As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office again, concern is mounting among federal employees regarding proposed changes that could affect their job stability.
According to Fox News, Federal workers fear the reinstatement of Schedule F, which would allow easier termination of many government workers.
The apprehension stems from Trump's previous establishment of Schedule F in 2020—an executive order designed to transition certain federal roles into at-will employment.
This categorization strips away traditional job security and makes it significantly simpler to dismiss employees. Trump's campaign promises have indicated a clear intention to bring this order back, stirring unrest and speculation among the workforce about their future.
Moreover, René Marsh, a national correspondent, remarks that federal employees are bracing themselves for a challenging tenure under Trump, often describing their anticipation with grave words. These sentiments highlight the daunting prospect of returning to an environment where people perceive job security as directly threatened by political influences.
Donald Trump's intentions represent a stark pivot from recent protections implemented under the Biden administration, which made it harder for federal workers to be dismissed in an effort to safeguard against corruption and undue partisan influence. President Joe Biden described these regulations as essential for ensuring civil servants could "focus on the most important task at hand: delivering for the American people."
According to former Trump appointee Ronald Sanders, the reintroduction of Schedule F could serve as a means to populate the federal sector with supporters of the administration, potentially compromising the impartiality expected of career civil servants.
However, the pushback is palpable among workers across various agencies, as highlighted by personal accounts from unnamed sources within the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. One Energy Department employee put it plainly: "I would say there is a general feeling of dread among everyone."
Discussing the collective anxiety, an unnamed Environmental Protection Agency employee highlighted ongoing discussions within the agency: "We are having conversations among ourselves about whether we can stomach a round two."
Trump's planned policies represent a continuation of his belief that federal employees often act as opposition from within, dubbed the "deep state." These ongoing fears echo past experiences and current sentiments expressed by federal workers, which are succinctly captured by correspondent René Marsh:
We are in a dystopian hellscape. That is from a federal employee via text message last night and that is the mindset of many of the two million federal workers anticipating Donald Trump's return to office.
Meanwhile, Fox News Digital's attempt to gain insights from the Trump transition team did not yield an immediate response, consequently leaving questions about the specific applications of Schedule F unanswered and further increasing the anxiety among civil servants about what his leadership will entail this time around.
As the transition progresses, federal employees increasingly wonder about the landscape of their careers under a government that may soon prioritize loyalty over expertise. Additionally, the concerns about reinstating Schedule F underscore broader apprehensions about the future direction of public service under Trump's leadership, which could significantly impact operations and morale within federal agencies.
