President Donald Trump has signed an executive order reclassifying about 8,000 federal positions from the competitive service into a new “Schedule Policy/Career (P/C)” category within the excepted service, according to NARFE News. The change alters how those jobs are filled and managed and could reduce certain procedural protections typically associated with competitive service roles.
- What changed: Roughly 8,000 positions are being moved from the competitive service to Schedule Policy/Career (P/C) excepted service, NARFE News reported.
- Who is affected: Employees in roles the administration identifies as policy-influencing or policy-adjacent positions, as described by NARFE News’ summary of the order.
- Why it matters: Excepted service classifications generally provide agencies more flexibility in hiring and reassignment than competitive service rules, potentially affecting merit-based hiring processes and job protections for impacted positions.
- Near-term impact: Agencies will need to identify covered positions and implement the reclassification; affected employees may see changes in appointment type and personnel procedures, depending on how their agency applies the order.
- What doesn’t automatically change: The order does not inherently change base pay scales (e.g., GS tables) by itself, but it may affect career mobility, internal placement, and adverse action procedures tied to competitive service status, NARFE News said.
Brief context
The competitive service is the federal government’s default hiring system, built around standardized qualification requirements, public notice, and merit-based selection. The excepted service covers positions placed outside those rules by law, executive action, or OPM determination—often to meet specialized hiring needs or policy objectives.
NARFE News reported the executive order establishes Schedule Policy/Career (P/C) as a new excepted service category and directs agencies to move covered positions into it. The practical effects for employees will depend on agency implementation guidance, including which job series and duties are deemed to fall under the order’s definition of policy-related work.
Federal employees who are notified their position is being reclassified should review their SF-50s and any agency guidance on what the change means for competitive status, internal hiring eligibility, and procedural rights. For broader workforce definitions and how appointment categories can affect mobility, see FedInfo’s federal employment guides.
Source: NARFE News