Finalize return of Schedule F

Government Executive article by Erich Wagner dated February 5, 2026. The Office of Personnel Management is set to finalize regulations implementing President Trump’s plan to strip tens of thousands of federal employees of their civil service protections.

Backlash to Schedule Policy/Career or Schedule F among groups that represent federal workers or advocate for better government performance was swift. Fully 94% of the more than 40,000 comments submitted on the proposed rule were opposed to the policy.

A final rule formally implementing the policy is set for publication in the Federal Register Friday.

FEDWeek Article dated February 5, 2026 titled: Schedule P/C: Study Cites Negative Impacts of At-Will Employment in Government identifies what the Trump administration proposes to implement as Schedule Policy/Career initiative—“will improve employee or agency performance” as not valid. Instead, the Partnership for Public Service says, “At-will employment creates risks of firings for political reasons and for issues unrelated to performance while serving as a disincentive for employees to report wrongdoing, voice objections, or express differing opinions from political leadership.”