URGENT UPDATE: The Trump administration has just announced sweeping changes that will fundamentally alter the way federal employees can be terminated. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revealed new regulations aimed at making it significantly easier for the president to fire public employees, effective immediately.
This new rule introduces a category called Schedule Policy/Career, which covers positions that influence policy-making. This includes roles like senior policy analysts and regulatory affairs specialists. Importantly, these employees, once reclassified, will lose vital protections typically afforded to federal workers, such as adverse action procedures and appeal rights.
OPM Director Scott Kupor confirmed that the change is designed to enhance accountability: “[m]oving policy-influencing positions into Schedule Policy/Career will remove procedural impediments to holding career officials accountable for their performance and conduct.” This means employees could be terminated without the usual safeguards that protect against arbitrary dismissals.
The new directive requires federal agencies to create internal policies to protect these employees from reprisals, including whistleblower retaliation—protections that are now at risk under the new classification.
During the 45-day public comment period, OPM received a staggering 40,500 comments, with approximately 94 percent opposing the regulation. Despite this overwhelming pushback, the OPM is moving forward, with federal agency heads submitting a list of about 50,000 positions recommended for reclassification, representing around 2 percent of the entire federal workforce.
Kupor addressed concerns that President Trump might exploit this rule to appoint loyalists, stating, “If their disagreement leads them to then try to actively thwart or undermine the execution of those priorities, then employees in the reclassified policy-related positions could face termination or other discipline.”
This announcement is expected to have immediate implications for federal workers across the country, raising fears of job insecurity in an already contentious political climate. The urgency of this development cannot be understated, as it marks a significant shift in the power dynamics between federal employees and the executive branch.
Stay tuned for the official publication of this rule in the Federal Register, which is expected to appear later today. The implications for federal employment and accountability are profound, and this story is developing rapidly.
As this situation unfolds, it is crucial for federal employees and the public to monitor how these changes will impact the federal workforce and the broader implications for governance.
