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.

 
Shutdown RIF Update: Interior’s Numbers, TRO Expansion, and What Comes Next federal employment merit systems mspb appeals rif shutdown law Oct 21, 2025

Federal employees, here’s where things stand in the AFGE/AFSCME case that’s temporarily blocking shutdown-related RIFs. As of this week, the Department of the Interior has disclosed the largest planne...

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“F It” Framework for Federal Employees Facing RIFs career transitions federal employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work rif Oct 15, 2025

When a RIF notice lands, it hits more than your inbox—it hits your nervous system, your family rhythm, and your ability to think clearly. While legal challenges continue, you still have agency today. ...

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Shutdown Roundup: Pay, RIFs, and What Feds Must Do federal employment government shutdown mindfulness at work opm guidance rif Oct 14, 2025

Federal employees, here’s your no-spin roundup from Friday through Monday—and the steps to protect your pay, benefits, and rights amid this shutdown.

What Changed Friday–Monday

Friday: Agencies conf...

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Are Shutdown RIFs Legal? What the TRO Hearing Means for Federal Employees antideficiency act federal employment mspb appeals rif shutdown Oct 14, 2025

For the first time in modern memory, federal agencies have begun issuing reduction-in-force (RIF) notices while the government is shut down. More than 4,000 employees—across agencies like HHS, Educati...

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Shutdown Update: What’s Really Happening — and When It Could End federal employee rights federal employment government shutdown mindfulness at work rif Oct 06, 2025

As October 2025 unfolds, the federal shutdown shows no signs of quick resolution. Beneath the headlines, this is less a funding glitch and more a contest of leverage. Congress has failed four times to...

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Unions Challenge Shutdown RIFs: What Federal Employees Must Know federal employment government shutdown mspb appeals opm guidance rif Oct 02, 2025

Federal unions have filed a lawsuit against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), challenging recent guidance that encouraged agencies to use the gove...

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RIFs Continue During Shutdown: What Federal Employees Must Know federal employment government shutdown mspb appeals opm guidance rif Sep 30, 2025

When a government shutdown looms, many federal employees assume all personnel actions grind to a halt. But as of September 29, 2025, OPM has clarified: Reduction in Force (RIF) activity is now conside...

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Interior Department RIFs: What Federal Employees Need to Know doi employees federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif Sep 25, 2025

Employees at the Department of the Interior (DOI) are facing a serious development: agency leadership has begun finalizing reduction-in-force (RIF) lists, with potential impacts across multiple bureau...

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You Are More Than Your Federal Job federal employment federal job loss mindfulness at work rif workplace trauma Sep 12, 2025

For many federal employees, service to the government isn’t just a career—it’s an identity. The badge, the clearance, the GS level—these markers can begin to feel like the full measure of your worth. ...

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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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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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How to File a RIF Appeal with the MSPB: Your Fast-Track Guide federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals pro se representation rif Jul 29, 2025

When a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice lands in your inbox, the panic can be paralyzing. Questions spiral: What’s my deadline? Do I have any rights? Should I hire a lawyer? And while some answers depe...

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THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING

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