On April 18, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management announced a new initiative aimed at enhancing accountability within the federal workforce. The proposed rule introduces a new category called Schedule Policy/Career for federal employees in policy-determining roles, allowing for easier removal of employees for poor performance or misconduct. This change seeks to address ongoing challenges within federal agencies regarding the difficulty of dismissing ineffective employees and aims to restore accountability in the workforce.

The initiative responds to reports indicating that many federal employees feel their agencies do not sufficiently address poor performance. Surveys have shown that a considerable number of federal workers believe ineffective employees often remain in their positions without facing consequences. By enabling faster removal procedures, the new rule aims to alleviate these issues and reduce instances of corruption and misconduct within federal agencies, as highlighted by recent audits that revealed serious ethical violations.

This development follows a previous executive order from Trump’s first term that reclassified certain federal employees as “Schedule F,” which was later revoked by the Biden Administration. With this new proposal, the Trump administration seeks to reaffirm its commitment to holding federal employees accountable while ensuring that those in policy-influencing positions can effectively implement the administration’s directives without excessive procedural delays.

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