President Donald Trump has signed an executive order shifting roughly 8,000 federal positions out of the competitive service and into a new excepted-service category called Schedule Policy/Career (P/C), according to NARFE News. The move changes how affected jobs can be filled and managed, and could reduce certain civil-service hiring and appeal protections for employees in those roles.
- What changed: About 8,000 positions were moved from the competitive service to Schedule Policy/Career (P/C) in the excepted service, NARFE News reported.
- Who is affected: The order targets roles described as involving policy or career functions; agencies will identify and designate covered positions under the new schedule, according to NARFE News’ summary.
- Why it matters: Excepted-service designations can alter hiring rules, probationary/appointment conditions, and employee due-process and appeal pathways compared with competitive-service positions, NARFE News said.
- Workforce management impact: The change could give agencies more flexibility to reassign, replace, or remove employees in reclassified roles, depending on implementing guidance and position designation, NARFE News reported.
- Timing: NARFE News reported the executive order was signed by President Trump and is expected to be implemented through agency actions and follow-on guidance.
Context:
The competitive service is the default hiring and employment system for most federal civilian jobs, generally requiring merit-based hiring procedures and providing a well-established framework for adverse-action procedures and appeals. Excepted service positions operate under different statutory and regulatory authorities and can be carved out for specific categories of work.
NARFE News reported that Schedule Policy/Career (P/C) is a newly created category intended to cover certain positions tied to policy development or similar functions. While the executive order sets the direction, the practical effects for individual employees will depend on how agencies classify specific positions and what procedural protections apply under the new schedule.
What it means for you:
If your job is among those reclassified, expect your agency to issue notices or guidance explaining whether your position is designated as Schedule P/C and what that means for your appointment type, internal mobility, and any changes to adverse-action or appeal processes. Employees should review official agency communications, position descriptions, and any updated personnel documents. If you are considering retirement timing in light of potential job changes, you can estimate impacts using a FERS retirement calculator.
Source: NARFE News