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.

 
HHS RIF Pause in Rhode Island Case: Here's What You Need to Know federal employment hhs rif mindfulness at work mspb appeals rhode island case Aug 19, 2025

Federal employees at HHS have been hit with a whirlwind of updates in the Rhode Island litigation. Last week, a federal judge extended the pause on certain reduction-in-force (RIF) actions, clarifying...

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IG Oversight Under Strain: Safeguarding Your Federal Career federal employment inspector general mindfulness at work mspb appeals whistleblower rights Aug 18, 2025

Every federal agency has an Inspector General (IG) office, established to serve as the independent watchdog. Their role is to audit, investigate waste, fraud, and abuse, and to ensure that staff can s...

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CFPB RIF Ruling: What Federal Employees Must Know cfpb rif civil service rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals Aug 18, 2025

On August 15, 2025, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., issued a major decision on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Reduction in Force (RIF) case. The ruling was split—two judg...

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When Workplace Violence Strikes: Mindful Guidance for CDC Employees cdc employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals workplace violence Aug 15, 2025

On August 8, near CDC’s Roybal campus in Atlanta, a gunman opened fire. More than 500 rounds were discharged, 150 windows shattered, and a DeKalb County police officer—David Rose—was killed responding...

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ICE Hiring Bonuses: A Tale of Two Federal Workforces federal employment ice hiring mspb appeals rif workforce rights Aug 15, 2025

Recent DHS announcements confirm that the push to hire Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel is both real and aggressive—up to $50,000 in signing bonuses, student loan repayment options,...

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Missed the MSPB Deadline? HHS RIF Employees May Have Until Aug. 21 federal employment hhs employees mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif deadlines Aug 14, 2025

If you were separated from HHS on July 14 as part of the recent RIF and thought you missed your Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) filing deadline, you may still have a window to act. The key is a ...

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Public “Watchlists” Target Federal Employees: Legal & Safety Risks federal employment harassment mindfulness at work mspb appeals workplace safety Aug 14, 2025

Imagine waking up to find your name, photograph, salary, and career history posted online—not by your agency, but by a private group branding you “subversive” for lawful work you performed. That’s the...

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Why Forced Bell Curves Fail Federal Performance Management federal employment merit system mspb appeals performance management workplace culture Aug 12, 2025

Federal performance isn’t a classroom test or a corporate sales contest—it’s complex, interdependent work that often requires everyone performing well at once. Forced distribution, sometimes called th...

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EPA Ends Union Recognition Under Executive Order 14251 epa executive order 14251 federal employment mspb appeals union rights Aug 11, 2025

On August 8, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will no longer recognize its unions, terminating all collective bargaining agreements effective immediately. This decision—mir...

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OPM Orders Removal of COVID-19 Vaccine Records from Federal Files federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm guidance personnel file expungement Aug 11, 2025

On August 8, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a government-wide directive requiring agencies to delete all records of federal employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, any related n...

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MSPB RIF Appeal Deadlines: Why Filing Early Matters federal employment filing deadlines mindfulness at work mspb appeals reduction in force Aug 08, 2025

When a federal Reduction in Force (RIF) strikes, the clock starts ticking fast. Under Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) rules, you generally have 30 days from the later of (1) the RIF’s effective ...

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MSPB RIF Appeals: How the 30-Day MSPB Deadline Works federal employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif Aug 08, 2025

If you’ve been affected by a reduction-in-force (RIF), your right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) comes with a strict clock. Under federal rules, you have 30 days from whichever...

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