Trump administration finalizes rule reducing job protections for 50,000 federal workers

The Trump administration completed a rule on 5 February 2026 creating a new employment category that strips approximately 50,000 senior federal employees of long-standing civil service protections, making it easier to discipline or terminate workers in policy-related positions.

The US Office of Personnel Management final rule establishes Schedule Policy/Career, a classification for high-ranking career employees whose work focuses on executing administration policies. Unlike traditional career employees, workers in this category cannot appeal firings, suspensions, or disciplinary actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

OPM Director Scott Kupor defended the change, stating that federal employees "can't be conscientious objectors in the workforce in a way where it interferes with their ability to carry out their mission," according to the Wall Street Journal. He emphasized the rule targets workers who sabotage or thwart administration objectives.

The new category applies to senior positions that are policy-determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating in nature. Agency officials have assembled lists of eligible positions, with a complete roster expected within 30 days. President Trump will then issue an executive order placing specific positions into the category.

The rule implements a 20 January 2025 executive order that reinstated Schedule F, a similar classification Trump created in October 2020 that President Biden rescinded. The affected positions represent approximately two percent of the 2.3 million civilian federal workforce.

Federal employee unions and advocacy groups have raised concerns about potential political targeting. The Government Accountability Project and National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association sued the administration in 2025, arguing the move violates the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which limits at-will employment to political appointees.

OPM officials maintain the rule will not justify mass layoffs or political discrimination, and the administration will protect whistleblowers. However, the final rule cites media leaks and public resistance to administration policies as potential grounds for disciplinary action.