Government Workers
Purging employees is the first step towards replacing them and remaking government agencies to comply with Trump’s agenda. When that happens, regulatory retaliation can be expected to accelerate in all forms, especially as the administration restricts press access, terminates government watchdogs, and eliminates other accountability measures. The administration’s aggressive moves to tamp down on free speech should be vigorously countered as a first line of defense.
- Amanda Carpenter, If you Can Keep It
With courts placing a hold on its push for mass resignations, the Trump administration has announced another effort to downsize the federal workforce. The President’s new executive order envisions a sweeping and deep reduction in the number of federal employees. Reflecting the degree to which the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has seemingly taken control of federal personnel policy, the order is entitled, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.”
Protect Yourself
Click here for resources on the government wide shutdown
The front line defenders of our democracy at this moment are the civil servants whose roles and responsibilities are being upended or whose jobs are on the chopping block under the new administration. How they respond matters a great deal for a number of reasons, both moral and practical.From a moral standpoint, standing up to authoritarianism, while risking persecution or even violence from the MAGA mob, takes courage. One person’s courage is sometimes all it takes for many to find their own.
From a practical standpoint, stopping an illegal move initially buys valuable time for the press to be alerted, for union leaders and politicians to organize and respond, and for lawyers to be called in. Personal resistance is the first fistful of sand thrown into the gears of a takeover machine. In the past three days alone, we have witnessed some heroic personal responses.
-Jay Kuo, Status Kuo
1. Download your personnel and benefits documents.
These documents can be much harder to access after your leave. Some employees are getting locked out of their phones and computers as soon as they are given notice of a personnel action:
- Your entire eOPF file, including performance reviews
- A copy of your position description (ask your immediate supervisor or HR for a copy, if you don’t have one)
- Your 2025 Active Plan from USA Performance
- Benefits documents under the personal info tab of your EPP file
Ensure you are able to log into benefits programs such as TSP, FSA Feds, Long Term Care Insurance Program, and BENEFEDS from your personal device and that authentication methods don’t require you to use your work email or device. Download all important documents and handbooks that detail your coverage (e.g. the FEGLI handbook).
2. Protect Your Personal Information:
- Remove any personal documents from your work computer
- Exchange personal contact information with your colleagues, in case you need to contact them for a reference or to let them know about an unanticipated termination.
3. Know Your Rights
These resources provide overviews of your substantive and procedural employee protections, as well as the process for challenging violations of those protections.
- Review the website Reading your SF-50 to determine your service and appointment type to better understand your role.
- You can also understand your employment status (for example, whether or not you are a probationary employee) by reviewing documents in your eOPF or asking HR professionals to confirm your status.
Many employee rights differ based on your role and employment status.
- Merit Systems Protections Board Trainings Page and list of Prohibited Personnel Practices
- Office of Special Counsel Know Your Rights When Reporting Wrongs Pamphlet
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Overview of Federal Sector EEO Complaint Process
Sources
- What to know about the new Schedule F order
- The probationary purge
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on the Rights of Federal Employees with Disabilities in 2025
- Is Somebody Doing Something?!
- Separating truth from fiction on the “fork in the road”
- Intelligence Community Whistleblower Provisions: A Legislative History
- Does termination affect a federal employee’s retirement benefits?
- Federal Employee Rights: What Probationary Employees Need to Know
- Assessing the MSPB’s approach to class actions in the first six months of Trump II
- Briefing on Rights, Resources, and Recourses for DOJ Employees Targeted by the Trump Administration
</ul>Reporting Agencies
Note: This list is not intended to be comprehensive.
- SAFE-Track
- U.S. Office of Special Counsel
- U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Whistleblower Protection Program
- Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
- US Securities and Exchange Commission Program
- IRS Whistleblower Office
- Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
- U.S. Government Accountability Office
- OIGs with Unique Jurisdiction
</ul> </ul>Resources
- ACLU D.C. Know-Your-Rights Guide for Federal Employees
- Expose Abuse Without Exposing Your Identity
- Compilation of Federal Whistleblower Protection Statutes
- Anti-Retaliation Provisions for Reporting Wrongdoing in State Whistleblower Statutes, False Claims Statutes, and Other State Laws
- Whistleblower Survival Tips
- Truth-Telling in Government: A Guide to Whistleblowing for Federal Employees, Contractors, and Grantees
- Speaking up for Science: A Guide to Whistleblowing for Federal Employees and Contractors