Trump Rule Reclassifies 50,000 Federal Employees for Easier Dismissal

The Trump administration issued a rule on Thursday through the Office of Personnel Management that reclassifies an estimated 50,000 senior career federal employees into a new category, making them easier to dismiss from their positions. The measure targets workers in policy-influencing roles across federal agencies and affects about 2 percent of the overall federal workforce of roughly 2.3 million civilian employees.

Under the new rule, these employees will be placed in positions designated as Schedule PolicyCareer, converting them to at-will employment similar to political appointees. Previously, career civil servants enjoyed protections under civil service laws, including requirements for agencies to gather substantial evidence of poor performance, provide notice and opportunities for improvement, and allow appeals to independent boards before demotions or firings. The change eliminates many of these safeguards, allowing agencies to remove workers more swiftly for reasons such as misconduct, subpar performance or actions seen as obstructing presidential directives.

Officials at the Office of Personnel Management stated that the rule addresses longstanding challenges...