Some experts warned that a new “Policy/Career” classification will create a chilling effect on the federal workforce and lead to incompetence and corruption.

Drew Friedman@dfriedmanWFED

April 18, 2025 6:37 pm

6 min read

Approximately 50,000 career federal employees are on track to see their civil service protections removed, as the Trump administration pushes forward with converting workers in government policy roles to an “at-will” employment status.

A forthcoming proposed rule from Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will amend civil service regulations to allow career federal employees to be converted to a new “Schedule Policy/Career” classification. Employees moved into the new classification will be moved outside of merit system principles, making it possible for agencies to easily and quickly fire them.

“If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job,” Trump wrote Friday in a social media post. “This is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’”

OPM’s proposed rule is scheduled to be published to the Federal Register on Wednesday, but the regulations will not officially convert any federal positions. Instead, the Trump administration said the conversions will take place through an executive order that will come after the finalization of OPM’s rule.

OPM estimated that 50,000 federal employees would be converted...

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