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OPM outlines expectations, timeline for agencies to adopt Trump’s changes on probationary employees

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5 months ago

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Agencies are facing a roughly two-week deadline to show the Trump administration how they plan to implement coming changes for probationary employees.

By May 16, agencies are expected to report their plans for adding a new “affirmative” certification requirement for probationary employees. Agencies are also expected to detail how they intend to train supervisors and HR practitioners on the coming changes, according to new guidance the Office of Personnel Management published Tuesday.

The guidance outlines more detailed expectations for agencies to update how they manage probationary periods following President Donald Trump’s executive order last Thursday. That order called for the creation of “Civil Service Rule XI” and added a hurdle for probationary employees to clear before they become tenured employees. Agencies will now be required to review and actively sign off on probationary workers’ continued employment before they can reach a tenured employment status.

“Agencies are to use probationary and trial periods as an extension of the hiring process that requires agency certification before employees continue their federal employment beyond the probationary or trial period,” OPM’s new guidance reads.

OPM also specified the four key factors agencies need to consider when deciding whether a probationary employee should keep their job:

  • An employee’s performance and conduct
  • Needs and interests of the agency
  • Whether the employee’s continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the government
  • Whether the employee’s continued employment would advance the efficiency of the service

Under current regulations, probationary employees can only be removed from their jobs for performance or conduct. But OPM now states that “agencies may decide not to finalize a probationer’s employment for reasons unrelated to their personal performance or conduct, such as the operational needs of the agency.”

Additionally, if agencies decide to remove probationary employees based on one of those reasons, they no longer need to tell probationary employees why they are being let go. Only the effective date has to be disclosed to probationary employees, which could be as soon as “immediately.”

“There is no longer a requirement that the employing agency provide a terminated probationer with ‘the agency’s conclusions as to the inadequacies of his performance or conduct,’” the guidance states.

OPM’s guidance also includes several new templates agencies can give to probationary employees, depending on whether they are approved for continued service once they reach the end of their probationary period. The template for probationary employees who get terminated aligns with the new directions that agencies no longer have to give a reason for a termination.

Template of termination notice to probationary employee. (Source: Office of Personnel Management)

The updates stemming from the executive order also remove a requirement for agencies to notify probationary employees in the competitive service “of the reasons for a proposed adverse action when it is based on pre-appointment conditions,” OPM wrote in Tuesday’s guidance.

Moving forward, probationary employees will also have to meet with an agency head — or a designee — prior to the end of the probationary period to discuss the prospects of their continued employment. The new guidance will apply to employees whose probationary periods end on or after July 23, OPM said.

“I do at least hope that these decisions get put back in the supervisor’s hands,” Debra D’Agostino, a partner at Federal Practice Group, said in an interview last week. “This should be a supervisory decision because the supervisor is the one actually working with this employee, seeing this employee’s work, knowing if this person’s performance is up to snuff and if they are a good fit with the role. This should not be a decision made by OPM.”

The changes come after tens of thousands of probationary employees were terminated from their jobs on the basis of “performance.” Agencies’ rationale for letting go of probationary employees resulted in multiple lawsuits that led to the employees’ initial reinstatements, many of which were later walked back.

OPM also plans to set the regulations for how and when probationary employees can appeal their terminations, according to the new guidance.

“The director of OPM may by regulation prescribe circumstances under and procedures by which employees terminated from a probationary or trial period may appeal such termination,” OPM wrote. “Except as otherwise required by law, such appeals shall be the sole and exclusive means of appealing terminations during probationary or trial periods.”

The post OPM outlines expectations, timeline for agencies to adopt Trump’s changes on probationary employees first appeared on Federal News Network.

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Politics

President Trump Taps Dr. Ben Carson for New Role — A HUGE Win for America First Agenda

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3 hours ago

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September 25, 2025

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Dr. Ben Carson is the newest member of the Trump administration.

On Wednesday, former Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, was sworn in as the national adviser for nutrition, health, and housing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shared that Carson’s role will be to oversee Trump’s new Big Beautiful Bill law, which aims to ensure Americans’ quality of life, from nutrition to stable housing.

After being sworn in, Carson shared, “Today, too many Americans are suffering from the effects of poor nutrition. Through common-sense policymaking, we have an opportunity to give our most vulnerable families the tools they need to flourish.”

Table of Contents

WATCH:

Per USDA:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D., was sworn in as the National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“There is no one more qualified than Dr. Carson to advise on policies that improve Americans’ everyday quality of life, from nutrition to healthcare quality to ensuring families have access to safe and stable housing,” said Secretary Rollins.

“With six in ten Americans living with at least one chronic disease, and rural communities facing unique challenges with respect to adequate housing, Dr. Carson’s insight and experience is critical. Dr. Carson will be crucial to implementing the rural health investment provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill and advise on America First polices related to nutrition, health, and housing.

