President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a new Schedule Policy/Career (P/C) classification for federal employees.
This move changes the employment status of thousands of government workers, potentially removing civil service protections that prevent political removals. By shifting these roles to an "at-will" status, the administration gains significant power to reshape the federal bureaucracy.
The new classification targets federal workers in policy roles. Under the order, the administration can more easily fire employees who fall under this new category to ensure the workforce aligns with the president's policy goals [1].
Approximately 8,000 federal workers are affected by the new Schedule P/C classification [1]. This shift is designed to give the administration greater flexibility in hiring and firing policy-focused staff, a move that critics say mirrors the status of political employees [1], [2].
The administration said the change is intended to increase control over the federal workforce [1], [2]. By reducing the barriers to dismissing career staff, the White House aims to eliminate friction between political appointees and the permanent civil service [2].
Legal experts and critics said that this reclassification effectively removes the stability traditionally associated with career federal service. The order allows the administration to replace nonpartisan experts with individuals more closely aligned with the current administration's specific ideological objectives [2].
“The executive order establishes a Schedule P/C class to make it easier for the administration to fire policy-focused employees.”
This reclassification represents a fundamental shift in the U.S. civil service model. By converting career policy roles into at-will positions, the administration is reducing the independence of the federal bureaucracy and increasing the susceptibility of government operations to political turnover.
