Federal Managers Association

FMA Working for You

• Important Implementation Information for Schedule Policy/Career - June 11, 2026

• Last week President Trump issued Executive Order 13957, formally converting approximately 8,000 career federal workers into his Schedule Policy/Career (Schedule P/C) classification. Schedule P/C is a federal job classification for positions deemed “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character that are not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition.” These employees can no longer challenge adverse actions to the Merit Systems Protection board and are now at-will employees. The rulemaking creating Schedule P/C was finalized in February 2026 and officially took effect on March 8.

  While 8,000 employees were included in this initial order, it is expected to be followed by additional tranches of employees as implementation of Schedule P/C continues. Current estimates are approximately 50,000 feds will ultimately be converted into Schedule P/C.

  FMA has been staunchly opposed to Schedule P/C since President Trump first unveiled it in October 2020 (then known as Schedule F). We have remained consistent in opposition, through the press, action letters, meetings on Capitol Hill, magazine articles, formal comments to OPM and the White House, and supporting legislation to block it – or require Congress’ approval. Opposition to it has been an FMA issue brief every year since it was first released. We celebrated when President Biden rescinded it, and the House of Representatives voted three different times in 2022 to require Congressional approval of such a significant change, but the language was not included in the final product because it did not receive any bipartisan support in the Senate.

  In addition to our efforts in Congress, we voiced opposition directly to the administration. There were nearly 41,000 comments to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in response to the latest rulemaking for Schedule P/C, and more than 94 percent of them – including FMA’s comments – were in opposition.

  We are closely monitoring an active legal challenge in court in PEER et al. v. Trump et al. A group called Democracy Forward, alongside the Law Office of Jonathan Weissglass and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), represents Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). PEER et al. v. Trump et al. is currently pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and we will watch how that case is deliberated.

  What You Need to Know as a Manager for Implementation of the Executive Order

  Since Schedule P/C has now taken effect, it is important for all managers to be aware of what Schedule P/C means to you. We have previously shared OPM guidance for managers called Schedule Policy/Career: What it Means for You as a Manager, which includes a brief description of the new classification and information on what changes for how you manage these positions, what does not change, and your role as a manager or supervisor.

  More recently, on June 8, OPM Director Kupor released a memo on implementing the EO. The memo includes both new and revised guidance related to Schedule P/C.

  Among the links are:

  • Sample Termination Notice to Schedule Policy/Career Employee
  • Policy Template: Reduction in Force
  • Questions and Answers on Schedule Policy/Career Final Regulations
  • Policy Template: Administrative Grievance Process for Schedule Policy/Career
  • Template for Executive Branch Agency Policies on Performance-Based and Adverse Actions for Schedule Policy/Career Employees
  • Template for Executive Branch Agency Policies on Hiring Schedule Policy/Career Employees
  • Policy Template: Prohibited Personnel Practices for Schedule Policy/Career Employees

  Additional links in the memo include briefing decks and quick reference guides.

  Please let us know if you have any questions, or if you are reclassified to Schedule P/C. We aim to inform and assist however possible.

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