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.

 
Political Loyalty Tests: A Quiet but Major OPM Reversal federal employment merit systems mindfulness at work opm hiring policies political discrimination Jul 04, 2025

As Independence Day nears, federal employees have an unexpected reason to celebrate. Last month, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) quietly directed agencies to stop scoring or requiring those c...

Continue Reading...
 
DHS Secretary Wants Loyalty Purge?! Know Your Rights, Federal Employees dhs discipline federal employment merit system principles mindfulness at work prohibited personnel practices Jul 04, 2025

Yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly asked her advisors how to “fire people who don’t like us.” For federal employees, this isn’t just an eyebrow-raising political moment. It ...

Continue Reading...
 
Why Blue Collar Federal Workers Face a Hidden 2025 Pay Freeze blue collar federal workers dod pay freeze federal employment law federal wage system mindfulness at work Jul 04, 2025

As federal employees head into the holiday weekend, a quiet crisis is unfolding for over 60,000 blue collar colleagues. Shipyard welders, VA HVAC techs, and park patrol trailblazers—those keeping subm...

Continue Reading...
 
OPM Suitability Rule: 5-Day Removal Notices Ahead? due process federal employment federal employee rights mspb appeals opm suitability rule removal notice period Jul 02, 2025

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a suitability and fitness rule that could reshape federal employment protections as you know them. The public comment period closes tomorrow, July...

Continue Reading...
 
Court Double Freezes Layoffs at Certain Parts of HHS federal employment federal layoffs hhs rif mindfulness at work mspb appeals Jul 02, 2025

Federal employees across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received unexpected news this week. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting planned reductions in force (RIFs...

Continue Reading...
 
Supreme Court Ruling Protects Federal Task Forces administrative law federal employment mindfulness at work rif supreme court Jul 01, 2025

Last week, while many federal employees waited anxiously for the Supreme Court’s decision on the nationwide RIF freeze, the Court quietly handed down a ruling with enormous implications for how our go...

Continue Reading...
 
Announcement: We're Hiring Remote Federal Employment Attorneys! attorney hiring eeoc complaints federal employment mspb appeals remote law jobs Jul 01, 2025

Southworth PC is expanding. As a boutique law firm dedicated solely to defending federal employees when agencies violate their rights, we’ve made a strategic choice: while federal agencies force emplo...

Continue Reading...
 
How Pocket Rescissions Threaten Federal Agency Funding agency funding risks federal budget law federal employees pocket rescission russell vought Jul 01, 2025

If you work in federal service, the term “pocket rescission” might soon enter your daily vocabulary. It sounds like bureaucratic trivia, but this maneuver has real impacts—potentially cancelling your ...

Continue Reading...
 
Senate Reconciliation Bill Spares Federal Pay and Pensions federal employment federal pensions mindfulness at work reconciliation bill union rights Jun 30, 2025

Federal employees woke up to rare good news this Monday. The Senate released its latest text for the giant reconciliation bill – and nearly every proposed cut to your pay, pension, and union rights ha...

Continue Reading...
 
What the SCOTUS Ruling on Trump vs. Casa Means for Federal Employees apa federal employment nationwide injunctions rif litigation supreme court Jun 30, 2025

Last Friday’s Supreme Court decision in Trump v. CASA may feel distant from your day-to-day work as a federal employee. But its impact is immediate – particularly if you’re watching agency policies or...

Continue Reading...
 
Footnote 10: What SCOTUS’s Injunction Ruling Means for Federal RIFs administrative procedure act federal employment nationwide injunctions rif notices supreme court rulings Jun 27, 2025

Today, while training to better serve federal employees, I received powerful news: our team secured a unanimous six-figure jury verdict for a client in federal court. From starting this firm solo to s...

Continue Reading...
 
Trump v. Casa Ruling: Initial Takes federal employment mindfulness at work rif lawsuits supreme court universal injunctions Jun 27, 2025

The Supreme Court issued a significant decision in Trump v. Casa last week, holding that district courts cannot issue universal injunctions blocking federal policies nationwide unless Congress clearly...

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.