OPM Details Rules for 8,000 At-Will Federal Workers Ahead of Wednesday Reclassification
Updated
Updated · Federal News Network · Jun 8
OPM Details Rules for 8,000 At-Will Federal Workers Ahead of Wednesday Reclassification
3 articles · Updated · Federal News Network · Jun 8
Summary
OPM on Monday issued implementation guidance for Schedule Policy/Career, spelling out how agencies must handle recruitment, discipline and firing as nearly 8,000 career federal employees face reclassification by Wednesday.
Under the new category, affected workers become at-will employees, letting agencies skip lengthy performance improvement plans, use one-step disciplinary actions and deny Merit Systems Protection Board appeals on many adverse actions.
The guidance also requires reclassified employees and new hires to sign notices acknowledging their excepted-service status and loss of civil-service protections, while agencies update personnel files and use new USAJobs language for covered roles.
Most affected employees will lose eligibility for retention, recruitment, relocation and student-loan repayment incentives unless they already have service agreements, though pay, leave, benefits and reduction-in-force rules remain unchanged.
Federal unions and retiree groups say the changes will chill whistleblowing and weaken the civil service, even as OPM says whistleblower protections and other prohibited-personnel-practice safeguards still apply through altered processes.