

Continue Reading...
 
Are Federal Employees Guaranteed Back Pay After the Shutdown? back pay rights federal employment government shutdown mindfulness at work opm guidance Nov 06, 2025

Federal employees are asking the right question: “Are we really getting back pay this time?” The short answer is yes. Under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA), both furloughed ...

Continue Reading...
 
FBI Warns of Fake ICE Agents: Trust Crisis in Federal Law Enforcement fbi bulletin federal law enforcement ice operations mindfulness at work public trust Nov 05, 2025

The FBI has issued a rare nationwide warning: criminals are impersonating federal immigration officers—not just with fake badges, but through violent crimes including kidnappings, assaults, and robber...

Continue Reading...
 
Shutdown Politics Shift After Democratic Wins congress federal employment federal pay government shutdown mindfulness at work Nov 05, 2025

Democrats’ sweep in several governor’s and legislative races this week did more than shift state maps—it changed the math in Washington. President Trump himself summed up the new reality in a post on ...

Continue Reading...
 
Federal Employees and Voting Leave: What Today’s Rules Really Say election 2025 federal employment mindfulness at work opm guidance voting leave Nov 04, 2025

For many federal employees, Election Day raises an unexpected question: can you take paid administrative leave to vote? The answer, unfortunately, depends on where you work. Some agencies are granting...

Continue Reading...
 
Mindfulness and Survival: Coping with the Federal Shutdown burnout prevention employee rights federal employment federal shutdown mindfulness at work Nov 04, 2025

We are now more than a month into the government shutdown. Across the country, federal employees continue holding the nation together even as paychecks stop and fatigue deepens. At airports, lines str...

Continue Reading...
 
The Real Horror: When Civil Rights Enforcement Goes Dark civil rights enforcement federal employees mindfulness at work title ix title vi Oct 31, 2025

Federal employees face enough fear this Halloween with the ongoing shutdown. Yet there’s something even more unsettling—parts of our government’s civil-rights machinery have been quietly shut down lon...

Continue Reading...
 
Shutdown Day 29: Court Blocks RIFs, Talks Resume, Key Deadlines Loom federal employee rights federal shutdown mindfulness at work rif appeals snap benefits Oct 30, 2025

The federal shutdown continues into its fourth week, but this past week brought a mix of progress, pressure, and one major legal win for federal employees. Here’s what matters most as we head toward N...

Continue Reading...
 
Federal Judge Halts Shutdown RIFs Nationwide administrative law federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals shutdown rifs Oct 29, 2025

Good news for federal employees: a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting all shutdown-related Reduction in Force (RIF) actions. This means agencies cannot issue or finalize RIFs th...

Continue Reading...
 
CDC Workforce Purge: Reform or Retaliation? cdc reorganization federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals whistleblower protections Oct 28, 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lost roughly a third of its workforce in just eight months. According to recent reporting, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dismisse...

Continue Reading...
 
FDA Payroll Glitch: What Federal Employees Should Know fda employees federal employment mindfulness at work payroll error shutdown 2025 Oct 28, 2025

Roughly 7,000 FDA employees recently saw their paychecks vanish or shrink after an internal timekeeping error coded them as furloughed—even though they’re exempt. In federal terms, “exempt” means your...

Continue Reading...
THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING

Your Trusted Guide in Uncertain Times

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.

📩 Get the latest updates straight to your inbox—because your career depends on it.

You're safe with me. I'll never spam you or sell your contact info.