Federal employee news, read closely.

BOP Closing 6 Prisons: RIF Risk and Your 6c Options

BOP is closing six facilities over staffing. ~500 employees affected, Big Spring and La Tuna face RIFs. What 6c correctional officers should do about it.

$615 a Month Gone: The BRS Reenlistment Coding Trap

Returning to service with a pre-2018 DIEMS? Pay systems often auto-code you into BRS when you're entitled to legacy High-3. Check one LES field to catch it.

DOGE Is Over: 12 Agencies Now Hiring Again (Tracker)

The DOGE charter expired July 4, 2026, and job postings are up 50%. Agency-by-agency reopen tracker, what the 4-to-1 cap still blocks, and how separated feds get back in.

FEHB Family Verification: Documents You Now Need (2026)

As of July 2, 2026, you must prove every family member you add to FEHB or PSHB is eligible. The exact documents, deadlines, and removal rules.

15,500 Stalled Requests: The NTEU Telework Lawsuit

NTEU sued Treasury and HHS June 29 over 6,500+ and 9,000 stalled disability telework requests. What to do if your accommodation is stuck in the backlog.

OPM's New Admin Leave Rule: Comment by July 29, 2026

OPM's proposed rule caps investigative admin leave at 10 workdays and codifies deferred-resignation leave. What changes and how to comment by July 29.

$3,548 on the Table: 2026 PCS Entitlement Mistakes

Peak PCS season 2026: the BAH reset, DLA, TLE, and DITY mistakes that cost service members thousands. Full 2026 DLA table and the PPM tax surprise.

TRICARE 2026 Costs: Rx Copays Up 16%, Fees Up 2.8%

Every verified 2026 TRICARE number for retirees: pharmacy copays, Prime and Select fees by group, catastrophic caps, TYA premiums, and the TFL Part B math.

USDA Is Betting You'll Quit: Relocate-or-Separate Math

USDA is moving over half its D.C. workforce to five hubs and expects a 'significant number' to leave. Component cut projections and the severance-vs-DSR math.

$35 an Hour: What One More Year in FERS Really Pays

Once you're FERS-eligible, working another year nets roughly half your salary. The marginal-year formula, 3 worked profiles, and the one year that flips it.

Douglas Factors Eliminated: 12 Protections Feds Could Lose

OPM's July 2026 rule would end the 12 Douglas factors and cap PIPs at 30 days. What federal employees lose, what to do now, and how to comment by August 3.

OPM Buyout Deadline July 13: The DRP + VERA Offer Explained

OPM Healthcare and Insurance employees have until July 13 at 5 p.m. ET to accept the DRP + VERA buyout offer. Three decision paths and seven traps, explained.

$117,000 Per Resignation: The Real Cost of the Federal DRP

New GAO data shows 129,000 feds left under the DRP. Independent analysis pegs the cost near $15 billion. We ran the per-employee math nobody published.

93,000 Cuts Later: Who the FY2027 NDAA Protects at DOD

The Senate's FY2027 NDAA would ban RIFs at shipyards and depots, add a 45-day layoff notice rule, and boost cyber pay. Who's covered and who isn't.

Government Shutdown October 2026: 2 of 12 Bills, 92 Days

FY2027 funding expires October 1, 2026. Only 2 of 12 bills passed the House, the Senate is at zero. Per-grade paycheck-at-risk table and 92-day prep plan.

OPM Back Pay Tax Trap 2026: The $1,148 Medicare Surprise

OPM pays 60-80% interim pay, then a catch-up lump sum taxed in one year. See grade-by-grade tax math, the $1,148 IRMAA trap, and the SSA-44 fix.

OPM's New Rule Can Debar You From All Federal Jobs

The suitability rule effective July 30 lets OPM remove current employees and bar them from federal employment for up to 3 years. Triggers include late taxes and NDAs.

TSP Fund Returns June 2026: S Fund Jumps 4.34%, C Fund Dips

The S Fund jumped 4.34% in June 2026 while the C Fund fell 0.95%, the widest monthly gap of the year. Full TSP returns, YTD leaders, and what changed.

$157,797: The Average TSP Account as the Plan Hits $1.156T

TSP assets hit a record $1.156 trillion. The average account now holds $157,797, and FERS accounts average $233,829. Here's the math behind the milestone.

VERA/VSIP Fall 2026: Agency-by-Agency Tracker

Which agencies will offer VERA/VSIP in fall 2026? Confirmed, rumored, and denied status for 17 agencies, with dates, sources, and deadlines.

Supreme Court Ended MSPB Independence: What Feds Should Know

The Supreme Court's Trump v. Slaughter ruling ended MSPB, FLRA, and EEOC independence. Your federal appeal rights are still intact. What changed, explained.

How to Benchmark Your Federal Salary in 2026

Learn how to benchmark your federal salary against your agency and job series averages using OPM data, plus what the numbers actually mean.

Which Jobs Count Toward Federal Retirement? Creditable Service

Which jobs count toward FERS and CSRS retirement: temporary time, military, Peace Corps, quasi-government, NAF, and contractors. The deposit rules that decide it.

Federal Take-Home Pay: What's Left After Deductions

See what federal employees actually keep after FERS, FICA, TSP, FEHB, and taxes. A real GS-12 paycheck breakdown for 2026.