Federal employee news, read closely.

Feds Get 0%, Military Gets 7%: The 2027 Pay Gap's Pension Cost

The 2027 budget proposes 0% for civilian feds and 5-7% for military, the widest gap in the modern GS era. See the year-by-year data and the High-3 pension hit.

Federal NDA Rights 2026: What Your Agency Can't Make You Waive

A federal NDA can restrict confidential information, but it can't strip your whistleblower rights. The anti-gag statute, the OPM NDA's flaw, and a before-you-sign checklist.

Your $45,000 Federal Pension Really Pays ~$2,565 a Month

OPM quotes a gross annuity, but survivor election, FEHB, and taxes take a big bite. See the gross-to-net waterfall by pension size and what actually hits your bank.

SAVE Plan Is Dead: Federal Employees Have Until Sept. 30 to Act

The SAVE student loan plan is gone. Federal employees in forbearance have 90 days to pick IBR or RAP before auto-enrollment. GS-grade payment table inside.

Schedule Policy/Career and Student Loans: $85,000 in Hidden Risk

Reclassified to Schedule Policy/Career? You face two student-loan risks: SLRP clawback and PSLF timing traps. The mechanics, the dollar exposure, and the fixes.

Federal Agency Cuts 2025-2026, Ranked: Who Lost the Most

Ranked: which federal agencies cut the most jobs in 2025-2026. USAID lost ~97%, IRS ~30%, VA ~27,000. Headcount, percentages, and sources by agency.

2 Mistakes That Derail Your Federal Retirement Application

The two errors that send OPM retirement applications to the slow queue: unpaid service deposits and the FEHB 5-year gap. A pre-submission checklist for 2026.

GAO: Probationary Feds Hit Hardest in 2025 Separations

GAO-26-108557 found probationary employees separated at 19% vs 15% for all staff in 2025. TSA hit 47%. Your appeal rights, the court rulings, and what to do.

VSIP Buyout Cap 2026: What H.R. 7256 Would Change

The $25,000 federal buyout cap hasn't risen since 1993. H.R. 7256 would tie it to 6 months of salary. What the bill does, the tax math, and where it stands.

IRS Compressed Schedules End July 25: Your AWS Rights

IRS is halting compressed work schedules July 25, 2026. Here's what 4/10 and 5/4/9 rights federal employees actually have, agency by agency, and what you can do.

When a Federal Retiree Dies: 2026 Survivor Checklist

OPM is hard to reach in 2026. Here's the step-by-step checklist survivors of a federal retiree need: who to call, which forms, and what to do first.

The FERS Supplement 62 Cliff: When to Claim SS

The FERS supplement ends at 62, whether or not you claim Social Security. Here's the income cliff and the break-even math for 6(c) retirees deciding when to file.

OCC Buyout vs. RIF: The 2026 Severance Trap

OCC is offering a summer 2026 buyout (VTP) before a RIF. Refusing it could mean a smaller payout, unless you qualify for retirement. Here's the decision framework.

In a RIF, Your Bump Rights Stop at Your Building

Your RIF bump and retreat rights only reach inside your competitive area, which may be just your office. Here's how the boundary decides who survives a layoff.

Schedule F Guide 2026: 8,000 Positions Now Reclassified

EO 14410 reclassified ~8,000 positions into Schedule Policy/Career on June 3, 2026. What changes, what doesn't, and the action checklist for every career fed.

Schedule P/C Acknowledgment Form: Sign or Refuse? (2026)

Agencies are handing ~8,000 reclassified employees a Schedule P/C form this week. OPM says refusal can't trigger punishment. What to do before you sign.

Is Your Job on the 8,000-Person Schedule Policy/Career List?

The 8,000-position at-will list is public. Here's the exact step-by-step to check if your federal job is on it, using your SF-50 and the White House appendix.

Schedule Policy/Career Benefits: FEHB, TSP, FERS and Severance

Schedule Policy/Career is now active for roughly 8,000 positions. Your FEHB, TSP, and FERS rules mostly stay the same, but job-security timing changes the math.

Divorce After Federal Retirement: Annuity, Survivor, FEHB

Divorcing after you've retired runs on different rules: your survivor election cancels automatically, a 2-year fix window, and OPM won't pay retroactively.

EEOC's New Priorities: What Changes for Federal Workers

The EEOC adopted a new enforcement plan June 4, 2026. Which complaints get backed, which get deprioritized, and what happens to your pending EEO case.

Federal Law Enforcement Retirement: 6c Rules Explained

The 6c enhanced FERS formula pays LEOs 1.7% per year, retirement at 50, and an earnings-test-free supplement. The rules, the math, and the coverage trap.

Federal Science Brain Drain: A Generational Loss in Data

118,000 science-agency employees gone, 10,109 PhDs out in one year, NIH grants down 66%. The agency-by-agency numbers behind the generational loss.

$4,080 Tax-Free: The Federal Transit Subsidy Under RTO

The federal transit subsidy pays up to $340/month tax-free, worth a $6,240 raise for some feds. How TRANServe works in 2026 and how to enroll this week.

FEHB Self Plus One vs Family: 2 in 5 Rates Are Inverted

FedTools analyzed all 478 OPM 2026 rate combos: 196 charge Self Plus One MORE than Self & Family, up to $1,738/yr. The table, the why, and how to switch.