Govind Tekale
Karmactive Staff
The Trump administration is rolling out major changes to hold federal employees to “the highest standards of performance and accountability.” These reforms aim to make it easier to remove underperforming workers and reduce what officials call inflated performance ratings across government agencies.
A new memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directs agencies to ensure poor performers can be “swiftly removed, reduced in grade, or reassigned.” The directive marks a significant shift in how the federal government manages its workforce of over 2 million employees.
“For many decades now, performance management across the federal workforce has fallen short of what the American people should expect,” wrote OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell in the memo published Tuesday. “Too often, this has resulted in a lack of accountability and inflated performance ratings.”
The administration believes too many federal employees receive top performance ratings regardless of actual contributions. The new standards aim to create clearer distinctions between performance levels, ensuring that ratings above “fully successful” truly reflect exceptional work.
Similar Posts
At the heart of the changes is a controversial classification called “Schedule Policy/Career,” which targets about 50,000 employees (roughly 2% of the federal workforce) in policy-related positions. This classification, similar to the “Schedule F” from Trump’s first term, would make it easier to remove these employees without the typical procedural protections of the civil service.
Federal supervisors face new requirements too. Within 30 days, agencies must implement a “critical” performance metric measuring how well supervisors hold their employees accountable. This includes both recognizing excellent work and quickly addressing poor performance.
The changes address a long-standing challenge in federal workforce management. A study by the Merit Systems Protection Board found only 26% of supervisors felt confident they could remove an employee for poor performance, highlighting a system many critics say makes disciplinary action nearly impossible.
Agencies are also being instructed to limit performance improvement plans for struggling employees to just 30 business days and to avoid using “progressive discipline” when removal would be more appropriate. OPM reminded agencies they have “broad flexibility” in terminating probationary employees who don’t meet standards.
Federal employee unions strongly oppose these changes, viewing them as an attack on civil service protections that could lead to politically motivated removals. They argue the reforms undermine due process rights and could destabilize the federal workforce.
The administration’s efforts extend beyond just performance ratings. They’re also pursuing expanded authority for OPM to take “suitability actions” against employees engaged in serious misconduct and proposing rules that would link pay increases for higher-grade employees to job performance.
Some of these changes are already underway. The administration updated performance standards for Senior Executive Service members earlier this year and is now broadening similar expectations to nearly all career federal employees. The complete transition to the new system is expected by October 2026, with agencies required to submit progress reports by July 31.
The Department of Government Efficiency has already begun reducing the federal workforce, with cuts accounting for nearly half of all layoffs so far in 2025 – about 283,172 jobs in the first several months of the administration.
Supporters say these reforms will create a more efficient government that better serves taxpayers. Critics worry they could lead to a politicized civil service and a “brain drain” as experienced employees leave federal service.
As these changes roll out, both federal workers and the agencies they serve face a new reality where performance expectations are higher and job security less certain than at any time in recent decades.
