Unions Rip Trump Order Making Federal Workers ‘At-Will’ Employees President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reclassify approximately 8,000 federal positions into a new category, “Schedule Policy/Career,” which simplifies the removal of senior employees with significant policymaking responsibilities. Federal worker unions argue this move strips career workers of protections against political retaliation and could discourage whistleblowing. The White House, however, states the order aims to increase accountability for poor performance or subversion of presidential directives without regard to political affiliation.

• President Trump signed an executive order creating a new classification, ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ for about 8,000 senior federal employees.
• The order makes it easier to remove these employees for reasons such as poor performance or subversion of directives.
• Federal worker unions, including the AFGE, claim the order politicizes the civil service and removes due process protections, potentially hindering whistleblowers.
• The White House asserts the order enhances accountability without considering political affiliation and that these positions remain civil service jobs.
• The affected employees are primarily high-ranking officials, with 97% holding GS-15 positions or equivalent, involved in policy, regulation drafting, and funding decisions.