Civil Service
Congressional Dems urge rescission of Schedule F regulations
Though the Office of Personnel Management has estimated around 50,000 federal employees, or 2% of the workforce, would be stripped of their civil service protections under the controversial initiative, lawmakers warned a failure to define "policy-related” positions will cause far more to become at-will employees.
Exclusive
Connolly demands rescission of regulations reviving Schedule F
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee warned that politicization of the federal workforce will lead to more instances of “incompetence” in government.
Judge: Trump’s national security reasoning for anti-union EO was 'pretext for retaliation'
Even when taken at face value, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said the White House did not meet the evidentiary bar to prove that collective bargaining was incompatible with national security considerations for the majority of federal agencies.
Republicans tee up federal worker benefit cuts to pay for tax cuts
Federal workers hired in 2029 would contribute nearly 10% of their basic pay toward a less generous pension if they wish to retain their civil service protections under House lawmakers’ budget reconciliation proposal.
To support or to sabotage: Public service and public servants in an American democracy
COMMENTARY | "Good government" organizations dedicated to public service may face a quandary when it comes to the winnowing of the federal workforce.
Judge grills administration on ‘broad discretion’ to break up federal unions
A Justice Department attorney appeared to argue that it is within the president’s rights to strip ‘resistant’ unions of their collective bargaining rights under the auspices of national security.
Dudek calls for entire SSA offices to be converted to new Schedule F
The planned conversions, intended for federal workers in policy-related positions, affect employees making as little as $40,000 per year.
OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee considered the nominations of Scott Kupor to serve as OPM director and Eric Ueland to serve as OMB’s deputy director for management.
Exclusive
Some agencies are notifying employees of their ‘Schedule F’ status
Agencies are submitting lists of employees who will lose civil service protections and some are taking a broad approach.
Trump administration, unions already trading lawsuits over order outlawing most government labor groups
Federal agencies swiftly sued the American Federation of Government Employees last week, asking a lone Trump-appointed judge to uphold an order banning unions for two-thirds of the federal workforce.
Breaking News
Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on ‘national security’ grounds
An as-yet unpublished executive order purports to utilize a little-used provision allowing the president to restrict collective bargaining for national security reasons to exempt most federal jobs from union protections.
Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang found that the Trump administration and Elon Musk violated the constitutional separation of powers and the Appointments Clause when it ordered the shuttering of the foreign aid agency.
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The Trump administration is taking steps to comply with court orders to reinstate tens of thousands of fired workers
Some employees are already receiving notices that they will rejoin the payroll.
Workers and partners make renewed push to block Trump’s dismantling of USAID
An effort to enjoin the Trump administration from placing thousands of USAID workers on administrative leave in advance of their eventual termination failed last month.
Trump administration moves to politicize top HR officials following firing at IRS
Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management justified the decision by citing chief human capital officers’ role in implementing Biden-era diversity policies.
MSPB orders temporary reinstatement of nearly 6,000 probationary workers at USDA
These Agriculture Department employees must be allowed back to their jobs for 45 days, as the Office of Special Counsel continues to investigate the Trump administration’s purge of recently hired, promoted or transferred federal employees.
Updated
Some agencies are still firing probationers while others have recalled theirs, following court ruling
There appears to be confusion throughout the Trump administration as to the impacts of the court's decision, with some agencies pausing their personnel actions to assess the fallout.
House Dems: Immediately reinstate fired feds
A group of 85 lawmakers called on the Office of Special Counsel to broaden its recommendation earlier this week to stay the firing of six employees on probationary periods to all probationary workers purged in recent days.
Judge orders Trump administration to rescind directives on probationary employee firings
The administration did not have the authority to issue the dismissals, federal court rules.
OPM tells court it never ordered mass firings, contradicting prior claims
The Trump administration is arguing in court that agencies acted on their own to fire probationary staff, but it previously sent a government directive with a deadline for the firings.
23,000 federal prison workers are set to take pay cuts up to 25% next month
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said the decision to severely curtail retention incentive payments across the federal carceral system stems from fixed cost increases associated with operating under a continuing resolution.
