The Trump administration has moved to remove civil-service protections for certain employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reclassifying them under Schedule P/C (formerly Schedule F). The change will initially affect "on the order of hundreds, not thousands," with additional tranches possible. HHS confirmed the email and said it "reflects the finalization of previously announced RIFs," while stating no new reductions in force are planned.
U.S. Reclassifies Hundreds of HHS Employees, Removing Civil-Service Protections
Workers arrive at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington October 1, 2013. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan
By Ahmed Aboulenein
WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The Trump administration has moved to strip civil-service job protections from certain employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to an internal email reviewed by Reuters.
Staff across multiple HHS agencies were notified that some team members would be reclassified under Schedule P/C, the designation previously known as Schedule F. The reclassification is designed to change the employment status of affected workers and could make them subject to different hiring and removal rules.
According to the email, the change at HHS will initially affect "on the order of hundreds, not thousands," and additional tranches could follow. An HHS official confirmed the email's authenticity and said the move "reflects the finalization of previously announced RIFs," referring to reductions in force or mass layoffs. The official added that no new RIFs were planned.
What This Means: Reclassification to Schedule P/C removes civil-service protections that normally limit political influence over hiring and firing, potentially allowing for faster personnel changes. The initial scope at HHS is limited but may expand.
The announcement follows previous administration efforts to reclassify certain federal roles to allow greater managerial discretion over career employees. The full operational and legal implications of the Schedule P/C reclassification for affected employees and agency operations remain to be seen.
(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by David Gregorio)
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