"The Department of Veterans Affairs is once again pushing forward with sunsetting its collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees.

VA officials on Oct. 8 revised agency guidance on collective bargaining to state that the AFGE national agreement “no longer applies” for most bargaining unit employees, according to internal documents viewed by Federal News Network.

The update from VA comes after a federal appeals court on Oct. 2 granted VA’s request to stay an order that had been upholding the contract with AFGE. The collective bargaining agreement with AFGE’s National VA Council covers more than 320,000 VA employees."

I’m considering switching from MHBP Standard to Samaba Standard. Does anyone have experience with Samaba and out-of-network mental health coverage? I see an out-of-network therapist weekly; MHBP covered 70% of the allowed amount. Samaba covers 55% of the allowed amount, but apparently they use a different formula, which may result in a similar amount that MHBP covers. I would appreciate some feedback.

Yesterday I received an approved prior authorization for orthopedic surgery. I have MHBP Consumer. I was supposed to have this surgery back in September but they initially denied it and I had to go through an appeals process. Due to the delay, it’s very possible that the surgery may need to occur in early 2027, after the Consumer Option terminates. If I remain with MHBP and am automatically enrolled in another MHBP option for 2027, will the existing authorization remain valid or need to be reissued? Does anyone have experience or something similar when switching plans that are administered by the same carrier?

Just looking for guidance on how to resign on my 5 year anniversary when it falls on a weekend in the middle of a pay period. Going back to school on my GI bill and spring semester starts a week before my 5 year. I’ll only have enough annual leave to last me that full week. Can you use some sick leave at the end after you put in your notice? Sorry not trying to ask at work yet. Any insight or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Ughhhh, really? So now my agency is saying SI, super intelligence, instead of the actual real term AI. So stupid. That’s all, just had to bitch somewhere about this.

I recently got a pre-screening interview call for a DOE fellowship I have applied to and I believe it went well. Interviewer mentioned next step may be a call with the management and cannot tell a timeline. I’m so excited for the opportunity and waiting to hear back from them and it’s been more than two weeks now. Is it normal? Any insights on the interview process and timeline?

DOL just announced they will implement “recertification procedures” to review all previously approved reasonable accommodations. Employees will be asked to provide updated medical information. Curious if this has been happening at other agencies and what experiences people have had.

I’m also wondering what legal authority they are using for this (they didn’t cite any).

Submitted an RA for telework months ago. Agency just emailed my direct supervisor saying their medical expert agrees that commuting is dangerous for me, but that I should move closer to the office or somewhere with public transit.

In this email to my supervisor, the agency included medical details like my diagnosis and the severity in specific body parts. My understanding was that the agency could only disclose my functional limitations as they relate to my job duties, not the actual diagnosis and medical details. Is that correct? If so, does anyone think filing an EEO complaint will actually do anything?

In addition... Is anyone aware of any pushback on the new policy to deny telework for commuting limitations? Have there been any lawsuits yet?

Throwing this out there for anyone interested. I'm with MHBP Standard (Aetna), and I was thinking of switching because of the significant increase in cost for 2027. She thinks Aetna is "ok" but maybe not as good as BCBS, which she uses for her own health insurance. She said to stay the heck away from both Kaiser and United plans because they are cheaper for a reason. They deny coverage too often. Kaiser won't cover you much outside of your geographical region. She would never want to work for Kaiser. I know from experience that customer service with GEHA can be lacking, especially for out-of-network claims. Her bottom line was that you truly do get what you pay for in this life. She advised me to cut back my expenses elsewhere, but not in healthcare because it's too important. We have known each other since the 1990s, and she really cares about me.

What are your thoughts on my doctor friend's advice?

question says it all. i am a retiree and i sent in my signed letter in July to reduce my FEGLI and have heard nothing since. i called last week and they were going to “open my file” and i should see something in my portal, but im not seeing anything. currently on hood but ill probably get answers here before they ever pick up the phone!

I’ve been considering a position with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and wanted to get some firsthand perspectives on the current
For current or former EOIR employees, what’s the atmosphere like right now?
How is overall employee morale?
What’s management and leadership like?
Are workloads becoming unreasonable?
Is there significant employee turnover or burnout?
Are employees generally satisfied, or are many looking to leave?
Has the work environment changed significantly over the past year ?
I’d appreciate candid feedback from anyone with direct experience. Thanks!

News is circulating throughout the agency that the next phase has 600 people on the list. People on other forums have posted the letter that they received from HR. The agency is becoming a $hit$how with job satisfaction going down the toilet and turning into a MAGA-fied-Bessent appendage thanks to the head honcho. While all other finregs have reached stabilization, this place just keeps on adding gasoline to the dumpster fire.

Has anyone experienced their manager blocking their promotion or from getting another job at another unit? I feel like I am going through this and have heard rumors that they do this type of shenanigans.

For those of you who may not have seen, GEHA kept the ‘26 plan premium and deductible for HDHP (and several other plans) frozen for 2027. Feels good to get an actual win after all the beatdowns we’ve been receiving.

