Federal Workers, Dignity, and the Quiet Health Care Crisis We’re Creating

There are currently three groups of federal workers in this country:

Those who were able to retire.

Those who took the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP).

And those who are still employed.

None of these were easy decisions. Not one.

I keep thinking about how intentional many people are when they choose a career in public service. The years of education. The financial sacrifice. The belief in the work. The meaning and identity that comes from contributing to something larger than yourself. And then to have that stripped away publicly, abruptly, and with so little dignity—while simultaneously being disparaged in the media—is profoundly destabilizing.

In any profession, there will always be some people who are not doing their best. That is not unique to the federal government. It is not unique to health care, mental health, education, or business. That is simply human systems.

What is different now is the blanket narrative being applied across the federal workforce: that government employees are lazy, unproductive, and expendable—and that a massive shrinking of the government is therefore justified.

From my seat as a therapist, I am seeing the real and foreseeable harm of this narrative play out in people’s lives.

I am seeing individuals who retired earlier than they wanted to, facing long-term financial consequences they didn’t plan for.I am seeing people who took the buyout, not because they were ready to leave, but because staying felt untenable—only to find themselves navigating one of the most unstable job markets we’ve seen in years.I am seeing highly specialized professionals, including grant writers and policy experts, now scrambling to translate decades of government experience into résumés that won’t be dismissed for being “too federal.”

And for those who are still employed—“choice” feels like a generous word.

Many stayed because of financial necessity.

Because of health insurance.

Because of caregiving responsibilities.

Because they believed in the mission, even as the institution no longer reflected their values.

What they are experiencing now is prolonged instability, hypervigilance, and a level of occupational stress that I have rarely seen this widespread.

We now have federal workers being told—implicitly and explicitly—that reasonable accommodations are no longer acceptable. That protections people are legally entitled to are suddenly negotiable. This means individuals with disabilities, chronic illness, mental health conditions, and caregiving needs are being forced to choose between their health and their livelihood.

We already have a health care system that is strained, fragmented, and inaccessible for many. And now we are adding yet another barrier: fear.

Fear of taking time off.

Fear of being flagged.

Fear of retaliation.

Fear of losing everything.

When people cannot attend medical appointments because health care offices operate 9–5 and their jobs are no longer safe, we push care into crisis spaces. Emergency rooms. Urgent care. Critical care units. Not because it’s appropriate—but because it’s the only option that won’t cost them their job.

We know, clinically and scientifically, that prolonged stress dysregulates the nervous system and contributes to real physical and mental health conditions. This is not theoretical. This is not abstract. This is happening now.

As a therapist, there is a limit to what I can offer in moments like this. I can validate. I can help people cope. I can provide grounding tools. But there are only so many breathing techniques, yoga poses, and self-care plans that can offset systemic harm.

This administration is not just creating workplace dissatisfaction. It is manufacturing a health crisis.

And within the mental health community, this is not lost on us. We see how policy decisions show up in our therapy rooms. We feel the weight of how large the problem is, and how limited individual-level relief can be in the face of structural instability.

Right now, federal workers have largely fallen out of view.

And I know—we are capable of caring about more than one issue at once. There is a lot demanding our attention. But I want to implore you to check on the federal workers in your life.

Your friend.

Your loved one.

Your coworker.

Ask how they are actually doing.

Ask how they are managing.

Offer space without judgment, without fixing, without redirection.

Whether you are trying to redefine retirement you didn’t choose yet.Whether you are rebuilding after a buyout you weren’t prepared for.Whether you are still forcing yourself to show up to a workplace that no longer aligns with your values.

You are seen.

You are not weak for struggling.

And it makes sense that this is hard.

<3 Ashley