HHS is preparing to reclassify hundreds of senior staff members’ roles under a new civil service category that would remove certain procedural protections and make them easier to fire, Politico reported May 15.
The reclassifications could happen if President Donald Trump signs an executive order, an HHS official said in a statement shared with Becker’s on May 18.
“This will strengthen accountability for positions with significant policy-influencing responsibilities and applies to a relatively modest number of positions,” the statement said.
CDC employees expressed fears about the reclassification policy, known as Schedule Policy/Career, during a March 25 meeting with Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, interim CDC leader. The staff meeting focused on concerns over agency instability and staffing.
An HHS spokesperson did not confirm how many roles the reclassification would apply to if the executive order is signed.
A CDC official told Politico some managers received emails May 15 that said some employees were transitioning to new, at-will employment classifications in the first phase of reclassifications. Those affected would no longer have the protections granted to career civil servants that make them more difficult to fire, according to the report.
The Office of Personnel Management implemented a rule about the change, effective in March, according to Politico. Under the rule, agencies will no longer be required to give Schedule Policy/Career employees a performance improvement plan or advance notice before suspending, demoting or terminating them. Employees retain protections against prohibited personnel practices, including whistleblower retaliation and political discrimination, though those would be enforced by the employing agency rather than the Office of Special Counsel, according to a document from OPM.
OPM has said agencies are prohibited from requiring Schedule Policy/Career employees to pledge personal or political loyalty to the president, and that positions will continue to be filled through merit-based hiring.
President Trump created the new classification in an executive order signed Jan. 20.
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