Career government employees working on policy will be classified ‘at will’: White House

President Trump made a significant announcement on Friday regarding the classification and potential firing of career government employees who do not adhere to his agenda. In a post on Truth Social, the president stated that employees working on policy matters for the administration will now be reclassified as “Schedule Policy/Career” employees, also known as at-will employees. Those who do not align with the administration’s priorities will face termination.

This decision stems from Trump’s Day One Executive Order, which will lead to the Office of Personnel Management issuing new Civil Service Regulations for career government employees. The president emphasized that moving forward, these employees will be held to the highest standards of conduct and performance in order to ensure that they are advancing the policy interests of the administration.

The rule change is estimated to impact around 50,000 employees, or 2% of the federal workforce, according to the administration’s Office of Personnel Management. These employees, who hold important policy-determining roles, will now be considered at-will employees without access to lengthy adverse action procedures or appeals. This overturns regulations put in place by the Biden Administration that protected poor-performing employees.

Trump reiterated that government workers who refuse to advance the president’s policy interests or engage in corrupt behavior should not have a job. He emphasized the need to root out corruption and implement accountability in the federal workforce in order to run the government more efficiently, likening it to a business model.

The White House stated that the new rule empowers federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives. While employees are not required to personally support the president, they must faithfully implement the law and the administration’s policies.

It is important to note that the proposed rule will not immediately change the status of affected employees’ jobs until another executive order is issued. The Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the government by firing federal workers have sparked debate and protests, with supporters and opponents voicing their concerns about the impact of these changes on the federal workforce.

Overall, President Trump’s decision to reclassify and potentially terminate career government employees underscores his commitment to ensuring that the administration’s agenda is effectively carried out by those working on policy matters. This move is part of a broader effort to streamline government operations and hold employees accountable for their performance and adherence to the administration’s priorities.