Supporting Federal Employees Through Change
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Supporting Federal Employees Through Change

Supporting Federal   Employees Through Change

As a federal employee, you play a critical role in delivering vital public services. You provide nonpartisan expertise to political leaders, maintain continuity across presidential administrations and uphold a constitutional oath to serve the public good.  

Right now, there are a lot of questions swirling about what it means to be a federal employee and the role of the career workforce. These issues can be challenging to navigate, especially during the start of a new administration.   

The Partnership for Public Service is here, as it has been for more than 20 years, to support you–the federal employee–so you can continue to serve the public and uphold your oath of office.
 
This hub is a resource for you to answer the questions we are frequently asked about how various proposals may affect federal employees, to create a safe space for information sharing and community building, and most of all, to respond to what you need in this moment and in the months to come. 


About the Partnership for Public Service

The Partnership for Public Service is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to building a better government and a stronger democracy.  

Your Questions Answered


Schedule Policy/Career (formerly Schedule F)

What is Schedule Policy/Career (formerly Schedule F)?

  • Schedule Policy/Career is a federal employment category, or “schedule,” established by the current Trump administration via executive order. The order permits agency leaders to reassign some federal positions from their current employment category into a new category.  
  • The executive order is broadly directed at career federal employees in policymaking roles. The order gives examples of job responsibilities for these types of roles as a guide for agency heads who are deciding whether to reclassify a position into the new Policy/Career schedule.  
  • However, the full scope of which positions might be affected is unclear, as the directive relies on agency heads to determine the specific roles that will fall under Schedule Policy/Career. 
    • See more under “How do I know if Schedule Policy/Career will apply to me?” below.  
  • Schedule Policy/Career employees will have fewer employment protections, making them easier to fire.   
Additional Schedule Policy/Career Questions

How is Schedule Policy/Career different from Schedule F?

  • The new executive order clarifies that Schedule Policy/Career is directed at career federal employees in competitive service positions. It includes some guidance for agency heads to use when determining which roles to place in Schedule Policy/Career, and it directs the Office of Personnel Management director to issue further guidance about additional categories of positions. 
  • Additionally, the new directive notes that Schedule Policy/Career employees, or applicants for these positions, are not required to personally or politically support President Trump or the policies of the current administration. The 2020 Schedule F executive order did not make this distinction.  

How do I know if Schedule Policy/Career will apply to me?

  • It is unclear how the Schedule Policy/Career guidelines will be implemented because much of the reclassification actions are at the agency’s discretion. 
  • The executive order creating Schedule Policy/Career directs agency leaders to identify all employees in competitive service positions or in other schedules already excepted from the competitive service “of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.” The order allows agency heads to determine which employees fall into these definitions. 
  • The executive order lists certain job duties that agency heads should consider—for example, whether the position involves developing or drafting regulations or guidance. It also directs the Office of Personnel Management to issue guidance on additional categories of positions that agencies should consider for the Policy/Career schedule. It is up to the agency heads to decide how to apply these considerations.    

How many federal employees were placed in Schedule F during the first Trump administration?

  • The Government Accountability Office found that no agency placed positions in Schedule F before the executive order was revoked in January 2021.  
  • However, according to GAO, some agencies had begun to consider doing so. For example, the Office of Personnel Management approved the Office of Management and Budget’s request to move 136 types of positions into Schedule F. This shift would have involved 415 employees—or 68% of OMB’s workforce. 

Are there any roadblocks to implementing the Schedule Policy/Career executive order?

  • The Biden administration finalized a rule in April 2024 that established procedural requirements for moving positions from the competitive service to the excepted service, or from one excepted service to another.  
  • The rule mandated that the civil service protections employees accrue cannot be taken away if their position is involuntarily moved. It also gave civil servants who are involuntarily moved and stripped of those accrued protections the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.  
  • The new Schedule Policy/Career regulation by the Trump administration must go through a rulemaking process to override the Biden administration’s rule. The rulemaking process generally takes months to complete. 
  • The Trump administration may attempt to fast-track Schedule Policy/Career and work around the Biden administration regulation by using an interim or direct final rule. An interim or direct rule would allow a new Schedule Policy/Career policy to go into effect immediately. However, this attempt would likely be challenged in court. 
  • The Trump executive order directs the Office of Personnel Management to rescind the regulation it issued under the Biden administration.  

What job protections would Schedule Policy/Career positions have?

  • The executive order requires agencies to follow the principle of veterans’ preference as far as “administratively feasible,” which leaves its implementation unclear.  
  • Additionally, individuals in these positions would lose certain due process rights, such as notice of removal and the right to appeal if removed from a job. 
  • The order also requires agencies to establish rules around prohibited personnel practices. It is unclear what approaches agencies may take in implementing these rules. 

If I was hired into a competitive service position, could my role be retroactively moved to Schedule Policy/Career?


What can Congress do?

  • Congress could pass legislation that creates or prevents the creation of new federal employment categories or modifies federal employee protections.  

Other explainers, FAQs and resources on specific topics may interest federal employees. We are providing these materials for awareness only, not to endorse specific content or highlight a formal partnership with an author, agency or organization. Additional resources will be added in the coming weeks.

Employee Rights and Responsibilities
Protections and Processes
General Information

 Federal Employee Explainer Series

The Partnership for Public Service is hosting a webinar series to answer your questions.

Right now, there are a lot of questions swirling about what it means to be a federal employee and the role of the career workforce. These issues can be challenging to navigate, especially during the start of a new administration.

The Partnership for Public Service is here, as it has been for more than 20 years, to support you–the federal employee–so you can continue to serve the public and uphold your oath of office.

Register for our free webinars

Past Webinars


What do executive orders mean for me?


What if my employment status changes?


What are my rights as an employee?


What are my whistleblower rights?

Resources for Leading Through Change

Leadership Resources

Webinars and Events  

Sign up for email updates and check back frequently for upcoming events and webinars. 

Supporting Civil Servants Through Times of Change

The public benefits from a career civil service that knows how to navigate presidential transitions. But how can public servants take care of themselves and one another during times of change? Former career executives offer tips for self-care and best practices for supporting their teams in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Navigating Times of Change and Transition 

How can career civil servants navigate a change in administration? Hint: Leadership matters. Listen to former career executives share their experiences leading through change.

Leading Through Complex Situations and Building Trust

Career civil servants help ensure smooth presidential transitions. But change can bring uncertainty and instability to the government. Thankfully, former civil servants have a playbook to offer, including how to establish trust with an incoming administration.

All About the Federal Workforce

80%

of federal employees work outside
the Washington, D.C. area.

30%

of federal employees are veterans.

70%

of federal employees work in defense
and national security-related agencies.

14%

of federal employees work in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) occupations.


The following resources provide data and information about federal employees, agencies and the government’s work. 

Data and Analysis

Videos

Public Service 101: Five Things You Should Know About Civil Servants

People often equate the federal government with Congress and elected leaders, but our government encompasses so much more than that. Watch our video to learn more about the federal civil service and the hard work civil servants do every day.

Watch more videos   

Our Government Explained (in 3 Minutes or Less): Video Series

Understanding how our federal government works can be challenging, and many people are unaware of what it does to affect their daily lives. Fortunately, our video series helps people better understand our largest democratic institution and the more than 2 million full-time civilian employees who work there.

Watch the series   

Government Success Database

This database highlights hundreds of career civil servants who have made significant contributions to our country. From protecting public health and defending our national security to addressing climate change and supporting our economic well-being, their achievements showcase the vital importance of our government and the nonpartisan civil service to the public good.  

Read the stories   
Photo Credits

National Institutes of Health | Department of Veterans Affairs / U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service