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.

 
RIF Litigation Update: Three Cases Every Federal Employee Must Watch federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm authority rif litigation Sep 09, 2025

Federal employees across agencies are facing reductions in force (RIFs) at an unprecedented pace. While some layoffs have already gone forward, the courts are still weighing critical legal questions. ...

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OPM’s Plan to End Progressive Discipline: What Federal Employees Need to Know federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm rule changes progressive discipline Sep 08, 2025

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has signaled it may eliminate the requirement that agencies use progressive discipline. If that rule is repealed, federal managers could bypass warnings, suspe...

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The Risk of Ending Progressive Discipline in Federal Employment federal employment mspb appeals opm rules progressive discipline workplace fairness Sep 08, 2025

For decades, the federal workplace has recognized that mistakes happen and that growth is part of the process. Progressive discipline reflects this truth: employees receive coaching, warnings, or susp...

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Department of War Rebrand: What It Means for Federal Employees department of defense federal employment federal workforce rights mindfulness at work mspb appeals Sep 08, 2025

The Department of Defense is no more—it’s now officially the Department of War. While the shift may sound dramatic, the reality for federal employees is far less exciting. No new funding, no staff inc...

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When Agencies Are Reassigned to ICE: What Federal Workers Must Know agency rights federal employment ice reassignments mindfulness at work mspb appeals Sep 05, 2025

Recent reports confirm that tens of thousands of federal employees—many with no connection to immigration enforcement—are being reassigned to ICE. Nearly 20,000 workers from agencies like IRS, FBI, DE...

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Grand Jury Pushback: The “Ham Sandwich” Case That Didn’t Stick federal employment grand jury indictment mindfulness at work mspb appeals Aug 28, 2025

Federal employees often hear the phrase, “a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich.” That saying captures a sobering truth: federal grand juries almost always side with prosecutors. Which is why last we...

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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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Probationary Feds: Why “Fully Successful” Ratings Won’t Always Save Your Job federal employment irs terminations mindfulness at work mspb appeals probationary employees Aug 20, 2025

A recent watchdog report revealed that the IRS terminated over 7,000 probationary employees—even though 99% of those with ratings were marked “Fully Successful” or higher. Performance was not the deci...

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VA Cuts Extra 4 Weeks of Parental Leave After Union Contract Termination federal employment mspb appeals parental leave union contracts va employees Aug 19, 2025

On August 6, 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs terminated most of its union contracts — an unprecedented move that immediately impacted between 377,000 and 400,000 workers. One of the ripple ef...

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THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING

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