More than 8,000 Federal Employees Reclassified

As previously reported, the White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) finalized a rule in February that expands the use of the excepted service by creating “Schedule Policy/Career,” a new category covering career employees in policy-influencing roles (see previous coverage). While OPM frames the change as a way to improve accountability and responsiveness, critics warn it weakens long-standing civil service protections.

On June 3, President Trump signed an executive order officially reclassifying roughly 8,000 federal employees, making it easier for agencies to fire workers in policy-influencing roles. The Administration says the change will improve accountability while preserving merit-based hiring and whistleblower protections. Critics, including labor unions and Congressional Democrats, argue it could enable politically motivated firings and discourage employees from reporting misconduct. The move revives a policy Trump first introduced during his first term and is already facing legal and legislative challenges.

An appendix to the EO lists federal agency positions subject to the change, including several research grant and policy-related roles at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.