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.

 
When Federal Grand Juries Say No: What It Means for Feds doj credibility federal employment grand jury legal accountability mindfulness at work Sep 04, 2025

Federal employees know better than most how rarely grand juries push back on the Department of Justice. Yet, last week in Washington, D.C., something extraordinary happened: four separate federal gran...

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VA Staffing Caps: What Federal Employees Need to Know federal employment federal job security mindfulness at work rif risk va staffing Sep 04, 2025

Starting October 1, the Department of Veterans Affairs will begin enforcing what it calls “baseline” staffing caps across all divisions—health, benefits, and cemeteries. According to reporting from Go...

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CDC Shake-Up: Protecting Federal Employees Amid Political Turmoil cdc leadership federal employment mindfulness at work scientific integrity whistleblower rights Sep 02, 2025

The removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez after just weeks on the job—and the immediate resignation of several senior leaders—has left the agency in turmoil. While headlines focus on political maneuve...

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How Federal Employees Can Prepare for a Government Shutdown federal employee rights federal shutdown furlough guidance mindfulness at work pay and benefits Sep 02, 2025

Step One: Know Your Status

The single most important action to take today is clarifying whether you are exempt, excepted, or furloughed. Exempt positions remain funded, excepted employees must work w...

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2026 Federal Pay Raise: What Employees Need to Know federal employment federal pay raise law enforcement pay mindfulness at work opm guidance Sep 02, 2025

Federal employees have been bracing for a pay freeze in 2026. But the White House’s just-released alternative pay plan delivers a modest surprise: a raise is back on the table—though not equally for e...

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CDC Vaccine Expert Resigns Over Politics in Science cdc resignation federal employment mindfulness at work vaccine policy whistleblower protection Aug 29, 2025

The resignation of Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, one of the nation’s leading vaccine experts, is not just another D.C. headline. His departure signals something far more personal: federal science profession...

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FLETC Training Freeze Leaves Federal Agencies Vulnerable federal employment fletc ice surge law enforcement training mindfulness at work Aug 29, 2025

The Trump administration has announced that the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) will pause nearly all training for non-ICE agencies through year’s end. This decision aims to fast-trac...

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CDC Leadership Crisis and Federal Governance Breakdown agency instability cdc leadership federal employment mindfulness at work whistleblower protection Aug 29, 2025

The attempted removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez highlights a critical legal issue: under federal law, only the President—not agency heads or political appointees—can dismiss a Senate-confirmed off...

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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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