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News for the federal workforce, updated daily.
Pay raises, retirement planning, and benefits — expert guidance for every stage of your federal career, sourced and updated for 2026.
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575 articles · page 19 of 24Policy Updates
Marijuana Schedule III: 4 Things Federal Employees Must Know
The April 2026 DOJ marijuana order changed less than Reddit thinks. What federal employees actually need to know about drug tests and clearances.
Policy Updates
Veterans Called It Illegal. OPM Finalized the RIF Rule Anyway
99% of commenters opposed converting veterans' categorical RIF protection into bonus points. OPM finalized it anyway, effective September 2, 2026.
Policy Updates
DHS Pay Cliff May 2026: What Happens to Your FERS, FEHB, TSP
DHS funds run out in early May 2026. Exactly how non-pay status affects your FERS accrual, FEHB premiums, TSP match, severance, and UCFE benefits.
Policy Updates
DoD Union Contracts Terminated: What 300,000 Civilians Just Lost
Hegseth terminated DoD CBAs April 9. Side-by-side statutory baseline vs. union add-ons, what protections survive, and your action checklist.
Policy Updates
IRS Says Less People = Better Results. The Data Says Otherwise.
IRS CEO claimed 27% staffing cuts produced better results. IRS's own FOIA data: 1040 waits +71%, ACS waits up nearly 300%, $5B enforcement revenue lost.
Policy Updates
OPM Job Series Consolidation 2026: RIF Risk by Series
OPM is cutting 604 GS series by 25%. How consolidation reshapes RIF retention registers, who's in Phase One, and what to do before May 11.
Pay & Compensation
2027 Pay Freeze by GS Grade: The Dollar Cost at Every Grade and Step
What a 2027 pay freeze costs at every GS grade, in dollars — freeze vs. 1% vs. 4.1% side by side. The grade-by-grade table plus a free calculator to run your own step.
Policy Updates
DHS Pay Cliff Playbook: What the $1.6B Scare Taught Feds
DHS nearly ran out of payroll cash in May 2026. How the $1.6B cliff worked, what the Anti-Deficiency Act does to your paycheck, and the October prep playbook.
Retirement
FERS MRA+10 Retirement 2026: Real Math and 5% Penalty Trap
The definitive FERS MRA+10 guide with 2026 pay data, 3 worked examples, FEHB postponement rules, and the 5% penalty mechanics most content gets wrong.
Policy Updates
HHS RIF Protections 2026: What Career Feds Need to Know
Kennedy told Congress he replaced 20K HHS workers with 'a better group.' ICE hired 12K with sterling credentials bypassed. What RIF law actually requires.
Policy Updates
OPM Wants Your Medical Records: The 8M-Person Privacy Fight, Explained
OPM's December 2025 data proposal demands monthly patient-level medical claims on 8 million feds. Senators are fighting it. Here's what it means and what to do now.
Policy Updates
Military Got COVID Vaccine Backpay. Civilian Feds Got This Instead
Military service members got 4 years of backpay under EO 14184. Civilian federal employees got record expungement, not money. The full contrast and what to do now.
Policy Updates
Can AI Replace Federal Workers? The Mission Gap Says No.
59% of federal AI use cases are still in pilot. Meat inspectors, air traffic controllers, and claims adjudicators cannot be automated. Here's what the data shows.
Policy Updates
DHS Shutdown Day 65: Ordered Back With No Appropriation
DHS ordered all furloughed employees back on April 10. The shutdown is still going. Here's what's legal, what's paid, and what's at risk.
Career
Federal Employee Emergency Fund: How Much Cash You Actually Need
The 60-day DHS shutdown proved most feds aren't financially prepared. Here's how to build a shutdown buffer and when a TSP loan makes sense.
Policy Updates
Federal Employee Morale Hits 32/100: The Worst Score Ever
Federal workforce engagement fell to 32/100 after FEVS was canceled. Gallup shows only 48% of feds 'thriving.' Every agency declined.
Policy Updates
$165.6 Billion: The Real Cost of Federal Workforce Cuts
The Partnership for Public Service calculated Trump's federal workforce changes cost $165.6 billion. Here's how the math breaks down and what it means for you.
Benefits
FEHB After Leaving Government: TCC, ACA, and the 5-Year Trap
Leaving federal service? Your FEHB jumps from $251/month to $915/month under TCC. Here's every option and the 5-year rule that determines your retirement coverage.
Career
278,000 Former Feds Are Job Hunting: Where They're Landing
The largest federal layoff in history left 278,000 people job hunting. Here's where they're finding work, by job series and clearance level.
Policy Updates
HHS Lost 20,000 Staff. Kennedy Says He Found Better Ones.
HHS shrank from 82,000 to 62,000 employees in 2025. Kennedy says he replaced them with 'a better group.' Here's the component-by-component breakdown.
Career
How to Transfer to Another Federal Agency During a RIF
Facing a RIF? CTAP and ICTAP give you priority placement at other agencies. Here's the step-by-step process with deadlines and required documents.
Policy Updates
1.4 Million Tax Refunds Stuck: The IRS Staffing Crisis
IRS lost 27% of its workforce. Phone waits jumped 71%. Paper returns backed up 462%. Here's who's affected and what to do about your refund.
Policy Updates
600 NWS Staff Cut, 55 Offices Understaffed. Then Came the Tornadoes.
NWS lost 600 employees. 55 of 122 offices are critically understaffed. The April 13 Kansas tornadoes raised the question nobody wants to answer.
TSP
Roth TSP to Roth IRA: The 5-Year Trap Nobody Warns You About
Rolling Roth TSP to a Roth IRA? Your 5-year clock resets. Here's the decision matrix for keeping your earnings tax-free.
What we cover
The topics that matter most to federal employees.Policy Updates
Pay raises, OPM guidance, RIFs, and the legislation that reshapes federal employment.
Retirement Planning
FERS guides, High-3 strategy, the supplement, survivor benefits, and real retirement case studies.
TSP Strategies
Data-backed allocation, contribution timing, and withdrawal news for every investing style.
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