Full Breakdown
HHS Begins Schedule P/C Conversions Amid New Layoffs
5/19/2026, 7:15:38 AM
Conversions Begin
On Friday, HHS emailed supervisors that it will start reclassifying a limited set of GS-15 positions to Schedule Policy/Career (Schedule P/C), removing many civil-service protections. The notice said the first wave will affect “hundreds, not thousands” of senior staff, with more tranches planned.
Scope & Numbers
Officials estimate up to 50,000 employees could eventually be moved to Schedule P/C, while HHS’s first tranche targets only “hundreds” of senior staff. The department cut roughly one-quarter of its workforce in 2025—about 20,000 workers—through layoffs and incentives. The Partnership for Public Service notes a near-30 % decline in the Senior Executive Service since 2025, while the political-appointee corps is at its largest size in decades.
Responses & Criticism
An HHS official said the reclassifications are based on the nature of a position, not individual performance, and aim to strengthen accountability for policy-influencing roles. The changes will take effect only after President Trump signs an executive order. Civil-service advocates warn the move could replace career staff with political appointees, eroding protections, and note the timing alongside a round of reductions in force that lack selection criteria.
Layoff Reports
A video from NIH staff shows the latest reductions targeted employees who had taken a retirement incentive and thus avoided the 2025 cuts. Those workers were described as the only ones in their departments not laid off in April 2025. A CDC employee said supervisors assumed the retention of certain staff was an oversight, leading to their dismissal after a 90-day off-boarding period.
Conflicts & Gaps
HHS has not disclosed the precise number of employees affected by the latest reductions in force or the exact criteria used for selection. The timing of the executive order that would activate Schedule P/C remains unspecified, leaving the overall impact on job security and agency operations unclear.
Quotes
- “Conversion to Schedule P/C is based on the nature of a position, not the performance or conduct of an individual.” — HHS email to supervisors
- “These actions are administrative in nature and are not intended to be punitive or to signal concerns about an employee’s work.” — HHS email to supervisors
- “This will strengthen accountability for positions with significant policy-influencing responsibilities and applies to a relatively modest number of positions.” — HHS official, statement to Government Executive
- “Often these people were the only person in their entire department that wasn’t RIF’d last April.” — Jenna Norton, NIH employee (personal capacity)
Next Steps
HHS will issue further conversion notices after the pending executive order is signed. The department will also begin hiring the 12,000 staff pledged by Secretary Kennedy, while watchdog groups monitor the effect of Schedule P/C on civil-service stability.
