5 federal government stories you should probably (almost definitely) read today

I know there is a lot going on and you just want to close your eyes and open them when its all over. But you probably can’t, so you should just pick the good stuff and ignore the rest. So I have helpfully included for you some of the good stuff you should definitely read. Take it from me, a person who posts stories on the Internet!

1. Cuts to your pay and benefits might happen in 2015

If there is one thing lawmakers from both parties can agree on for next year, its that there will be many attempts to cut your pay and benefits. Federal employees should brace themselves for attempts to cut agency budgets, reduce pay and benefits and remove job protections. The senate switch over means that there are new people in government oversight committees, and they are promising action on all fronts.

2. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to step down

After two years Hagel is stepping down as the head of the Defense Department. Who will replace him? What will his replacement do about civilian pay, benefits, travel per diems? Only time will tell.

3. Cyber attack exposes personal information of 800K Postal Service employees

Are you a Postal Service employee? While you probably already have a lot to be unhappy about, the data breach involving the personal information of about 800,000 current and past Postal Service employees probably didn’t help.

4. Hundreds of thousands of feds can join multimillion dollar shutdown lawsuit

Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of feds who had to work during the shutdown without the assurance you would eventually be paid? That was a really crappy situation and I am sure it was no fun. Even though you eventually got paid do you still feel like you deserve something for your troubles? Well its time to join this collective-action lawsuit against the government seeking damages for that late paycheck.

5. Former federal officials call for SES reform

These people used to be federal executives, and now they are safely out of federal service. But they believe the Senior Executive Service should be reformed – to strengthen recruitment and retention.