The Hiring Freeze and Return of Schedule F: What Federal Employees Should Know

Update (7/21/25): President Trump has now extended the hiring freeze until at least October 15th of 2025. Originally it was set for April 20th, but this date has been moved back multiple times. 

Since President Trump took office January 20th, he’s done a lot to reshape the way the government works. Many of his executive actions and memos are aimed at a common goal – to make the government more efficient and cut spending. One way of doing this is to reduce the federal workforce; an action that’s likely confusing and frustrating for federal employees.

We want to help you make sense of some of these new reduction orders to relieve some stress you might have about them.

Let’s break down two executive actions with closely related goals: the federal hiring freeze and the reinstatement of Schedule F.

Hiring Freeze

The federal hiring freeze means that until October 15, no new employees will be hired in the executive branch of the federal government. There are some exceptions to this rule including:

• • Military personnel
  • Positions in immigration enforcement
  • National security
  • Public safety

The freeze encourages department heads to use their current staff as effectively as possible, which means that it’s possible for your agency to adjust your duties to make up for jobs which were previously listed.

So, while the freeze might not directly affect you if you aren’t looking for a job in the federal government right now, it could potentially add more job duties to your plate. If you’ve already been struggling to complete the duties you have now, taking on the extra work could make things a lot harder – or even impossible. If you think you may fall into this category, skip to the section called “What to do next” below.

Reinstatement of Schedule F

In his first term, President Trump signed an executive order on Schedule F, which sought to rework the federal workforce by making it easier to fire employees who were underperforming. This order was quickly removed when Biden came into office, but it has returned, this time under a new name – “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within The Federal Workforce.”

Basically, this means that for federal employees in policy making or policy influencing roles, certain protections against being fired will be removed.

This is meant to increase accountability and decrease the number of employees considered poor performers. This may be of concern to federal employees who fall under this category since the firing process will effectively be shortened.

On April 18, the administration began putting this process into action by reclassifying 50,000 federal employees under schedule F, meaning they will now be vulnerable to quicker firings. (Last Updated 4/22/25)

What to do next?

If your agency isn’t exempt from the hiring freeze, or if you’re a federal employee in a policy making/influencing role and your work attendance, conduct, or performance have suffered because of a medical condition, you might be worried.

We understand, and want to help you think through your options moving forward. Here are a few things to do to help protect yourself against these new federal initiatives and make sure your future is secure:

• Request for support from your doctor – A letter written by a medical professional supporting your claim that you can’t fully do your job can go a long way in helping you secure your future – whether that means by reasonable accommodation or Disability Retirement.
• Apply for a reasonable accommodation – A reasonable accommodation is just a modification in either your job duties and/or your work environment which would allow you to perform all the duties of your job. With documented reasonable accommodation, you may help protect against poor work reviews.
• Federal Disability Retirement – If you’ve been struggling at work because of your medical conditions, you may want to consider Federal Disability Retirement, which would:
  • 1. Let you keep getting a portion of your monthly salary
    2. Allow you to keep your health and life insurance
    3. Allow you to keep gaining years of service until you reach regular retirement age
    4. Allows you to get another job in the private sector which lets you prioritize your health needs
• Immediate, Phased, or Early Retirement – There are several other kinds of retirement FERS employees are able to take. If you’re struggling with work, and you’ve met the qualifications, it might be time to consider one of these. You can find out more about your retirement options here.

Reach out for help as soon as possible

If you’re confused about any of these new executive orders, or about your retirement options, we’d be more than happy to meet with you over the phone for a 100% free consultation.

We have decades of experience with thousands of different kinds of cases, and we know the system. Give us a call today or send us a message and find peace of mind about your future.