The Trump administration has rolled out a new rule with the aim of making it easier to terminate federal employees for serious misconduct by cutting through the red tape that currently impedes that process.
‘The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative processes for determining suitability and taking suitability actions,’ the rule, which went live for public comment on Monday morning, states.
‘The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve the efficiency, rigor and timeliness by which OPM and agencies vet individuals for risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service, and to make clear that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.’
OPM says its new rule is part of President Trump’s ‘Implementing the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative’ as well as the Presidential Memorandum, ‘Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce.’
OPM explains that the new rule will allow the federal government to take action against employees who engage in misconduct after being hired, giving agencies ‘broader authority’ to ‘flag conduct’ including tax evasion, leaking of sensitive information, and other behavior ‘inconsistent with the public trust.’
‘For too long, agencies have faced red tape when trying to remove employees who break the public’s trust,’ OPM’s Acting Director, Chuck Ezell, told Fox News Digital.
‘This proposed rule ensures misconduct is met with consequence and reinforces that public service is a privilege, not a right.’
Under the new rule, federal agencies will be able to refer specific cases to OPM requesting ‘suitability action’ for employees who are believed to have committed post-appointment conduct that deserves disciplinary action.
Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that under current law, the vast majority of the federal workforce is not at-will and may only be terminated for misconduct, poor performance, medical inability and reduction in force. Federal employees are also entitled to sweeping due process rights when fired which can create a cumbersome process for agencies to remove a worker.