Leaving Federal Service Isn’t Easy—Here’s How You Can Help

An older man in business attire walks through a glowing doorway into a bright, hopeful sky, as resumes and documents float around him, symbolizing a transition from federal service to civilian work.

After nearly 15 years in government, I’ve seen dysfunction. I’ve seen bureaucracy at its slowest. But I’ve never seen this: colleagues being let go without notice, badges deactivated while they’re out to lunch, entire teams gutted under the guise of “efficiency.”

This isn’t just workforce reduction. It’s displacement with a smile. It’s “nothing personal” emails at 10pm on a Saturday. It’s morale by demolition.

And here’s the thing—we didn’t come here for the paycheck. We came to serve. To help people. To make systems more human, more accessible, more just. And we’ve done it. Through budget freezes, shutdowns, and shifting political winds, we’ve shown up. Every day.

But now? Every time I mistype my password, I wonder if I’ve been locked out for real. Every time a colleague hangs up the phone, we say “See you tomorrow,” with the full knowledge that we might not.

And still—we stay. Not because we’re naïve, but because we believe. We believe in what public service can be, even when it’s breaking.

But belief alone doesn’t translate on a civilian resume.

So this is where you—our friends, colleagues, allies in the private sector—come in.

👉 If a federal employee reaches out for help transitioning into a civilian role, please understand:

• Our resumes are long—because they have to be. We’re trained to write for compliance, not for recruiters.
• Our job titles? Don’t map neatly to civilian roles. “Public Affairs Specialist” can mean ten different things.
• Our language is bureaucratic—but our skills are real. Communications, crisis response, policy analysis, program leadership. It’s all there. We just speak a different dialect.

So we need help translating.

Not because we’re unqualified—but because the systems are different.

And if you’re still in the private sector wondering how to help? Start here:

✅ Offer to review a federal friend’s resume
✅ Translate a job description or two
✅ Be a referral, a mentor, a second set of eyes
✅ Most of all: offer us grace

This isn’t just about finding new jobs.

It’s about finding our footing after watching institutions we served disassemble from the inside.

Federal employees are not okay. We’re working under stress that is systemic and, frankly, strategic.

But we’re still here. Still trying to make a difference.

So if we reach out, we’re not looking for pity.

We’re asking you to help us cross the bridge.

We helped you navigate government once.

We could use a hand now.

“What Did You Do This Week?” – The Bureaucratic Nightmare That Sent Federal Employees Into a Frenzy

A futuristic office scene featuring Elon Musk in a suit, sitting at a high-tech workstation. He stares at the screen with an intense, authoritative expression. The glowing text overlay reads: 'What did you do this week?'

Anything interesting hit your inbox this weekend?

Nothing says "competent workforce management" like a weekend email from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) demanding that 2.3 million federal employees submit bullet points of their accomplishments.

And the best part? Even the government doesn’t know what to do.

Some agencies: “Reply immediately.”
Others: “DO NOT REPLY.”
NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration: “Maybe reply, maybe don’t? We’ll get back to you Monday.”

It’s a choose-your-own-adventure, but every ending involves getting yelled at.

Why is this happening?

Because Elon Musk—a man who spends more time posting memes than running his companies—has apparently been put in charge of federal workforce management. His grand strategy? A mass email. And nothing says ‘productive workforce’ like an email from your new billionaire overlord.

Which is adorable because absolutely no one is reading all these emails.

🔹 That’s 11.5 million bullet points.
🔹 If printed, 700,000 filing cabinets of bureaucratic joy.
🔹 At best, this is going straight into a Microsoft Excel sheet that an intern will delete in three weeks.

But wait, it gets better.

Musk implied that failure to respond = resignation.

Which is, in legal terms...completely illegal.

OPM literally said mass email responses must be explicitly voluntary. Yet here we are, wondering if silence will get people removed from payroll.

Meanwhile, employees are being told to CC their managers. Because nothing builds trust like looping in your boss on an email you don’t understand.

So what’s the right move?

Some agencies handled this beautifully:

The Washington Post reports:

U.S. Secret Service almost had agents send: “This week, I accomplished 100% of my job. Also, I exceeded expectations.”

Meanwhile, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Survey employee simply replied:"I categorically refuse."

Which, frankly, is the energy we all need.

If you’re a federal employee caught in this mess, just copy-paste this:

To: Elon Musk, OPM, and whoever is pretending to be my boss this week

Subject: RE: What did I do last week?

Hello,

Last week, I accomplished 100% of my required duties, as outlined in my position description.

✅ I supported critical government operations.
✅ I successfully maintained employment, despite this nonsense.
✅ I did not accidentally leak classified information to a billionaire.
✅ I watched in horror as my inbox became a battlefield of conflicting instructions.
✅ I exceeded expectations by not rage-quitting over this email.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you’d like to waste more taxpayer-funded bandwidth on this charade.

