This article isn’t just about numbers, budgets, or job cuts. It’s about people.
A friend of mine, a federal employee and a veteran, sat across from me at lunch when his phone buzzed. He opened an email, stared at the screen, and in that moment, I saw something I never expected – tears.
He had just been fired. The reason? “Non-essential.”
The hardest-working person I know, someone who had dedicated years of his life to service, structure, and discipline, was discarded with a single email. 
He knew it was coming, but when it happened, he couldn’t hold back the tears.
And he’s not alone.
Across the federal workforce, employees are breaking down under stress, uncertainty, and the relentless layoffs orchestrated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a program designed to gut government agencies under the guise of “efficiency”.
This is the reality of working for the U.S. government in 2025, where dedicated public servants are treated like expendable liabilities and mental health is rapidly deteriorating.
“I Had to Leave Work Early Because the Stress Was Too Much”
Scrolling through Fed Reddit, where federal employees vent, connect, and support each other, one thing is clear:
📢 "Left work early today because the stress is just too much sometimes."
📢 "I had to leave work early yesterday because of an intense tension headache. They’ve been more frequent since November."
📢 "I'm taking a random day off every week from now on until I get RIF'd or run out of leave. Might as well take all the mental health days I can."
These aren’t whiners. These are people who signed up for public service, believing in its mission, only to be abandoned by the very system they helped keep afloat.
From Stability to Survival Mode
Many federal employees joined the government workforce for security – for the promise of a stable career, predictable benefits, and the opportunity to serve the country.
That sense of security? Gone.
📢 "Joined the federal workforce because I believe in the mission and wanted some stability after being a contractor for 10 years. Now I’m just wondering if I made a mistake."
📢 "My boss said something today about things going back to normal soon, and I wondered if they just really, really weren’t paying attention."
For workers still holding onto their jobs, survivor’s guilt is setting in. Some describe farewell meetings filled with tears, as managers and employees say goodbye to colleagues they thought they’d work with for years.
📢 "I finally cracked at work today. Had a farewell meeting with some managers crying. I haven’t really cried before this, but man, this is rough."
📢 "I don’t know how you all are holding up, but anyone have advice on how to manage this depression and heavy, heavy feeling?"
This isn’t just job loss, it’s identity loss. When your career has been centered around service, structure, and stability, being cast aside feels like a deep, personal failure, even when it’s not.
Mental Health Fallout: A Workforce on the Brink
The psychological toll of uncertainty can’t be overstated. Mental health professionals have long warned about the effects of chronic workplace stress, and what federal workers are experiencing checks all the boxes:
- Constant fear of layoffs
- Lack of control over their future
- Uncertainty about whether their work even matters anymore
Workers are feeling the physical symptoms of stress, tension headaches, body aches, exhaustion, all while still being expected to perform at the highest level.
📢 "The stress is real. I’ve been having random pains in my arm for the past few days. Just want to lay in bed and watch movies all day."
📢 "Totally stressed out. My kids are going on Spring Break next week, and I’m preparing like I won’t be there when they return."
Some are numbing the pain, treating themselves to a “day off before the inevitable” or engaging in retail therapy as a temporary distraction.
📢 "Today, I slept in until 10 AM. Went shopping. Bought things I didn't need. Ate my favorite breakfast at my favorite cafe. And I’ve been relaxing with a bottle of wine."
📢 "Treat yo self. I would encourage everyone to do the same."
For some, it’s a temporary escape. For others, it’s a survival mechanism.
DOGE, Musk, and the Future of Federal Work
Elon Musk’s approach to government workforce “efficiency” is familiar to anyone following his track record.
- At Twitter, he gutted the workforce by over 70%.
- At Tesla, he laid off hundreds, citing “overhiring.”
- At SpaceX, mass firings have been routine.
Now, with DOGE overseeing federal agencies, the same tactics are being applied to government workers, people who don’t have stock options or golden parachutes to fall back on.
The question is: What happens when you take a workforce built on service and stability, and subject it to the chaos of private-sector “efficiency” models?
The answer? A workforce that is mentally exhausted, physically unwell, and questioning why they dedicated their careers to public service in the first place.
Where Do Federal Workers Go From Here?
Many are sticking it out, waiting to see what happens next. Others are actively planning their exits. But one thing is clear:
This isn’t just about job cuts, it’s about a fundamental shift in how public service is valued.
📢 "The goals of our for-profit medical system are not compatible with the principle obligation of medicine to provide patient-centered care. Nurses are caught in the chaos. The same thing is happening in government now."
If this continues, federal agencies won’t just lose employees, they’ll lose expertise, institutional knowledge, and trust.
And once that’s gone? There’s no getting it back.
Federal workers aren’t asking for much. They don’t expect luxury perks or corporate bonuses.
What they do want?
- A sense of stability
- Respect for their contributions
- Work environments that don’t grind them down to the bone
Instead, they’re getting stress, uncertainty, and a government that seems more interested in efficiency metrics than human beings.
If this is the “new normal” for public service, then we need to start asking:
What happens when the people who keep the government running… can’t take it anymore?
