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.

 
CBS Report Challenges Federal “Savings” Claims contract obligations federal employment mindfulness at work mspb deadlines rif appeals Aug 08, 2025

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...

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IRS Rescinded 80% of RIFs Given to Civil Rights & Compliance Staff federal employment irs layoffs mindfulness at work mspb reinstatement rif appeals Aug 04, 2025

In a rare but dramatic pivot, the IRS has rescinded nearly 80% of its Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to Civil Rights and Compliance employees.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 ...

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What to Do If You're Hit by a RIF at State or Any Federal Agency federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif appeals state department layoffs Jul 14, 2025

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...

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Ninth Circuit Stay Decision Looms Large Over RIF Pause federal employment fehb mindfulness at work retirement planning rif appeals May 29, 2025

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...

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Was Your RIF Illegal? Red Flags Federal Employees Should Look Out For federal employee rights federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif appeals May 19, 2025

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...

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The RIF Freeze May End—What That Means for You federal employment mindfulness at work mspb appeals rif appeals supreme court stay May 19, 2025

Federal employees are in a moment of deep uncertainty. A federal judge recently paused sweeping Reduction in Force (RIF) actions across 21 agencies, citing likely violations of civil service law. Now,...

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