We've updated this article to include the most up-to-date information on applying for FERS/OPM Federal Disability Retirement in 2026. If you're a federal employee who has a medical condition that prevents you from performing “useful and efficient” service in...
2025 was a year of mass reductions to the federal workforce. From agency restructuring to Deferred Resignation, every department is smaller now than it was before Trump’s inauguration. These initiatives put federal workers in a pressure chamber of worrying their job would go away or wondering if buyout offers would be the best they could do. To counteract some of that stress, Congress blocked any new layoffs starting in October, but starting February 13, agencies can impose these layoffs again.
If you’re a USPS employee, there were significant changes to your health benefits in 2025. Understanding these changes is crucial to making informed decisions about your health care, so we’ve distilled the situation down into an easy-to-understand reference page....
Any federal employee covered under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) can leave a survivor annuity. This survivor annuity determines how much your spouse can get from your pension if you pass away in retirement before your spouse. If you're married when you...
The One Big Beautiful Bill, President Trump’s reconciliation bill, has been in the works for the last few months and now it’s law. The bill covers lots of ground but as it’s worked its way through the House and Senate, different versions have listed proposals which could seriously impact federal workers and their retirement.
The OPM has announced that as of June 2, 2025, all federal applications for retirement will be paperless. This plan has been in the works for years, aiming to help streamline the process of applying for retirement. This plan is intended to make the application process and wait time more efficient for federal workers, but for many people, this may actually be a barrier.
The State Department will use a Reduction in Force (RIF) to cut 15% of its workforce starting July 1. Workers affected will have a short time between notice and separation. Employees will have between 60-90 days between notice and separation. Contract Employees will be terminated within 60 days. Foreign Service Officers will be separated or receive reassignment. Right now, these reductions only affect domestic employees and offices, but this is subject to change.
If you’re struggling to do your federal job because of a medical condition, reasonable accommodation may help you stay in your position a little longer – but it’s also a key step if you’re considering a way out of federal service through an option like Disability Retirement. Before you can apply for Disability Retirement, your agency has to explore whether adjustments can help you keep working. Here’s what you need to know about your options – and your rights.
After months of various incentives and plans to trim up the federal workforce, President Trump is now proposing a freeze in federal employee pay. That means that employees won’t get their raise in 2026. With unpredictable job security because of RIFs and layoffs, and the potential threat of agency closures, you might be thinking about how you can leave work before your job is eliminated. And now that your pay likely won’t increase in the new year, this might be an even better time to consider your options.
After using incentives like VERAs, VSIPs, and deferred resignations, to cut 10,000 federal workers, the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is now planning to use RIFs and layoffs to cut another 10,000 beginning May 27.
There’s some bad news for federal prison workers – retention payments will be greatly reduced or removed entirely by March 23. These retention payments were put in place because staff were dropping due to poor working conditions and low pay. Now, with the payments taken away, the outlook is even more concerning. This is a major loss for all federal prison workers, but it’s especially difficult for people already struggling with work because of a mental or physical health challenge. Some employees have already considered leaving the federal government for a job that would pay more and be less stressful.
In a March 13 letter to congress, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy agreed to cut 10,000 United States Postal Service workers and billions of dollars by April 18. DeJoy has outlined that Voluntary Early Retirement (VERA) will be used to hit this reduction. VERA was offered by USPS as early as January – now there’s an exact number of employees expected to leave.
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