New Trump rule aims to cut red tape in terminating federal workers for misconduct

The Trump administration has recently introduced a new rule aimed at streamlining the process of terminating federal employees for serious misconduct. This rule is designed to cut through the red tape that has previously hindered agencies from taking action against employees who engage in behavior that is inconsistent with the public trust.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative processes in order to improve efficiency, rigor, and timeliness. The goal of this rule is to ensure that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.

According to OPM, this new rule is part of President Trump’s initiative to implement the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization, as well as the Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce.

Under this new rule, federal agencies will have the authority to take action against employees who engage in misconduct after being hired. This includes the ability to flag conduct such as tax evasion, leaking sensitive information, and other behaviors that are deemed inconsistent with the public trust.

OPM’s Acting Director, Chuck Ezell, emphasized that this rule will ensure that misconduct is met with consequences and reinforce the idea that public service is a privilege, not a right. The rule will allow agencies to refer specific cases to OPM for suitability action, giving them broader authority to address post-appointment conduct that warrants disciplinary action.

It is important to note that under current law, the majority of the federal workforce is not at-will and can only be terminated for specific reasons such as misconduct, poor performance, medical inability, and reduction in force. Federal employees also have extensive due process rights when facing termination, which can make the process of removing a worker cumbersome for agencies.

Overall, the new rule introduced by the Trump administration aims to streamline the process of addressing serious misconduct within the federal workforce and ensure that employees who engage in such behavior are held accountable. This initiative is expected to improve the efficiency and integrity of the federal government’s personnel vetting processes.