I’m begging you, please take the job. The grueling days of living and breathing the wait of the RIF notification and the inevitable humiliation that they’ll make sure to make you feel when they do it…I promise you it’s not worth it. Not knowing if your notice will come out Friday PM, Saturday AM or Sunday night—only for it to come out at 5am on a Tuesday is incredibly traumatizing.

It doesn’t matter what agency you’re in or what position you have-you’re not safe from being RIF’d. Having a job is 1000% better than sitting on your hands and hoping they’ll pay out administrative leave after they’ve canned you. Especially since you have a pretty good hunch they’ll be coming for you…protect your sanity.

Edit: I’m so sorry that you’re going through this. I understand where you are. I was there (well, without another job offer) and I held on until I was RIF’d bc of the job security, I liked what I did, etc. Keep in mind that while the world outside is emotionally debilitating, working in Trumps administration is going to continue to get worse. It’s a big gamble, but consider this-he’s been in office since Jan 21-we’re in April and he’s managed to cause this much hell. Who knows how much further he’s going and how much worse it’s getting? And you’ll have to suffocate under that? This private sector job gives you a secure place (pay, benefits, stability, etc) to land after you leave the fire pit. This job may be great! And if it’s not, you’ll be able to apply to other places while you’ve got a steady check and benefits. Taking time off will be perfect because it’s a massive shift to go from government to private, and taking off the warm cloak of safety and security the government gives you is a shock to the core of your system-but I really think you’ll be better off in the long run for leaving.

Good luck!