Trump Administration Finalizes Rule Loosening Federal Worker Protections for Policy-Influencing Roles

New Rule Finalized for Federal Workforce

The Trump administration has finalized a new rule, effective in March 2026, that significantly alters civil service protections for an estimated 50,000 federal employees in policy-influencing roles. The rule establishes a new job classification known as 'Schedule Policy/Career,' which places these positions in the excepted service, effectively stripping them of long-held civil service safeguards and making them at-will employees. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published the final rule in February 2026.

Historical Context of Schedule F

This initiative revives a concept first introduced during the previous Trump administration. In October 2020, Executive Order 13957 created 'Schedule F,' which aimed to reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers. However, this order was never fully implemented and was subsequently rescinded by President Joe Biden through Executive Order 14003 on January 22, 2021, shortly after he took office. The Biden administration later implemented regulations in April 2024 to reinforce civil service protections, making it more challenging for a future administration to re-establish a similar framework.

Upon taking office for a new term on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14171, 'Restoring Accountability to Policy-influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce.' This order revoked Biden's protective measures and reinstated the original Executive Order 13957, with amendments, renaming the classification to 'Schedule Policy/Career.'

Impact and Scope of Schedule Policy/Career

Under the new classification, employees in positions deemed to have a 'confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character' will lose protections against adverse actions and performance-based actions. This means they can be dismissed more easily, similar to at-will employees. Additionally, whistleblower protections for these employees will now be enforced internally by their employing agency, rather than by the independent U.S. Office of Special Counsel. OPM estimates that approximately 50,000 federal employees could be affected by this reclassification.

Administration's Rationale and Widespread Criticism

The Trump administration asserts that the Schedule Policy/Career classification is intended to increase accountability and improve performance management within the federal workforce. OPM Director Scott Kupor stated that the rule 'restores a basic principle of democratic governance: those entrusted with shaping and executing policy must be accountable for results.' He also claimed it 'preserves merit-based hiring, veterans' preference, and whistleblower protections' while ensuring senior career officials can be held to performance expectations.

However, the rule has drawn significant criticism from federal employee unions, non-profit organizations, and Democratic lawmakers. Critics argue that the measure undermines the nonpartisan nature of the civil service and opens the door to political patronage and politically motivated firings. Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, stated that the new designation 'can be used to remove expert career federal employees who place the law and service to the public ahead of blind loyalty and replace them with political supporters.' The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley called the rule 'a direct assault on a professional, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service' and indicated an 'imminent' court challenge. Lawsuits have already been filed against the executive order that established Schedule Policy/Career, with organizations like Democracy Forward planning amended complaints following the final rule's publication.