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.

 
Whistleblower Rights After Disclosure with National Consequences federal employment mindfulness at work retaliation defense ssa data breach whistleblower protection act Aug 27, 2025

When Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration, reported that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) copied the entire Social Security database into its own ...

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Silencing Black Women in Power: A Federal Reserve Trailblazer Forced Out career protection discrimination federal employment lisa cook mindfulness at work Aug 26, 2025

The recent removal of Dr. Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, is more than a personnel decision—it is a warning. Dr. Cook is not a novice. She is one of the most re...

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The Banner vs. Reality: Workers First or Workers Forgotten? deferred resignation program federal employment mindfulness at work schedule f workplace rights Aug 26, 2025

When a towering banner with the words “AMERICAN WORKERS FIRST” was draped across the Department of Labor, the image was meant to project strength and reassurance. But for federal employees—and million...

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New Executive Order Expands Federal Public-Order Units executive orders federal employment mindfulness at work national guard tdys Aug 26, 2025

A new executive order is reshaping how federal public safety is managed in Washington, D.C.—and potentially beyond. It creates an inter-agency public-order unit, requires the Park Police and U.S. Atto...

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FEMA’s Erosion and What It Means for Disaster Response agency independence disaster response federal employment fema mindfulness at work Aug 26, 2025

On August 25, 2025, more than 180 current and former FEMA employees sounded an alarm that should concern every federal worker. Their public letter describes an agency hollowed out by political interfe...

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Can the President Deploy Federal Agents Without Consent? constitutional law dc home rule act federal employment insurrection act mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Recent headlines have raised the question: can the President send federal agents—or even the National Guard—into cities that never asked for them? The answer depends heavily on geography and the law.

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2026 Federal Pay Raise: The August 31 Deadline That Shapes Your Pay alternative pay plan federal employment federal pay freeze locality pay mindfulness at work Aug 25, 2025

Every year, federal employees wait to see whether the president will allow automatic pay adjustments to take effect. By law, if the president does nothing, federal workers receive an across-the-board ...

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OPM Orders FEHB and PSHB Plans to End Gender-Affirming Care Coverage federal employment fehb benefits health coverage mindfulness at work opm guidance Aug 21, 2025

On August 15, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a carrier letter that will dramatically change federal employee health benefits starting in 2026. For the first time, OPM has ordered all ...

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CDC RIF Terminations: Your 30-Day MSPB Deadline cdc terminations federal employment mindfulness at work mspb deadlines rif appeals Aug 21, 2025

When final termination notices arrive, the clock is already ticking. This week, at least 600 CDC employees received notice that their positions are being eliminated through a Reduction-in-Force (RIF)....

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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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OMB Apportionments Database Restored budget law federal employment mindfulness at work omb apportionments transparency Aug 20, 2025

Federal employees working in program management, budgeting, or oversight know that an agency’s ability to act often comes down to funding flows. That’s why the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ma...

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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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