Former President Donald Trump is again signaling he would move to scrap or overhaul a major framework that governs how federal agencies discipline or remove employees—an approach that could narrow due-process steps and speed adverse actions if implemented through executive-branch policy.
- What’s being discussed: A push to eliminate or significantly rewrite the current discipline/adverse-action framework for federal employees, according to posts and discussion in Reddit — r/fednews.
- Who would be affected: Most career federal civil servants covered by Title 5 adverse-action procedures, including employees who rely on Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeal rights and negotiated grievance procedures where applicable.
- What protections are at stake: Notice requirements, time to respond, representation rights, evidentiary standards, and access to third-party review (MSPB, arbitrators, and in some cases the EEOC for discrimination-related claims).
- How changes could happen: Users pointed to the likelihood of executive orders and OPM guidance as the fastest path, with longer-term changes requiring Congress to amend civil service law.
- What employees are watching: Whether a future administration would revive ideas similar to “Schedule F”—a 2020 Trump executive order that sought to reclassify certain policy-related positions, later rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021—alongside broader discipline reforms.
- Status: No new executive order was posted in the thread; the discussion centers on Trump campaign-era proposals and prior Trump administration actions referenced by commenters.
Brief context
Federal employee discipline is governed by a mix of statute (including Title 5), regulation, and case law. For major adverse actions—such as removals, suspensions over 14 days, reductions in grade or pay, and furloughs of 30 days or less—employees generally have procedural rights and may appeal to the MSPB. Separate processes can apply for performance-based actions, bargaining-unit grievances, and misconduct cases.
The r/fednews discussion reflects long-running debates over whether existing procedures are too slow for agencies to remove poor performers, versus concerns that weakening procedural safeguards would increase politicization and inconsistent discipline across agencies. Any broad rewrite could also intersect with collective bargaining obligations and prohibited personnel practices enforced by the Office of Special Counsel.
For employees, the practical impact would likely show up in timelines (how quickly an agency can act), burdens of proof, and where you can appeal—not just whether you can be disciplined.
Source: Reddit — r/fednews