Trump order makes 8,000 senior federal workers at-will
What's next: The change, smaller than an earlier 50,000-position estimate, is already facing lawsuits and could still widen later.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 3 that removes civil service protections from about 8,000 federal employees, turning them into at-will workers who can be dismissed without the usual cause and appeal process. The affected jobs are mostly senior GS-15 roles, including policy office leaders, chiefs of staff, regional office heads, program managers and officials overseeing grants and spending. The move builds on a February rule creating Schedule Policy/Career, previously known as Schedule F in Trump’s first term. The administration argues the change will make it easier to remove workers who do not carry out lawful policy directives. Federal worker unions and allied groups have already challenged the policy in court, and the administration has not ruled out expanding it beyond the current group.