The Office of Personnel Management has put in place new regulations to make it harder for federal employees to be fired, in response to former President Trump’s attempts to reclassify employees as political appointees and reduce their job security protections. The regulations aim to prevent the reclassification of career civil servants and clarify that civil service protections cannot be taken away regardless of job type. This move comes after Trump’s executive order, Schedule F, was nullified by President Biden, but could potentially be revived if Trump wins a second term, affecting thousands of federal employees who could be considered political appointees.
The National Treasury Employee Union obtained documents suggesting that various federal workers may have been subject to reclassification under Schedule F, indicating a broader impact than previously believed. The new rule aims to counter future Schedule F orders by outlining procedural requirements for reclassifying federal employees and ensuring that civil service protections apply regardless of job type. It also clarifies that policymaking classifications can only be applied to noncareer, political appointments and not to career civil servants. The goal is to prevent presidents from removing nonpartisan professionals and replacing them with hand-picked partisan loyalists.
Good government groups and activists have praised the new rule for protecting federal worker protections and preventing conservative efforts to replace existing government employees with more ideologically aligned individuals. The Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” plan aims to vet and potentially fire federal workers in order to bring in conservative replacements and eliminate what is seen as a “deep state” bureaucracy. The new rule has been supported by a coalition of advocacy organizations and is seen as crucial for ensuring that the government can effectively serve the people in a democracy.
The final rule, spanning 237 pages, is set to formally take effect next month after being published in the federal registry. The Office of Personnel Management received over 4,000 public comments on the proposed changes and addressed concerns from various stakeholders. While some conservative organizations have opposed the new rule, the majority of comments were supportive. If Trump were to win another term, his administration could attempt to draft new rules, but the process would require detailed explanations and could face legal challenges from opponents. The Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management emphasized that the new rule aims to protect federal worker protections and ensure they can continue to serve the American people without political interference.
Overall, the new regulations put in place by the Office of Personnel Management are intended to protect federal employees from arbitrary dismissals and ensure that civil service protections are maintained regardless of political changes. The move comes in response to previous attempts by the Trump administration to reclassify federal workers as political appointees, potentially affecting thousands of employees. The regulations have garnered support from advocacy organizations and are seen as crucial for safeguarding the integrity of the federal workforce and preventing political interference in government agencies.
