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 Discipline Overhaul: What You Must Know discipline changes federal employment mindfulness at work opm guidance pips Sep 09, 2025

For decades, federal employees relied on progressive discipline as a safeguard. It required managers to start small—warnings, short suspensions—before escalating to removal. That system is now gone. A...

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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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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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OPM’s New Awards Guidance: What Federal Employees Need to Know awards policy federal employment merit system principles opm guidance ses ratings Aug 12, 2025

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued new, government-wide guidance aimed at “targeting the highest-performing” federal employees for the largest awards and bonuses. Under the memo, agen...

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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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New OPM Telework Guidance Strengthens Religious and Medical Accommodation Rights federal employment medical accommodation opm guidance religious accommodation telework rights Jul 17, 2025

For federal employees navigating the return-to-office push, a quiet but powerful shift just occurred. Thanks to new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and a pivotal Supreme Court d...

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New OPM Rule Changes Federal Probation Periods federal employee rights federal employment mindfulness opm guidance probationary period Apr 30, 2025

If you’re a federal employee in your probationary year, a dramatic change just took place—and it could impact your job security overnight. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued new guida...

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How Federal Employees Should Handle the OPM Email Request employee stress management federal career protection federal employee rights opm guidance workplace mindfulness Feb 24, 2025

If you’re a federal employee who received an email from OPM asking for five bullet points on your work activities, you may be wondering how to respond—especially as major agencies like the Pentagon, F...

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THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING

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Stay informed, stay protected. The Federal Employee Briefing delivers expert insights on workforce policies, legal battles, RTO mandates, and union updates—so you’re never caught off guard. With job security, telework, and agency shifts constantly evolving, we provide clear, concise analysis on what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do next.

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