Federal workers in policy jobs lose some job protections

Federal workers in policy-influencing jobs are getting a new label and a weaker shield. In Executive Order 14410, published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2026, President Trump creates Schedule Policy/Career inside the excepted service for confidential, policy-determining, policy-making and policy-advocating roles.

The order is built on Trump’s earlier Schedule F push, using the same basic idea that people in roles tied closely to policy should be easier to hold accountable. It says agencies should place those positions in the new schedule and update employees’ records.

Merit in, removal out

The promise on the front end is merit. The order says agencies should fill these jobs on merit, not political affiliation, and follow veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.

The back end is less forgiving. The same order says the covered positions are exempt from adverse-action procedures that often make removals for misconduct or poor performance difficult. It cites figures saying barely two-fifths of federal supervisors think they could remove a subordinate for serious misconduct, and only a quarter think they could remove a serious underperformer.