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HHS Shifts Senior Staff to At-Will, Plans 12,000 Hires

5/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

HHS announced it will move senior staff into an at-will classification before an executive order.
HHS began converting selected GS-15 employees to Schedule Policy/Career, reducing protections and mirroring President Donald Trump’s Schedule F plan.
Officials say the conversion targets a modest number of positions, with up to 50,000 workers projected for eventual reclassification.
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to hire 12,000 employees to fill gaps created by recent layoffs.

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Story summary

HHS announced it will move senior staff into an at-will classification before an executive order.
HHS began converting selected GS-15 employees to Schedule Policy/Career, reducing protections and mirroring President Donald Trump’s Schedule F plan.
Officials say the conversion targets a modest number of positions, with up to 50,000 workers projected for eventual reclassification.
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to hire 12,000 employees to fill gaps created by recent layoffs.