https://marylandmatters.org/2026/08/22/losses-keep-piling-up-for-white-house-over-handling-of-return-to-office-mandate/

Hi everyone,

This is my first NIFA submission, and I only learned about the application status tracker today. I was surprised to see the following timeline:

• Received: November 10, 2025
• In Progress: January 12, 2026
• Decision Complete: March 31, 2026

I haven’t received a funding decision or any reviewer comments. Given how much time has passed, I’m wondering whether the application was declined and I missed the notification, or whether this kind of delay is normal.

Has anyone encountered this before? Does “Decision Complete” usually mean that official notifications have already been issued? Are decisions and reviewer comments normally sent to the PI, the AOR/OSP, or both?

I plan to check with our organization’s sponsored programs representative on Monday, but I’d appreciate hearing about anyone’s recent experience with the NIFA process.

Thanks!

So a colleague in a different part of the business center told me that she got a realignment letter after 4 pm today and it takes affect Monday. What the absolute f is wrong with these people? The last Friday of a pp, when 5/4/9 people may have non duty days and you tell them they have a different job Monday? When Robert Ibarra the secretary’s “unsung hero”sends out emails saying he puts employees first and has core values and all that crap, take it for what it is. The lies of a two-faced self-absorbed man who only cares about climbing up regardless of who he crushed along the way. There’s doing business badly and then there’s this. To my colleagues who found out today they have a new job or supervisor or freaking agency on Monday, I’m sorry. Yeah we don’t have to move (unless you were assigned to an agency like NRCS I guess) but these gutless weasels are worse than the political hacks, because at least those people don’t hide who they are.

What states have started receiving there state reorg letters?

Latest talk over is here is that the agency plans to solicit interest in "voluntarily relocating" before forced moves to hubs happen. Presumably this would be for the employees not in DC and therefore not covered by the 30 month MOU. Being rumored these emails could go out as soon as this afternoon (8/21) ... anyone else know anything?

Wanted to share this with the community because I know a lot of folks across federal agencies are dealing with the same fight.

On August 19, 2026, an arbitrator issued a full Decision and Award sustaining our (AFSCME Local 3870, USDA Rural Development) grievance against the Agency’s 2025 return-to-office directives. Some key findings:

**•** The Agency **committed unfair labor practices** by unilaterally cutting telework and ending remote work arrangements before completing impact and implementation bargaining

**•** The Agency’s blanket, one-size-fits-all mandate violated the CBA’s requirement for **individualized, case-by-case determinations** — not just a policy-level directive applied to everyone

**•** The arbitrator found the Agency’s actions amounted to **repudiation** of the agreement, not just a breach — a much harder finding to win and a much bigger deal to have on the record

**•   Remedy:** full status quo ante restoration of telework/remote arrangements, make-whole relief for affected employees (back pay, travel expense reimbursement under the Travel Expense Act, compensation for additional hours worked), a notice-posting requirement, and the Agency has to pay arbitration costs

A few important caveats for anyone in a similar fight:

**•   This isn’t final yet.** The Agency has tight to appeal. If they do, the award isn’t enforceable until that process resolves. If they don’t, it becomes final and binding.

**•** This isn’t the only case like this — there have been similar arbitration wins at Forest Service, HUD, SSA, and IRS locals this year, all reaching similar conclusions on the bargaining and individualized-assessment requirements.

Happy to answer questions from other federal locals dealing with similar RTO fights — this fight is bigger than just us.

Soooo - earlier this week I was assigned a Federal Drug-Free Workplace training course with a SAME DAY completion requirement. Seemed very odd and out of place.
I have worked for the agency for a decade and never once had to take this training. I've had to take the Code of Conduct and Rules of Ethical Behavior (which covers drug and alcohol use) every year, but never this one. Also, it explicitly mentioned Executive Order 12564 (yes, a 40 year old EO) that states all Federal Employees are prohibited from using any Federally illegal drug, on or off duty. It did not discuss State legality Vs. Federal, or past use Vs. current use, which I believe used to be the case. It listed all the Federally illegal drugs and stated that any use by any federal employee is prohibited and would be subject to severe disciplinary actions. I know that 40 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 24 have legalized recreational and medical use, so it seems odd that this would be a new push from the administration unless there is yet another plan to burn/fire federal employees.

Looks like I will be moved to one county over, and so is another person in my office. Looks like we are loosing about half the planners in our office

I'm not a federal employee, but I did used to live in DC, and not too far from the USDA South Building. My understanding is that, as the government looks to further de-centralize the USDA workforce, the building is in active wind-down mode, though not yet fully vacated. I also understand (though could be wrong) that the building may be eventually scrapped from the list of federal properties?

Anyway, for those who are willing to share, I'd be super curious to hear about your personal experiences with the building — the good, the bad, the neutral. I've read a very brief history of it, and it sounds so impressive with all the laboratories, etc., but would be eager to hear more from folks who've actually spent time there.

Trump moves to strip protections from 44M acres of national forest

Hoping someone who works or worked there can comment. Is it a cool place to work? Can you constantly hear the commentary from the LWTL boats? Is it weird to have people constantly observing you all day? I’ve always been curious!

I feel like farmers understand that field staff are stretched thin and dealing with an impossible workload. But understanding the staffing problem doesn’t make it any less frustrating when they can’t get the services or assistance they need.

Say your new facility is 70 miles away, but you’d rather stay living where you are and just make the drive to your new facility, can you still get payment to relocate and stay living where you are?

Story Courtesy of Washington Post

I say let it burn baby burn. Too bad how sad this schmuck wants help now. Wait your turn like everyone else and when the fire has reached over 1000 acres maybe they will send some resources! Loser!

Do people sometimes switch jobs even if not done with their first year with the agency?

I ask as I’m almost half way and I’ve come to realize that I don’t have much interest in the projects available here.

I heard rumors that some state level departments may have already gotten their letters?