Trump Admin Moves to Reclassify 50,000 Federal Workers as At-Will Employees
New OPM rule would reduce job protections for civil servants in policy roles
The Trump administration is advancing a new rule to reclassify approximately 50,000 career civil servants as 'at-will' federal employees. According to the White House, this change would allow federal agencies to more easily remove employees in policy-influencing positions for reasons including poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or failure to implement presidential directives. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed amending civil service regulations to implement this change.
The proposed rule builds upon an executive order President Trump signed on his first day in office in January 2025. Under current regulations, civil service employees have stronger job protections than political appointees, a system designed to maintain continuity between administrations. The White House states that employees affected by the change would maintain their competitive status and would not be required to personally or politically support the president, though they must implement administration policies.
KEY POINTS
- •50,000 civil servants face reclassification
- •At-will status would ease terminations
- •Builds on January 2025 executive order
Certain federal workers would be excluded from the proposed classification changes, including Border Patrol agents and wage and hour inspectors. The White House clarified that the OPM's proposed rule does not automatically alter positions, as that would require an executive order after a final rule is issued. This initiative represents part of the administration's broader efforts to restructure the federal government.
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