OPM has issued new guidance and updated FAQs directing agencies on how to implement President Trump’s executive order creating “Schedule Policy/Career,” a new classification intended for certain policy-influencing federal positions. The memo also emphasizes that existing civil service rules still limit when and how employees can be removed, according to FedSmith’s summary of the documents.
- What OPM released: A new OPM memo plus updated FAQs on implementing the Schedule Policy/Career executive order, FedSmith reported.
- What agencies must do: Agencies are expected to review positions and identify roles that meet the order’s criteria for the new schedule, then take required classification and notification steps outlined in the guidance, according to FedSmith.
- What doesn’t change: The guidance reiterates that employees generally cannot be fired “at will” solely because they are moved into or considered for the new schedule; agencies must still follow applicable adverse action procedures and merit system requirements, FedSmith reported.
- Employee rights highlighted: OPM’s FAQs address what conduct or performance issues can support discipline or removal, and what protections remain in place under current law and regulation, according to FedSmith.
- What to watch for: FedSmith noted the guidance is aimed at standardizing implementation across agencies—an area that can drive inconsistent treatment if left to agency-by-agency interpretation.
Brief context
The Schedule Policy/Career executive order directs agencies to treat certain positions as policy-related roles. OPM’s new memo and FAQs are intended to translate that order into operational steps—what positions should be reviewed, what documentation is expected, and what procedural safeguards still apply.
FedSmith reported that the updated FAQs are also designed to address widespread employee concerns about whether reclassification could be used as a shortcut to removals. OPM’s guidance, as described by FedSmith, stresses that agencies remain bound by existing frameworks for adverse actions, including requirements tied to notice, evidence, and appeal rights where applicable.
For employees, the near-term impact is likely to be position reviews and potential reclassification determinations—not immediate changes to pay or benefits. The practical risk is career disruption (duties, reporting chains, or mobility) if a job is re-designated as policy-influencing. Employees who receive notice of a proposed change should track the stated rationale, timelines, and any rights to respond or appeal referenced in agency communications.
For additional background on how federal personnel rules interact with executive actions, see FedBrief’s federal workforce policy coverage.
Source: FedSmith