OAN Staff James Meyers
10:11 AM – Monday, June 2, 2025
The Trump administration has announced a new rule that will make it easier to fire federal employees for misconduct in the workplace.
“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 memo sent out Monday read.
“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.”
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OPM says the new rule is part of the 47th president’s plan to “Implement the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative” as well as the Presidential Memorandum, “Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce.”
The office explained that the new rule will allow the federal government to take action against employees who carry out misconduct after being employed, which gives agencies “broader authority” to “flag conduct.” The administration considered misconduct, tax evasion, leaking 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.”
Additionally, the new rule will now allow federal agencies to be able to refer specific cases to OPM requesting “suitability action” against employees who have been hired and believed to have committed conduct that requires disciplinary action.
Under current law, federal employees are not considered at-will and can only be dismissed for specific reasons such as misconduct, workforce reductions, poor performance, or medical incapacity, according to Fox News.
Federal employees are also granted extensive due process rights, which makes it difficult and time-consuming for agencies to fire them.
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