“As the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first Trump Administration, Dr. Carson worked to expand opportunity and strengthen communities, and we are honored to welcome him to the second Trump Administration to help lead our efforts here at USDA to Make America Healthy Again and ensure rural America continues to prosper.”

“Today, too many Americans are suffering from the effects of poor nutrition. Through common-sense policymaking, we have an opportunity to give our most vulnerable families the tools they need to flourish,” said Dr. Ben Carson. “I am honored to work with Secretary Rollins on these important initiatives to help fulfill President Trump’s vision for a healthier, stronger America.”

On Sunday, Dr. Carson was one of the many speakers at the memorial service of the late TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.

During the memorial service, Carson highlighted that Kirk was shot at 12:24 p.m. and then continued to share the Bible verse John 12:24, which reads, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

WATCH:

The post President Trump Taps Dr. Ben Carson for New Role — A HUGE Win for America First Agenda appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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LEAKED MEMO: Deep State Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia Claim There Isn’t Enough Evidence to Convict Comey Amid Reports of Imminent Indictment

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3 hours ago

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September 25, 2025

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On Wednesday evening, disgruntled officials in the Eastern District of Virginia leaked contents of a memo explaining why charges should not be brought against James Comey.

As reported earlier, former FBI Director James Comey is expected to be indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in the next few days.

Comey will reportedly be charged for lying to Congress in a 2020 testimony about whether he authorized leaks to the media.

Officials in the Eastern District of Virginia are still fighting to stop Comey from being charged after Trump fired US Attorney Erik Siebert.

President Trump last week fired Erik Siebert as the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia because he refused to bring charges against Letitia James, Comey, Schiff and others.

On Saturday evening, President Trump announced that he had appointed Lindsey Halligan – his personal attorney who defended him against the Mar-a-Lago raid – as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Now, with just days to go before the statute of limitations runs out to charge Comey for lying during a September 30, 2020 testimony, Lindsey Halligan is reportedly gearing up to indict Comey.

Prosecutors reportedly gave newly sworn-in Halligan a memo defending James Comey and explaining why charges should not brought against the fired FBI Director.

Per MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian:

Two sources familiar with the matter tell me prosecutors in the EDVA US attorney‘s office presented newly sworn US attorney Lindsey Halligan with a memo explaining why charges should not be brought against James Comey, because there isn’t enough evidence to establish probable cause a crime was committed, let alone enough to convince a jury to convict him.

Justice Department guidelines say a case should not be brought unless prosecutors believe it’s more likely than not that they can win a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.

The post LEAKED MEMO: Deep State Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia Claim There Isn’t Enough Evidence to Convict Comey Amid Reports of Imminent Indictment appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Nearly 8 in 10 Voters Say the United States is in Political Crisis After the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

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4 hours ago

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September 25, 2025

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Nearly eight in ten voters believe that the United States is in a political crisis in the wake of the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk.

According to a Quinnipiac University national poll of registered voters released on Wednesday, a massive 93 percent of Democrats, 84 percent of independents, and 60 percent of Republicans said the nation is in a political crisis.

“The Kirk assassination lays bare raw, bipartisan concerns about where the country is headed,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said of the poll results.

Quinnipiac reports:

Seventy-one percent of voters think politically motivated violence in the United States today is a very serious problem, 22 percent think it is a somewhat serious problem, 3 percent think it is a not so serious problem, and 1 percent think it is not a problem at all.

This is a jump from Quinnipiac University’s June 26 poll when 54 percent thought politically motivated violence in the United States today was a very serious problem, 37 percent thought it was a somewhat serious problem, 6 percent thought it was a not so serious problem, and 2 percent thought it was not a problem at all.

Nearly 6 in 10 voters (58 percent) think it will not be possible to lower the temperature on political rhetoric and speech in the United States, while 34 percent think it will be possible.

Over half, 54 percent, of voters believe the US will see increased political violence over the next few years. Another 27 percent said they think it will stay “about the same,” while just 14 percent believe it will ease.

A 53 percent majority also said they are “pessimistic about freedom of speech being protected in the United States.”

Surprisingly, a 53 percent majority also believes the current system of democracy is not working.

“From a perceived assault on freedom of speech to the fragility of the democracy, a shudder of concern and pessimism rattles a broad swath of the electorate. Nearly 80 percent of registered voters feel they are witnessing a political crisis, seven in ten say political violence is a very serious problem, and a majority say this discord won’t go away anytime soon,” Malloy added.

The vast majority, 82 percent, said the way that people discuss politics is contributing to the violence.

“When asked if political discourse is contributing to violence, a rare meeting of the minds…Republicans, Democrats, and independents in equal numbers say yes, it is,” Malloy said.

The survey was conducted from September 18 to 21 among 1,276 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

The post Nearly 8 in 10 Voters Say the United States is in Political Crisis After the Assassination of Charlie Kirk appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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