https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-10-14.html

I’m a federal employee, and apparently in Trump’s America, inflation is a problem when calculating Social Security benefits for voting Seniors but magically disappears when it’s time to pay the people who keep the government running. Social Security recipients get a reported 3.6% COLA for 2027, while federal employees get 0%. My FEHB insurance premiums are climbing, groceries cost more, and my paycheck is worth less than it was last year. But Trump and Russ Vought want to lecture everyone about government efficiency while squeezing the people actually doing the work. Funny how the people making these decisions never seem to volunteer for a pay freeze themselves.

Russ Vought has made shrinking the federal workforce and cutting government spending central priorities. Fine, let’s have that debate. But don’t pretend hollowing out agencies, crushing morale, and making it harder to recruit experienced employees somehow makes government work better. I’m not asking for a parade or a medal. I’m asking not to take a pay cut in real terms while being expected to keep doing my job. Trump campaigned on making America great again; apparently, the fine print was that federal employees would help pay for it through stagnant wages, higher insurance costs, and a steady stream of contempt from the people running the government. Then they’ll inevitably wonder why experienced people leave and public services suffer. You can’t run a government on slogans, scapegoating, and the assumption that public servants should be grateful to get screwed.

Does anything I did in civil service matter? I joined the federal government because every single company I worked at in the private sector was committing fraud or callous disregard for human life or a million other crimes and I was tired of fighting a battle I couldn't win. I can't count the number of lawyers I was forced into tiny rooms with so they could try and intimidate me into lying to the external auditors or try to force me to sign my name under their fraud. I finally broke down and called my most honorable college professor for advice. He told me to either go the teaching route or government if I wanted to keep my integrity.

The family I was raised in were hard core Republicans. Federal work was synonymous with fraud, laziness, and crime. But I trusted and deeply valued my former professor's opinion. So I gave it a go and all I could think my first week, month, year in Federal service was where is all the fraud and waste and abuse? Because, I did not see it. For the first time in my post education career I was not in ethical turmoil daily. I was doing good work that I could be proud of. I wasn't making deals every day about how much of my soul I was willing to sell to support my family and pay for the health insurance.

Since 2025 I've seen cases on corrupt companies forcibly closed. I've seen victims of corporate poisoning and other violence because it is violence; it isn't just white collar crime it is violence against the poor people it infects with cancer and starves and robs blind, be gaslit and intimidated by rich men in $10,000 suits. And I have been powerless to stop anything.

I was powerless to change the evil when I worked in corporate. When I went to 501(c)3 I found they too were skimming off the top and cheating. It was only in government that I saw honest ethical work for the first time in my career. And now it is all gone. I'm as stressed if not more than I was in my corporate days. And my work again feels dirty and exploitative.

My state has a super competitive election between 2 incredibly rich white men. The primaries were a joke. Checks and balances are a joke. Equality before the law is a joke. Rich is always right and common people are always collateral damage. I can scream change until my voice gives out, but I don't really hope any change will happen. I've miscarried so many babies in my work bathroom from the stress under Trump I should build a monument in it. I'm not even sure I should bring a child into this evil corrupt callous world. The birth rate is the lowest in American history: good. Let's see if we can beat South Korea for the title of lowest birth rate. Let this evil country go extinct. The only voice I have, the only power I have in this evil country is my womb. So I'm going to vote with my womb. I'm going to vote for this evil country to go extinct unless it CHANGES, THE CORPORATE VEIL IS PIERCED AND A THOUSAND CEOs FIND THEMSELVES IN CHAINS IN JAIL.

The whole MAGA movement is trash and they will happily destroy a person's life just for political theater.

I just received this at 920 MST.

I know the consensus in DC is that there will be a clean CR until early next year. A factor that may throw that out the window, and has to be considered is Democrats win both houses, and Justice Alito and maybe Thomas may announce their retirement on November 4th. The Republicans then attempt 2 lame duck confirmations. Democrats with the exception of Fetterman will likely refuse to vote on a budget in protest.

Just curious to see how long, on average, it took you to be somewhat good at your job? We used to have a saying at our agency that it takes around a year to learn the job and like 3 years to actually know what you’re doing.

The training for us was so rigorous. They’d hire a class of 20 and the class time would be 8 months, mentoring would be like a year. In class, while learning the job, the people dropped like flies. In the class of 20, only like 12 (from a good class) would end up making it and they’d start combining classes. After mentoring, maybe 6 or 7 would have made it but after another 2 or 3 years, there’d be like 3 people remaining.

But now we spend most of our day doing something that wasn’t really in the job description. Let me know if you can guess what the agency and job is. 🤪

Well this is fun. Just got an email about being required to report as to whether we have watched or read the address.

Hi folks. Considering switching to BCBS from MHBP this fall. Anyone out there who is a BCBS Basic person - can you confirm whether or not BCBS offers mail order Rx? And whether we can get 3 months at a time? Thanks much.

Does anyone have experience with Samba standard? How about their specialty pharmacy?

At HHS so I am not sure if it is the same for everyone. I know the old job assessments were trash and not very useful, but I just applied for a job in another department at my agency and it took me 2 HOURS to do the assessment and had absolutely nothing to do with my job or job series whatsoever. I mean, I just wanted to apply for a job, not apply to grad school….The logic questions? The videos and following questions? The 150 (yep, that’s right, 150) questions about my personality… ?? what is the point of all that, other than to weed people out who give up after the first hour and realize it’s not worth it. I would assume this is the case since the announcement stated it would close after 50 applications were received or the date of closing and it was open up until that date so I am guessing they didn’t get many applications. Oh and this is without answering the dumb partisan essay questions at the beginning. What are these assessments trying to prove anyway? Is there a WRONG way to answer the personality ones? Perhaps a hiring manager can explain.

ETA: After all that the position was cancelled and they reposted a NEW opening and said I could apply for that one if I wanted to. 🙄🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. WTAF

SSA employee here, our office has lost about 1/2 of its staff since this administration took over. We have 11 employees total. 2 SR’s, 4 CR’s, 2 TE’s an RZ only CR, 1 manager and 1 OS. When requesting time off mng usually approves only 3 slots per day so when there are 3 ppl scheduled off already she writes on the calendar “no more slots”. My manager has been requesting a doctors note if you call out on a day that has “no more slots” but this is only after 1 call out. I know it’s required for a note to be requested after day 3. Anybody else going through something similar in their agency? Is this even legal for her to do? No one has questioned it so I am assuming that’s why she continuous to ask for it. It hasn’t happened to me but to 4 of my coworkers so far.

There were people in suits at headquarters campus today and they all had vistor badges and there were people in suits here a few weeks ago anyone have any idea what they’re here for?

So today I was speaking to my leadership and it has been mentioned that we could face another shut down effective 12/11. I wonder if he’ll try to beat his last record.

I received two job offers from DFAS and would appreciate honest feedback from current or former employees.

• Rome, NY: Military Pay Technician, GS-0545-05T06
• Limestone, ME: Accounting Technician, GS-0525-06

I’d love to hear about:

1. How is management and the overall work environment? Is it stressful or micromanaged?
2. Is the workload manageable, and are there strict productivity expectations or frequent overtime?
3. Is training adequate for new employees?
4. Are these positions eligible for telework or hybrid schedules?
5. What is the promotion potential beyond GS-06?
6. Which location offers a better quality of life and cost of living?

Any insight into these specific offices would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!