The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has finalized a new federal civil service rule creating a category known as Schedule Policy/Career within the excepted service. The rule is intended to strengthen accountability for certain federal employees whose roles involve shaping, influencing, or advocating public policy.
This action implements Executive Order 14171, which directs OPM to modernize how policy-related positions are classified and managed across the federal workforce. The stated objective is to make it easier for agencies to address poor performance or misconduct in roles that have significant policy influence.
Under the new rule, Schedule Policy/Career positions remain career roles filled through merit-based hiring, including the continued application of veterans’ preference. However, these positions are exempt from the standard adverse action and appeals procedures that have traditionally applied to most civil service roles. As a result, agencies may suspend, demote, or remove employees in these positions with fewer procedural requirements than typically required.
Importantly, the rule explicitly prohibits political patronage or loyalty tests, and discrimination based on political affiliation remains barred.
The rule will take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which occurred on February 5, 2026. However, individual positions will not automatically convert; agencies must designate specific roles as Schedule Policy/Career through future executive actions.
Implementation Guidance Highlights
Alongside the final rule, OPM issued implementation guidance to assist agencies with adoption. Key elements include:
- Agencies are instructed to review existing positions and identify those that may qualify for Schedule Policy/Career status based on their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating functions.
- Agencies remain responsible for updating internal performance management and disciplinary policies as needed.
- OPM emphasizes that hiring for these roles must remain merit-based, with a continued focus on qualifications, skills, and veterans’ preference.
- Existing safeguards against political hiring and other prohibited personnel practices remain in force.
- Reduction-in-force (RIF) rules and collective bargaining rights continue to apply, and Schedule Policy/Career designations may not be used to bypass those protections.
The Schedule Policy/Career rule establishes a new personnel category for certain policy-influencing positions that preserves merit-based hiring while reducing procedural barriers to addressing performance issues. OPM’s accompanying guidance outlines how agencies should identify and manage these roles while maintaining long-standing protections against political discrimination and improper personnel practices.
