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.

 
Federal Employees, Social Media, and Free Speech federal employment free speech rights mindfulness at work mspb appeals social media discipline Sep 15, 2025

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, agencies have begun issuing warnings about employee social media use. Some federal workers have already been placed on leave pending review of their posts. If you’...

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Judge Ruled OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Were Not Lawful employee rights federal employment mspb appeals opm policy probationary employees Sep 15, 2025

Earlier this year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to list every probationary employee, update that list daily, and fire nearly everyone not labeled “mission critical.” Agen...

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Probationary Federal Employees Challenge OSC in Court administrative procedure act federal employment mspb appeals osc lawsuit probationary employees Sep 12, 2025

Five former federal employees filed suit yesterday against the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), alleging the agency abandoned its duty to protect them from prohibited personnel practices. These p...

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Federal Employees: Preparing for a Possible Government Shutdown continuing resolution federal employment federal shutdown furlough rights mspb appeals Sep 10, 2025

Congress has until October 1 to pass a short-term funding bill—known as a continuing resolution (CR)—to keep the government running. If passed, a CR typically extends funding into January. While your ...

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RIF Litigation Update: Three Cases Every Federal Employee Must Watch federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm authority rif litigation Sep 09, 2025

Federal employees across agencies are facing reductions in force (RIFs) at an unprecedented pace. While some layoffs have already gone forward, the courts are still weighing critical legal questions. ...

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OPM’s Plan to End Progressive Discipline: What Federal Employees Need to Know federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals opm rule changes progressive discipline Sep 08, 2025

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has signaled it may eliminate the requirement that agencies use progressive discipline. If that rule is repealed, federal managers could bypass warnings, suspe...

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The Risk of Ending Progressive Discipline in Federal Employment federal employment mspb appeals opm rules progressive discipline workplace fairness Sep 08, 2025

For decades, the federal workplace has recognized that mistakes happen and that growth is part of the process. Progressive discipline reflects this truth: employees receive coaching, warnings, or susp...

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Department of War Rebrand: What It Means for Federal Employees department of defense federal employment federal workforce rights mindfulness at work mspb appeals Sep 08, 2025

The Department of Defense is no more—it’s now officially the Department of War. While the shift may sound dramatic, the reality for federal employees is far less exciting. No new funding, no staff inc...

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When Agencies Are Reassigned to ICE: What Federal Workers Must Know agency rights federal employment ice reassignments mindfulness at work mspb appeals Sep 05, 2025

Recent reports confirm that tens of thousands of federal employees—many with no connection to immigration enforcement—are being reassigned to ICE. Nearly 20,000 workers from agencies like IRS, FBI, DE...

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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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