On Monday, the President Donald Trump administration proposed a rule that would remove independent oversight for federal employees facing layoffs, shifting review authority to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
MSPB Appeals Eliminated For Federal Layoffs
Under the proposed rule, federal workers fired through a Reduction in Force (RIF) would no longer be able to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the independent board that has historically ensured fair treatment.
Employees also would be barred from taking their cases to federal court.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the nation's largest federal employee union, criticized the move, reported The Hill.
"Eliminating independent review of federal RIF actions would not only make it harder for employees to challenge their proposed terminations, but would essentially give the administration free rein to terminate huge swaths of the federal workforce without meaningful independent oversight," Kelley said.
OPM To Centralize Layoff Review
The proposed rule would have OPM handle all appeals through its small Merit System Accountability and Compliance section, replacing the MSPB process that has historically been conducted by independent judges.
OPM defended the rule as a way to streamline layoffs and speed up resolutions.
"It replaces a slow, costly process with a single, streamlined review led by OPM experts," an OPM spokesperson said.
Jenny Mattingley of the Partnership for Public Service noted the change would " really blurring the lines" between oversight and agency management.
She questioned whether MSAC has the resources and independence to handle the appeals fairly.
Mass Federal Layoffs And Resignations Shake Government Operations
Last year, the Trump administration laid off thousands of federal workers during the 10th day of the U.S. government shutdown, with over 4,200 employees at agencies including Treasury, Health, Education, and Homeland Security receiving notices.
White House budget director Russell Vought saidt "The RIFs have begun," while Trump described the cuts as “Democrat-oriented.”
In addition, about 100,000 federal employees resigned as part of a program started at the beginning of Trump's second term, coinciding with a key congressional funding deadline.
The departures disrupted services at agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration and pushed many former workers into the private sector.
These moves reflected the administration's efforts to cut federal bureaucracy, streamline government services, enforce hiring freezes, and conduct large-scale layoffs, including the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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