Civil Service
‘Exit survey’ of former feds finds fears of civil service politicization under Trump — and many willing to return to their agencies
While the Office of Personnel Management has argued that most of the 2025 federal workforce separations were voluntary, academic researchers countered that many of the departing civil servants reported they felt forced into resigning.
OPM is ending a promotion rule, but agencies still have work to do
COMMENTARY | A former federal HR chief argues that managers need to pay closer attention to who gets the assignments and experience that make employees competitive for promotion.
Judge: ‘Article II’ firings violate separation of powers, civil service law
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman said adopting the Trump administration’s argument that the Civil Service Reform Act usurps presidential power would “unsettle the very equilibrium of this nation’s constitutional system.”
IRS says it needs top performers, even if they don’t all get the performance ratings they deserve
An IRS division that reassigned employees to different parts of the agency to address backlogs is warning staff against “deliberately choosing mediocrity” in their day-to-day work if they get lower performance ratings this year.
DOGE’s layoffs took a toll on Black women. The effects are still being felt
The loss of federal jobs has left many Black women grappling with financial insecurity, emotional distress and an uncertain future, with consequences that extend beyond the workplace.
Exclusive
‘It’s The Price is Right’: How USCIS artificially deflated employee ratings under forced distribution mandate
A federal whistleblower says the agency instituted a forced distribution of employee performance ratings last year, months before the Trump administration lifted a ban on the practice.
‘A rushed and complicated system.’ Federal employees say they’re in the dark over limited top ratings
A mandate to limit outstanding performance scores has managers playing a numbers game and risks pitting teammates against each other.
Disability accommodations at Labor get extra scrutiny with annual reviews
The department plans to review existing accommodations for disabilities and pregnancy-related conditions, with employees potentially asked to provide updated medical documentation.
HHS scraps disability accommodations over missing paperwork. Employees say they have receipts
A union leader for CDC headquarters employees said the Health and Human Services Department closing out these accommodation requests was “a deliberate choice to clear the backlog."
Social Security ends flexible work schedules, teeing up clash with union
The agency’s top HR official says these changes are necessary to “deliver the service the public expects.” A union argues SSA violated its labor contract making this decision on its own.
Updated
State Department appeals board, now with limited authority, gains new members
The Trump administration recently limited the board’s authority to challenge employee removals and other adverse personnel actions, asserting that the secretary of state has final say on these decisions.
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Trust in government is sinking, but a new survey suggests civil servants’ stock is rising
The percentages of respondents who said most civil servants are competent and committed to helping people “like me” increased to record highs — at 65% and 61%, respectively.
Judge halts ‘favorite EO’ question on federal job applications
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole issued a stay blocking federal agencies from asking an essay question civil service advocates call a “loyalty question,” but found he could not prevent consideration of answers already provided by job applicants.
Former pardon atty calls MSPB ‘a dead end,’ sues for reinstatement
Liz Oyer, who was fired from her position as pardon attorney last year over her refusal to recommend that Mel Gibson’s right to own a firearm be restored, said the Justice Department did not follow its own policies when it removed her.
Agencies have a new question to answer about employee misconduct
COMMENTARY | New rules could give agencies another way to act on misconduct uncovered through continuous vetting. The challenge will be making sure they’re ready to use it.
Pushed out by the Trump administration, these ex-feds want to make agency firings simpler and fairer
Across 12 cases that were analyzed for a new report on federal firing reform, it took an average 19 months for the underperforming employee to be removed or otherwise leave the position.
Unions: OPM’s suitability and performance management overhauls assert ‘plenary’ authority over federal firing
A coalition of labor groups sued the Trump administration Monday, arguing recent moves to centralize authority within the Office of Personnel Management and insert subjective criteria into employee evaluations amount to an end-run around the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act.
Agencies backfilled 20,600 employees who left government under the deferred resignation programs, analysis finds
The Office of Personnel Management disputed the findings and countered that the analysis also shows around 85% of the DRP separations were not replaced.
State Department board’s ability to challenge firings undercut by DOJ
Critics of the decision say the Justice Department's opinion is another step in the Trump administration's goal of making it easier to fire federal employees who are not fully aligned with its policy goals.
Federal job listings provide clues for next set of Schedule P/C conversions
New analysis from the Partnership for Public Service reveals that agencies have begun advertising positions as Schedule Policy/Career or planned for the at-will job category.
