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.
Roughly 4,000 layoff notices went out earlier in the government shutdown, but a recent federal court order has frozen most of them. The injunction—issued by a judge in San Francisco—temporarily halted...
The federal shutdown continues into its fourth week, but this past week brought a mix of progress, pressure, and one major legal win for federal employees. Here’s what matters most as we head toward N...
Credible reports suggest that the Department of the Interior may begin mass layoffs as soon as Monday—even though a federal court order temporarily prohibits all shutdown-related RIFs. Judge Susan Ill...
In a sweeping move late Thursday, Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) stopping the administration from carrying out or issuing new red...
On October 10, 2025, the administration began issuing Reduction-in-Force (RIF) notices to roughly 4,200 federal employees—even as the government remained shut down. That move, unprecedented in prior s...
Federal employees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) just previewed regulations that would mark one of the most sweeping rollbacks of civil service protections in decades. These proposals, fram...
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)....
CBS News recently analyzed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) records and found a major gap between headline claims and actual numbers. On three high-profile HHS contracts—COVID-19 testing and...
In a rare but dramatic pivot, the IRS has rescinded nearly 80% of its Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to Civil Rights and Compliance employees. The agency issued a one-sentence reversal memo stating ...
Last Friday, over 1,300 employees at the State Department received notice of a Reduction in Force (RIF). Most were career civil servants; some were Foreign Service officers. For many, the 60-day separ...
Why One Court Order Holds Thousands of Careers in the Balance - Here are my answers to common questions we have received
Judge Illston’s nationwide injunction has frozen every Reduction-in-Force noti...
In recent months, we've seen a troubling pattern: federal agencies issuing Reduction in Force (RIF) notices that raise serious legal questions. According to some legal scholars and judges, many of the...
THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BRIEFING
Your Trusted Guide in Uncertain Times
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.
📩 Get the latest updates straight to your inbox—because your career depends on it.
You're safe with me. I'll never spam you or sell your contact info.