AAMC Submits Comments on Proposed Removal of Civil Service Protections

The AAMC submitted a May 23 letter (PDF) in response to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) proposed rule, “Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service.” The proposed rule would permit the reclassification of policy-influencing positions into a new “Schedule Policy/Career” category, rendering them as at-will positions exempted from civil service protections and appeals processes. While the OPM stated that this rule is intended to allow agencies to expeditiously address misconduct and poor performance, the AAMC raised concerns that the changes could negatively impact the stability, impartiality, and institutional knowledge of the federal workforce, particularly within agencies essential to academic medicine. The association urged the OPM to withdraw the rule and undertake a comprehensive impact assessment before proceeding with such sweeping changes.