Outline of act:

To fight back against the known playbook of authoritarian governments, the For Our Republic Act includes new provisions to counter the rise of authoritarianism and erosion of our democratic government under the second Trump Administration, as well as existing legislation from Merkley and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The For Our Republic Act outlines ten principles to protect our democracy:

1. Defend the Referees: Bolsters protections and guardrails preventing political removal of Inspectors General. (Inspectors General Independence Act - Sen. Duckworth)
2. Protect the Independent, Non-Partisan Civil Service: Requires Congressional review of all reduction-in-force decisions. (Reduction in Force Review Act - Sen. Merkley) • Requires express consent from Congress to change an agency’s purpose, shutter it altogether, or merge federal agencies.
3. Celebrate One Nation, Indivisible: Bans both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from deploying and using facial recognition technology. (ICE Out of Our Faces Act - Sens. Markey and Merkley) • Allows anyone within U.S. jurisdiction to sue ICE and CBP officers who violate their constitutional rights. (ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act - Sen. Merkley) • Bans racial profiling by all federal law enforcement agents.
4. Reaffirm Equal Justice Under Law : Ensures due process for all minor children in immigration detention. (Children’s Safe Welcome Act - Sen. Merkley) • Establishes a new independent immigration court system separate from the Department of Justice and within the Judiciary system. (Real Courts, Rule of Law Act - Sen. Gillibrand)
5. Strengthen Free Speech: Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from revoking business licenses or taking action against broadcasters based on the viewpoints they broadcast and reaffirms the importance of the independence of the FCC, including that the President should not mandate the FCC’s agenda. (Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act - Sen. Luján)
6. Reassert Congress’ Power of the Purse: Prohibits appropriated funds from being rescinded except through appropriations legislation. • Prohibits federal funds and private donations from being used for the East Wing Modernization Project without Congressional approval.
7. Fight Government Corruption: Ensures that the President, Vice President, President-elect, and Vice President-elect are covered by additional existing bribery, graft, and conflict of interest statutes. • Prohibits the President and Vice President from accepting remunerations or emoluments of any value where the official has substantial influence or control. • Limits use of image, likeness, or name of any sitting President or Vice President on federal buildings or passports. • Creates an Inspector General within the Executive Office of the President with provisions to ensure its independence. (Bringing Executive Accountability, Clarity, and Oversight Now (BEACON) Act - Sen. Schiff) • Requires Special Envoys to submit financial disclosure reports and other ethics requirements. (Transparency in the Administration’s Business Opportunities Overseas (TABOO) Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits elected government officials from buying, selling, or trading event contracts and bans senior executive branch officials from trading event contracts related to their agency. (End Prediction Market Corruption Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits elected government officials, senior executive branch officials, and their immediate family members from issuing, trading, or endorsing digital assets. (End Crypto Corruption Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits and applies criminal penalties for any state and local public officials soliciting, offering, or accepting gratuities of more than $5,000. (Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits any sitting President from having their likeness, image, or signature on U.S. coins or currency. (Change Corruption Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits event contracts on elections, sports, military actions, and government activities without an economic hedging need. (STOP Corrupt Bets Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits the use of living political figures from being used on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. (Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act - Sen. Merkley) • Prohibits GSA from buying or selling federal property, including federal buildings, where there are conflicts of interest, or there is undue influence.
8. Ensure Liberty and Justice for All: Requires disclosure of all White House correspondence to the Department of Justice regarding past, current, or future court cases. • Prohibits payments from the Anti-Weaponization Fund without Congressional approval.
9. Prevent Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets: Limits the use of federal law enforcement officers for crowd control. (Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act - Sen. Merkley) • Narrows presidential authority to deploy armed forces domestically by making it an action of last resort and requires the President to consult with Congress prior to invoking the Insurrection Act. (Insurrection Act of 2025 - Sen. Blumenthal)
10. Safeguard Free and Fair Elections: Bans knowingly distributing false or AI-generated content aimed at suppressing votes, strengthening protections against wrongful voter removals. (Fraudulent Artificial Intelligence Regulations (FAIR) Elections Act - Sen. Merkley) • Extends existing protections that prevent the President from deploying federal law enforcement to polling places to include ballot drop-boxes and ballot processing centers, strengthens these protections, allows for private right of action for violations, and prohibits federal law enforcement from seizing ballots before a federal election is certified.

A detailed outline of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.

The For Our Republic Act is supported by Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Refugees International, and Common Cause.

“It is stunning how the Trump Administration, empowered by an obedient congressional Republican caucus, has empowered the federal government to intrude and impose upon our daily lives. The separation of powers, and the checks and balances against over-reach by the president, have largely been vanquished. America has fallen into dangerous times. Sen. Merkley’s For Our Republic Act seeks to restore those critical checks and balances and re-affirm the democratic principles upon which America was founded. Public Citizen heartily endorses this very necessary measure,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.

"The Office of Personnel Management and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud are partnering to hire the next cohort of the U.S. Tech Force. The two-year program will place applicants across agencies, including the General Services Administration, the Social Security Administration, OPM, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the State and Treasury departments. Vice President JD Vance said the partnership will help the government identify fraud, waste and abuse and reduce reliance on foreign technological advancements."

The 2026 Public Viewpoint Survey is now open for responses. This quick and confidential survey, administered by the Partnership for Public Service, provides current federal employees with an opportunity to share their experience on their agency and workplace, giving federal leaders, Congress, policymakers and the public a better understanding of how federal workplaces are functioning, what issues federal employees may be facing and where opportunities exist to improve employee experience.

As a federal employee, you have firsthand knowledge of what helps your team succeed and how well your organization is serving the public. Make your voice heard through the Public Service Viewpoint Survey.

Thank you to the many folks from this subreddit who took the survey last year, we hope you do so again.