Best,
A Federal Employee Who is Definitely Real and Not a Bot™

So let’s recap:
🎯 This is dumb.
🎯 The government doesn’t know what to do.
🎯 Elon Musk should not be running OPM.
🎯 And the only rational response is to mock this until it disappears.

Mass Federal Layoffs: How Schedule A Employees Became the First to Go

A digital illustration of an email notification with the bold subject line "You're Fired" displayed on a white sheet emerging from an open blue envelope. The background shows a blurred email inbox interface with unread messages, reinforcing the theme of job termination or layoffs.

It’s Valentine’s Day. A day for love and connection. But instead of unwinding, I’m fuming.

Because once again, disabled federal employees are being treated as disposable.

Last night, reports by The Washington Post, The New York Times and others confirmed what many of us feared: the Trump administration has escalated mass federal layoffs, targeting probationary employees first—including those hired under Schedule A, the federal hiring program for workers with disabilities.

It’s infuriating. It’s discriminatory. And it’s completely predictable.

For those unfamiliar, Schedule A is not a handout. It’s a hiring path for people with disabilities that requires extensive documentation, qualifications, and agency approval.

But here’s the kicker: while most new federal employees serve a one-year probationary period, Schedule A employees must prove themselves for two years. The justification? That disabled workers need extra assessment to determine if they "belong" in public service.

It’s blatant discrimination baked into policy.

And now, those extended probationary periods have made Schedule A employees an easy target for mass layoffs.

On Thursday, 200,000 probationary workers were put on notice. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Small Business Administration were hit hard.

🔹 More than 1,000 VA employees—gone.
🔹 Entire teams at U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and SBA—fired overnight.
🔹 Education Department employees helping disabled students—cut loose.

These weren’t performance-based firings. No warnings. No due process. Just emails that never arrived and pre-recorded layoff videos.

This isn’t just about budget cuts. It’s part of a broader attack on disability inclusion in federal employment.

This administration has already gone after:
✅ Remote work policies (which help disabled workers)
✅ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives
✅ Reasonable accommodations (now “under review” by some agencies)

The pattern is clear. They don’t want us here.

What Needs to Happen Next?

🔹 Share this post. Get the word out.
🔹 Contact your representatives. Demand oversight.
🔹 Support federal worker unions. AFGE is fighting back—help them.
🔹 Push for Schedule A reform. The two-year probation rule is discriminatory and unjust.

People with disabilities fought for decades to secure a place in the federal workforce. We’ve been overlooked, underestimated, and discarded at every turn.

And now, we’re being purged again—just because we were the easiest to cut loose.

If we stay silent, this will happen again.

And next time, it might be worse.

“Did You Do Anything Related to DEI?”—The Question That’s Destroying Federal Careers

The Education Department headquarters in Washington on Jan. 15.

I’ve spent over a decade in federal service, working across multiple administrations. I’ve proudly served my country, navigating shifting policies, political climates, and leadership changes. But what’s happening now? It’s not just a shift. It’s an erasure—one that’s putting careers, rights, and fundamental American values on the line.

If you’ve ever attended a DEI training, served on an affinity group, or simply advocated for fairness, you might be next.

This administration isn’t just eliminating DEI programs—it’s purging people. At least 50 Department for Education employees have been placed on leave, yet “almost none of them worked in jobs directly related to DEI,” according to The Washington Post. Their crime? Being associated with diversity efforts in any way.

That’s the threshold for being removed from service.

This isn’t just about diversity training—it’s about who belongs in the federal workforce at all. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent a mass email giving employees a “choice”: resign now with a deferred resignation package or risk losing your job without guarantees.

A U.S. Department of Justice worker summed it up perfectly to POLITICO “It felt like we were being asked to swear allegiance to a new form of government.”

DEI isn’t a radical concept—it’s the very promise of this country.

We have fought, legally and morally, to build a system where opportunity isn’t dictated by race, gender, ability, or background. And yet, this administration is doing everything it can to undo that progress.

They aren’t just removing DEI from federal offices—they’re erasing it from history. Government websites with EEOC information were taken down for days, making it harder for employees to even report discrimination .

For those of us with disabilities, this isn’t theoretical. I’ve advocated for policies that make federal spaces more accessible—not just for myself, but for millions of Americans who need those same protections.

So when people say “DEI is dead”, as Trump recently did , I hear something else: “People like you don’t belong.”

But here’s the thing: we’re still here. And we are not going quietly.

Federal employees—especially those of us from historically excluded backgrounds—are exhausted. We’re being pushed out, threatened, and told we don’t matter. But the truth is, we are the backbone of this government. Career staff keep the country running regardless of who is in office. We have institutional knowledge that no executive order can erase.

So if you’re reading this, check on your friends in government. We are holding on by a thread. We need allies. We need people to speak out. We need each other.

And if you’re in the private sector thinking, “This won’t affect me”? Think again. Because when DEI disappears from government, it emboldens companies to follow suit. And when institutional knowledge is lost, we all pay the price.

