A proposal tied to former President Donald Trump to reclassify parts of the federal workforce is raising renewed alarms about weakening long-standing civil service protections and making it easier to remove career employees whose advice or work conflicts with political leadership priorities, according to a Feb. 2026 commentary published by Federal News Network.
- What’s being proposed: Reclassifying certain federal positions into a category with reduced job protections, similar to the earlier “Schedule F” concept, Federal News Network reported.
- Who could be affected: Positions involved in policy development, analysis, or advising—roles that can be broadly defined across agencies—according to the commentary.
- Core concern: The change could expand at-will style removals and reduce reliance on merit-system principles in hiring and firing decisions, Federal News Network said.
- Why it matters beyond Washington: The commentary argues that weakening protections for career staff would affect how agencies deliver programs and enforce rules, because employees may face greater pressure to align work products with leadership priorities.
- Workforce impact: Federal News Network frames the proposal as a shift that could increase the number of jobs treated more like political appointments than traditional career civil service roles.
- Related history: “Schedule F” was created by executive order late in Trump’s term and later rescinded by the Biden administration; Federal News Network cites that episode as the model for current reclassification discussions.
Brief context
Federal employment is built around a merit-based civil service designed to limit patronage and provide due-process protections for most career employees. Under existing systems, removals and discipline generally require documented cause and procedural steps, varying by employee category and bargaining status.
Federal News Network’s commentary argues that reclassification proposals would move more employees into a status where protections are weaker and removal is easier, particularly for roles labeled as influencing policy. The piece warns that broad definitions could pull in a wide range of positions—potentially including analysts, attorneys, program managers, and others whose work informs leadership decisions.
For employees tracking how classification changes could alter rights and appeal options, FedBrief has background on Schedule F and civil service protections: https://fedbrief.org/ (search “Schedule F”).
Source: Federal News Network (Commentary), “Why Trump’s plan to reclassify federal workers should worry everyone,” Feb. 2026. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/02/why-trumps-plan-to-reclassify-federal-workers-should-worry-everyone/