Helping federal workers manage the uncertainty of a chaotic work environment

Government workers are experiencing unprecedented change as the current administration fulfills its promise to drastically shrink the federal workforce. Mass layoffs with no contingency plans, sudden and conflicting management directives, and funding cuts are causing federal workers to experience significant stress and other struggles. For those currently employed in these agencies or at government contractor firms, or anyone wanting to support the federal workforce, here are some strategies for navigating a chaotic work environment.

[Related: The experience of working in America during times of change]

Bethany Brand, PhD, a clinician who treats federal workers, said that day-to-day uncertainty, along with negative characterizations of government work, contribute to burnout. Job insecurity is causing some of her clients to curtail spending or even discontinue psychotherapy. Brand encouraged maintenance of healthy sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and deep breathing exercises to relieve stress and regulate the nervous system.

Randi Torstenson, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York who is currently providing counseling to federal employees, recommended making space for them to express competing emotions such as fear, rage, overwhelm, and grief, particularly for those who are concerned about the trajectory of their careers. Some federal workers who were suddenly let go may be asked to return to work since judges ruled their firings were illegalopens in new window. Others are struggling to find new employment in an already competitive job market. Torstenson encouraged the use of coping measures such as good sleep hygiene, exercise, rest, and meditation; increasing pleasurable activities or hobbies; and leaning on family and friends for support.

[Related: Healthy workplaces]

Some psychologists provide services to federal employees by integrating the cognitive, interpersonal, and behavioral impacts of recent events into their existing treatment plans. But they may also address workspace concerns. For example, they helped federal employees adapt to the return-to-office mandate by planning for successful work in shared or less-than-ideal workspaces. They recommended reframing employees’ reluctance to return to the office by focusing on coping strategies for the workplace environment. Solutions included using noise-canceling headphones, taking breaks, engaging in physical movement when possible, planning ahead by packing lunches and water the night before, or using self-soothing techniques like breathing exercises and listening to pleasant music.

Psychologists can also help workers navigate the process of requesting reasonable workplace accommodations, such as quiet, less distracting work environments for employees with ADHD instead of placing them in a cubicle in a high-traffic area in the office. Psychologists have helped those who have voluntarily resigned or been laid off from the federal government to build skills to cope with the aftermath and to plot a way forward.

Since there are not enough clinicians for everyone to have this one-on-one expertise, Torstenson advised federal employees to reach out to their coworkers to form informal support networks.

For those already dealing with life difficulties, upheaval at work is particularly challenging. Brand, who specializes in working with trauma survivors, noted that layoffs can be traumatic when employees lose work relationships—some that are often decades long—and stable professional structures and processes. “Trauma survivors absolutely need to have a sense of control, predictability, and safety, none of which currently do exist for federal workers,” she added.

According to Leslie Hammer, PhD, a professor at Oregon Health and Science University who studies the effects of workplace conditions on mental health and well-being, layoffs not only harm those who lose their jobs and income, but they have rippling effects for the entire organization, which affects culture, performance, and engagement of remaining employees.

A 2025 survey by Nectaropens in new window, an employee recognition and rewards platform focused on improving company culture, found that layoffs lead to lower morale, survivor guilt, and anxiety about job security. In workplaces that experienced layoffs compared with those that did not, employees were 2.7 times more likely to be concerned about job security (65% vs. 24%) and 1.9 times more likely to report burnout (60% vs. 32%).

Layoffs also significantly reduce trust in employers. People are more motivated and committed when they feel their efforts are rewarded with pay, benefits, and job security. When this psychological contract is broken, it increases stress and impedes performance (Brockner, J., & Greenberg, J., in J. S. Carroll [Ed.], Applied Social Psychology and Organizational Settings, Psychology Press, 1990opens in new window). A similar study found that following mass layoffs, remaining employees struggled with feelings of job insecurity and broken promises. They were also less willing to go above and beyond in performing their work (López Bohle, S., et al., The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 28, No. 20, 2016opens in new window).

In psychologically safe work environments, team members feel empowered to express themselves, ask for help, and admit mistakes without fear of retaliation or punishment. Psychological safety at work fosters creativity, innovation, and effective teamwork. According to APA’s 2024 Work in America survey, workers who experience lower psychological safety were 2.3 times more likely to feel tense or stressed out during their workday compared with those who experience higher psychological safety (61% vs. 27%). Moreover, workers who experience lower psychological safety were 10 times more likely to describe their workplace as toxic than those who experience higher psychological safety (30% vs. 3%).

“Toxic workplaces drain all the energy and excitement out of employees and replace it with fear,” said Mindy Shoss, PhD, a professor and industrial-organizational psychologist at the University of Central Florida.

When layoff decisions are made with clear communication, fairness, and coordinated efforts, employees feel more understood and less worried about their job security. Without these approaches, remaining employees feel stressed and angry about how decisions were made, leading to lower engagement and productivity (Manson, B. J., Downsizing Issues: The Impact on Employee Morale and Productivity, Routledge, 2014opens in new window).

For many employees, chronic stress in the workplace causes harm to both physical and mental health. According to the U.S. surgeon general’s report Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, chronic stress may increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and other illnesses and can contribute to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

A toxic corporate culture is the strongest predictor of employees leaving their organization, according to a 2022 study in MIT Sloan Management Review—well above job insecurity or lack of recognition for performance. In this analysis, toxic corporate culture was 10 times more important than compensation in predicting employee turnover. In addition, a company’s past layoffs increased the burden on remaining employees, which, in turn, raised the odds of their leaving the organization.

“Leaders can offer remaining employees support,” said Hammer. “However, this may be difficult in places such as the federal government, where leaders are also experiencing high levels of job insecurity.” Instead, recognizing that workers at all levels—even at the very top of an agency—may be dealing with intense stress—it is important to take some practical steps.

Hammer advocated for leadership training to build healthy workplaces. She has designed and evaluated multiple 1-hour computer-based interactive training courses for supervisors. Through the training, they learn how to recognize and support employees at risk of decreased health, safety, and well-being.

The training has boosted employee job satisfaction, reduced the number of people planning to quit, and lifted personal well-being, according to a 2021 article in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychologyopens in new window. In addition, the trainings have led to fewer reports of problematic anger and loneliness—two risk factors of poor mental health (Military Medicine, Vol. 189, No. 3 (Suppl.), 2024opens in new window; Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 29, No. 5, 2024opens in new window).

Shoss added that organizations and leaders should ideally work to build cultures of respect and safety and create environments where people and teams have the opportunities to do rewarding work and receive appreciation for jobs well done. With funding cuts and ongoing layoffs that have irreparably disrupted job functions, it is even more crucial for remaining employees to feel supported so they can focus on their job duties and overall mission.

“Research finds that threats of layoffs are not effective tools for motivating performanceopens in new window,” Shoss said. “People, of course, are motivated to secure their jobs. However, stress and uncertainty harm performance, and threats of layoffs more often lead to turf guarding and impression management behaviors rather than genuine work productivity.”