Trump’s DEI purge targets federal workers who did not work in DEI

The War on DEI: What It Means for Disability Advocacy in the Federal Workforce

The image shows a close-up of a document titled "Termination of Employment" placed on a wooden desk. To the side, there is a partial view of a keyboard and a yellow-tinted pair of eyeglasses resting on a closed book.

The federal government is currently experiencing a period of significant change in areas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, return-to-office mandates, and executive orders that directly affect federal policies. As a long-time federal employee, I find myself closely observing these developments and working to adapt—just like many of you. This is undoubtedly a time of uncertainty for federal workers, and understandably so. Recent rollbacks in DEI programming, elimination of related roles, and the enforcement of RTO mandates are reshaping the workplace landscape at a rapid pace.

For me, these changes feel personal. As someone with a disability—navigating chronic pain, a visual impairment, and reliance on assistive technology—this shifting landscape poses significant challenges. The pace of change is unsettling, but it’s important to acknowledge that much remains unknown. While the push for these policy changes is concerning, full implementation will take time. Many of the fears we face today may not materialize immediately.

Despite the uncertainties, one thing remains clear: we all share a responsibility to uphold the humanity of our workplaces. Whether as colleagues or leaders, it’s on us to ensure that everyone—regardless of ability—can succeed in the roles they were hired to fulfill. While DEI initiatives and remote work policies are evolving, some measures remain stable for now.

The current RTO memo includes language that supports remote work as a reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. This provision is a step in the right direction. However, the future of Schedule A—a hiring authority designed to bring individuals with disabilities into federal service—is less certain. While Schedule A has its limitations, it has served as a vital pathway into federal employment for many. For now, it remains intact, offering a glimmer of stability amidst the changes.

As federal employees, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty and rapid shifts happening around us. But it’s important to take a moment to reflect and breathe. We are still in the early days of this administration, and much of what is being proposed will require time to take shape. The federal government’s processes are famously slow-moving, and significant changes often face bureaucratic resistance and legal challenges before they can be fully implemented.

This doesn’t diminish the real fears and concerns many of us are feeling. The anxiety around job security, workplace accessibility, and the future of DEI initiatives is valid and deeply felt. However, it’s also important to recognize that the laws protecting disabled workers have been hard-won and will not be easily undone. Legal safeguards and advocacy efforts remain powerful tools in preserving workplace equity.

As we navigate these turbulent times, let us move forward with care, grace, and resilience.

Remote Work Isn’t a Perk—It’s a Lifeline for Disabled Federal Employees

People walking past the Department of the Treasury building, a historic structure with large columns and engraved signage, on a chilly day with some leaves scattered on the ground.

For more than a decade as a federal employee, I’ve been proud to serve the public. I’ve earned awards, glowing reviews, and built a career I love. But here’s the truth: my success wouldn’t have been possible without telework. As a disabled professional managing multiple disabilities, remote work is more than a convenience—it’s a lifeline. It enables me to thrive in an environment that meets my needs and eliminates barriers that might otherwise exclude me. Now, all of that progress is at risk.

The Wall Street Journal's John McCormick and Te-Ping Chen report on the newly envisioned Department of Government Efficiency effort to mandate full-time in-office work is alarming. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, leading this charge, have made it clear that they expect resignations, with Ramaswamy predicting as many as 25% of federal workers could leave. To them, this might sound like trimming bureaucracy. In practice, this is a targeted assault on equity and inclusion.

Telework gave disabled employees the chance to participate in record numbers, eliminating barriers like long commutes and inaccessible environments. Meg O'Connell, PHR of Global Disability Inclusion, LLC explained it best to HR Brew ™️'s Kristen Parisi: “People with disabilities have what they need in their homes. They don’t have to ask for accommodation [because] they’ve already built out their space.” Why dismantle a system that works?

While many argue in-person work fosters collaboration, the private sector is proving otherwise. Glassdoor’s CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong told Fortune, “The biggest benefit we’ve seen…is being able to tap into talent all around the U.S. and the globe.” If companies like Glassdoor see remote work as a future-driven solution, why is the government pushing outdated practices?

This isn’t just about where we work; it’s about who gets to work. Forcing disabled employees back into offices undermines principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Policies like DOGE’s mandate send a clear message: “We don’t trust you or value your contributions unless we see you at a desk.” As Dannie Lynn Fountain, DBA, EA, SPHR, CDR of Google said, these practices are “still disability discrimination.”

The pandemic proved remote work’s transformative potential. It shattered barriers for disabled workers and redefined productivity. Now, that progress is being reversed. The stakes couldn’t be higher—not just for me but for all of us. Are we building workplaces of the future or clinging to systems that exclude?

Remote work empowered me to thrive, but it also redefined what’s possible for our workforce. Let’s not let fear of change erase that progress. Inclusion is more than a checkbox; it’s a commitment to creating workplaces where everyone can succeed.

Musk, Ramaswamy Want Federal Workers in the Office Full Time. There’s a Hitch.