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.

 
Trump Admin's Stay Request Could Trigger Immediate Federal RIFs constitutional law federal employment mspb appeals rif supreme court May 16, 2025

On Friday, May 16, 2025, the administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a federal district court’s order that has temporarily blocked the largest Reduction in Force (RIF) initiative in modern...

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How a Supreme Court Shift Could Undermine Your Rights Across State Lines constitutional rights federal employment federal workplace protections mspb appeals nationwide injunctions May 16, 2025

A pending Supreme Court decision could unravel how federal workplace rights are protected—and federal employees need to brace for the potential fallout. At the center of the case is a challenge to nat...

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When a Recall Isn’t a Reprieve: CDC’s One-for-One Staff Swap Explained cdc recall federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif rights May 15, 2025

This week, the CDC made headlines by recalling approximately 300 occupational health specialists—many of whom were previously swept up in reductions-in-force (RIFs). But what first looked like a welco...

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A Return to “Schedule F”? What Every Policy-Facing Fed Needs to Know civil service protections federal employment mspb appeals opm rulemaking schedule f May 15, 2025

If your federal job involves influencing policy—through writing, advising, or analyzing—you could be on the verge of losing your civil service protections. A newly proposed rule by the Office of Perso...

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OSC Flip-Flops on Probationary Firing Rules federal employment mspb appeals osc reversal probationary status rif law May 15, 2025

In a startling reversal, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) now argues that federal agencies can terminate probationary employees with few limits. For probationers—especially those impacted by Februa...

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Federal RIF Pause: What the TRO Means for You federal employment legal rights mspb appeals probationary employees rif suspension May 11, 2025

On Sunday night, a federal judge issued an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the Biden administration’s controversial reduction-in-force (RIF) plans that threatened thousands of fede...

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What to Do If You Receive a RIF Notice at Interior federal employment interior department mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif notices May 09, 2025

Thousands of federal employees at the Department of the Interior—including the National Park Service, USGS, and BLM—are facing sudden uncertainty as the agency prepares to issue Reduction in Force (RI...

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What Federal Benefit Cuts Could Mean for Your Pension and Job Rights federal employment fers mindfulness at work mspb appeals pension reform May 08, 2025

Congress is weighing proposals that could significantly impact federal retirement and job security. While none of the changes are law yet, they’ve sparked real anxiety—especially for FERS employees pl...

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House Bill Threatens Federal Pensions and Due Process due process federal employment federal retirement mspb appeals pension reform May 01, 2025

Late last night, a House committee advanced legislation that could drastically change the financial future of federal employees. The bill—pitched as a $50 billion cost-cutting measure—proposes several...

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When the Watchdog Walks Away: What Now for Probationary Feds? federal employment mindfulness mspb appeals osc closure probationary employee rights Apr 22, 2025

If you're a probationary federal employee who filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and recently received a case closure notice, you're not alone—and your concern is valid. In a m...

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Could Your Layoff Be a Mistake? What HHS Employees—and All Feds—Need to Know career protection fed legal help hhs reduction in force mspb appeals Apr 04, 2025

If you work at the Department of Health and Human Services—or know someone who does—you may want to sit down for this. This week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged that nearly 20% of...

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OSC Seeks Reinstatement of 5,000 Federal Probationary Employees—What You Need to Know federal employee rights federal employment mspb appeals probationary termination workplace mindfulness Mar 05, 2025

If you’re a federal employee in your probationary period—or if you’ve recently been terminated—you’re likely facing uncertainty and frustration. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently issue...

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