In a move that cements the job security of federal employees, the Biden administration’s recent rule aims to protect the merit-based nature of the civil service. On April 4, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a rule designed to fortify the positions of career civil servants. This comes in response to former President Trump’s previous initiatives, which sought to simplify the process of firing federal workers.
The OPM’s rule effectively creates a barrier against future attempts to classify federal workers as political appointees—a change that would make them more susceptible to dismissal. The statement released by OPM echoes the first actions of the Biden-Harris administration, which revoked a Trump-era executive order that could have significantly shifted the landscape of federal employment.
With about 4,000 federal employees currently identified as political appointees, Trump’s promise to revive “Schedule F” aimed to expand this categorization, potentially increasing the number to tens of thousands. This proposed expansion was part of his broader agenda to “drain the swamp,” a rallying cry for the eradication of inefficiency and alleged corruption within the government.
The OPM’s extensive 240-page document outlines the new regulations that would maintain the competitive service status of federal workers, safeguarding the job protections they have accrued. These measures are set to become effective next month, stipulating that transitions within federal employment sectors must not result in the loss of established job security.
