BY MIRABEL ODETA
The Trump Administration is preparing to remove civil service protections from hundreds of senior employees within the Department of Health and Human Services, a move that could make it significantly easier to dismiss federal workers as part of a broader effort to reshape the government workforce.
According to an internal memo distributed to supervisors across several agencies under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, certain positions may soon be reclassified under a new employment category tied to the administration’s federal workforce overhaul plan. Officials indicated that the first phase would affect hundreds of employees, with additional rounds of reclassification expected later as implementation expands.
The proposed changes would remove longstanding civil service protections that currently guarantee federal employees can only be terminated for specific cause and are entitled to appeal rights. Under the new classification system, affected employees could potentially be dismissed at will, giving the White House greater authority over career government staff.
The initiative is connected to a broader restructuring effort first announced earlier this year. The administration’s plan would allow the president to reclassify as many as 50,000 federal employees into a category known as Schedule Policy/Career, a system previously referred to as Schedule F during Trump’s first term in office.
Officials at HHS confirmed that the internal memo was authentic but declined to specify exactly which agencies, offices, or positions would be impacted. The memo reportedly focused on GS-15 employees, a senior federal pay grade that typically includes experienced policy specialists, technical experts, supervisors, and high-level managers responsible for overseeing major government operations.
An HHS spokesperson stated that supervisors were informed on Friday that reclassification could occur but emphasized that no formal changes would take effect unless the president signs an executive order implementing the Schedule Policy/Career framework.
During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly argued that certain federal workers had too much influence over government policy and pledged to reduce protections for employees viewed by his administration as obstructing presidential priorities. Supporters of the proposal say it would increase accountability within federal agencies and allow elected leadership to more effectively direct government policy.
Critics, however, warn that weakening civil service protections could politicize the federal workforce and undermine the independence of career government employees. Governance experts and labor organizations argue that the changes could open the door to large-scale dismissals based on political loyalty rather than professional performance or expertise.
The memo described the initial wave of reclassifications at HHS as “relatively modest,” estimating that the first group would involve hundreds rather than thousands of GS-15 positions. However, it also stated that additional “tranches” or phases would follow as the policy is expanded across agencies.
Federal worker unions have already challenged the administration’s efforts in court, arguing that the proposed changes threaten the integrity of the civil service system and could weaken protections designed to shield government employees from political pressure.
The Trump administration has made reducing the size and influence of the federal bureaucracy a central priority, seeking to increase White House control over agencies, commissions, and regulatory bodies that have historically operated with significant independence. The outcome of the legal and political battles surrounding the reclassification plan could have major implications for the future structure of the American federal workforce.
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