US EditionTrump administration to make it easier to fire senior federal workers, WSJ reports
The rule affects about 2% of federal workers, removing longstanding protections to allow quicker discipline or firing of senior staff seen as obstructing presidential policies.
- On February 5, 2026, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management finalized a rule that gives President Donald Trump authority to reclassify senior federal staff, affecting roughly 50,000 employees.
- The change traces to an executive order President Donald Trump signed his first day back in office last year and revives Schedule F, recommended in Project 2025.
- OPM's final rule establishes the Schedule Policy/Career class exempting policy roles from appeals, with an eligible positions list due within 30 days; whistleblower oversight shifts back to agency supervisors requiring unbiased investigations.
- In January, more than 30 groups filed litigation to block the policy, and federal judges paused earlier litigation while the administration finalized changes; the rule will be scrutinized by a federal judge.
- Historically, federal employees often spend decades in agencies, but the 2025 White House workforce reductions saw more than 300,000 leave, raising concerns about politicization and loss of expertise, union leaders warn.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Trump Admin Issues Rule Change That Makes It Easier to Discipline, Fire Senior Federal Workers
The Trump administration is positioning itself to make it easier to discipline and possibly fire career federal workers in senior positions throughout the government, which could impact roughly 50,000 federal employees. The agency overseeing the federal workforce, the Office of Personnel Management, is publishing a final rule on Feb. 6 that establishes an employee category for senior career workers who are engaged in implementing administration …
By Tami Luhby, CNN. In its latest attempt to weaken the federal workforce, the Trump administration issued a rule Thursday that would move about 50,000 senior career employees into a new category that would make them easier to fire. The controversial rule allows agencies to reclassify federal employees involved in policy to positions that are easily removable and do not offer the same job protections as other career workers. It is estimated to a…
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