A regulation by the Trump administration that could speed up firing of government employees is moving toward completion.
The Office of Personnel Management’s proposal to expand suitability standards for the federal workforce entered its review by the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Wednesday, an online notice indicated. Once that evaluation is finished, the rule will be finalized and go into effect.
Developed to strengthen the vetting process for civil servants, the regulation would hold all staff on the payroll to high standards, clarifying “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.”
The proposal would authorize OPM to take “suitability actions” against current workers for transgressions happening after they’re brought on, “applying the same standards used in initial hiring vetting,” according to a fact sheet.
