"Trump Administration Tries to Limit Appeal Process for Fired Federal Workers"
The Trump administration is taking steps to limit the appeal process for federal workers who have been fired, further reducing their ability to challenge decisions made by the government. Under a new proposal from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), fired employees would be required to appeal directly to OPM rather than an independent review board.
This change comes as part of a broader push by Trump to shrink the federal government and limit workers' ability to challenge those decisions. In 2025, roughly 317,000 federal employees were forced out of their jobs. The administration has also proposed reclassifying high-level career civil servants as "at-will" employees, which would give it greater authority to fire officials who do not align with its agenda.
Under the OPM proposal, fired workers would have a single point of contact for appealing their termination rather than being able to seek relief through an independent review board. This streamlined process is meant to be faster and more efficient but also potentially less transparent and less accountable.
The move has been criticized as another attempt by Trump to undermine the checks and balances built into the US system, particularly in regards to the power of the executive branch. It comes amidst a period where the administration has sought to fire political appointees without just cause and is now trying to limit workers' ability to challenge those decisions.
The proposal is set to be implemented if it passes through the necessary channels, further reducing the protections afforded to federal workers who are hired at the whim of the president.
The Trump administration is taking steps to limit the appeal process for federal workers who have been fired, further reducing their ability to challenge decisions made by the government. Under a new proposal from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), fired employees would be required to appeal directly to OPM rather than an independent review board.
This change comes as part of a broader push by Trump to shrink the federal government and limit workers' ability to challenge those decisions. In 2025, roughly 317,000 federal employees were forced out of their jobs. The administration has also proposed reclassifying high-level career civil servants as "at-will" employees, which would give it greater authority to fire officials who do not align with its agenda.
Under the OPM proposal, fired workers would have a single point of contact for appealing their termination rather than being able to seek relief through an independent review board. This streamlined process is meant to be faster and more efficient but also potentially less transparent and less accountable.
The move has been criticized as another attempt by Trump to undermine the checks and balances built into the US system, particularly in regards to the power of the executive branch. It comes amidst a period where the administration has sought to fire political appointees without just cause and is now trying to limit workers' ability to challenge those decisions.
The proposal is set to be implemented if it passes through the necessary channels, further reducing the protections afforded to federal workers who are hired at the whim of the president.