Is Your Federal Job on the 8,000-Person At-Will List?

Last Updated: June 7, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min

On June 3, 2026, an executive order moved roughly 8,000 federal positions into Schedule Policy/Career, stripping their civil service protections and making them effectively at-will. The White House published the full list as a 229-page appendix, so for the first time you can check whether your own job is on it. Here is the exact step-by-step to find out, and what it means if your position is there.

Key Takeaways

• The list is public. A 229-page White House appendix names affected positions by agency and position description (PD) code.
• Check it with your SF-50. Find your PD number, then search the appendix for your agency and that number.
• 4,800 PDs, ~8,000 people. The appendix lists about 4,800 position descriptions; the real headcount is higher because employees share PD codes.
• 97% are GS-15 or Senior Level, plus some GS-13/14 roles at OMB.
• If you're on it, your MSPB appeal rights are already gone. Your FERS pension, FEHB, TSP, and severance eligibility stay.
• If you're not on it, you're not permanently safe. The order allows future additions.

What Just Happened (the Short Version)

Schedule Policy/Career is the successor to what was proposed as "Schedule F." It pulls covered positions out of the competitive service and into the excepted service, which removes the appeal and notice protections that career federal employees normally have. The June 3 order didn't just create the category; it named about 8,000 specific positions and made the change effective immediately.

This post is the practical "is it me, and what do I do" guide. For the full rule, the benefits impact, and the lawsuits, see our companions: Schedule Policy/Career and Your Benefits and the Schedule F Employee Guide.

The 4,800 vs 8,000 Gap Nobody Explains

Here is the detail that trips people up, and the one most news coverage skips.

The appendix lists roughly 4,800 position description (PD) codes. The White House says roughly 8,000 employees are affected. Both numbers are right, because they count different things. A single PD code can be held by many employees. At a large agency, one generic "GS-15 Program Manager" or "GS-15 Attorney Advisor" description might cover three, five, or ten people.

The appendix lists about 4,800 position descriptions. The White House says about 8,000 employees are affected. The gap is multiple employees sharing a single PD code. 4,800 PDs does not mean 4,800 people.

The appendix does not publish per-PD headcounts, so the true number sits somewhere around 8,000 or higher, and you can't tell from the document how many of your colleagues share your code. What you can tell is a clean yes or no for your own position.

How to Check If Your Position Is on the List

This is the part the news articles leave out. It takes about 20 minutes.

Step 1: Get your most recent SF-50

Your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) is your official employment record. You want the latest one.

• eOPF: eopf.opm.gov is the central federal HR self-service system. Some agencies (many DoD components) use their own HR portal instead.
• Your own files: any recent promotion, step increase, or pay adjustment notice is an SF-50.
• Ask HR: if you can't get into eOPF, request your most recent SF-50 directly.

Step 2: Find your Position Description (PD) number

On the SF-50, look for the field labeled "Position Description Number" (commonly Box 22, though the label matters more than the box). The PD number is the standalone number before any dash-separated sequence, often 5 to 8 digits, sometimes with an agency prefix.

Can't find it? Ask HR directly: "What is my current position description number?" You're entitled to that.

Step 3: Download the White House appendix

The appendix is public: the 229-page PDF is organized by agency and sub-component.

Step 4: Search by agency, then by PD number

1. Use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to find your agency's name first.
2. Inside your agency's section, search for your PD number.
3. If your PD number appears under your agency, your position is covered.

Step 5: Confirm with HR either way

PD formats vary by agency, so if your number doesn't appear, that is not proof you're exempt. It could be a formatting difference. Agencies were required to notify affected employees within 7 days of June 3 (by about June 10). If you haven't been told anything, ask HR for written confirmation of your service designation. Reclassification shows up as a change in appointment type on your SF-50, not as a new salary or title, so it's easy to miss unless you look.

Which Agencies Are Hit Hardest

Per Federal News Network's analysis of the appendix (the appendix itself publishes no totals), the codes concentrate at a handful of agencies:

Agency	Approx. PD codes
Defense	1,600+
Homeland Security	~571
Health and Human Services	~400
Treasury	~223
Commerce	~172
Interior	~158
OMB (includes GS-13/14)	~137
Veterans Affairs	~120
Justice	~120
Transportation	~120
All others combined	~700+

Source: Federal News Network analysis of the White House appendix, June 2026. Approximate; not official OPM figures.

What You Lose, and What You Keep

If your position is reclassified, the change to your protections is immediate.

Protection lost	What it meant
MSPB appeal rights	The right to challenge a firing, suspension, or demotion before an independent board
30-day advance notice	Required notice before an adverse action
Right to reply	The chance to respond to a proposed removal
OSC whistleblower routing	Complaints now route through your agency's general counsel, a political appointee
Student loan repayment	Up to $10,000/year under 5 CFR Part 537

You keep
FERS pension (annuity keeps accruing while employed)
FEHB health insurance and the 5-year retirement rule
TSP contributions and the agency match
Severance pay eligibility for an involuntary separation
EEOC discrimination complaint rights

The whistleblower statute (5 USC 2302(b)(8)) still exists on paper, but routing enforcement through agency counsel creates a structural conflict that the lawsuits are challenging.

If You're On the List, and If You're Not

On the list: you were reclassified as of June 3. Check your eOPF for an updated SF-50 showing the move to excepted service. If you might be separated, know your numbers ahead of time. Use our Severance Pay Calculator to estimate a payout (note: if you're eligible for an immediate retirement annuity, severance generally doesn't apply), and the FERS Calculator to see your pension at different retirement ages.

Not on the list: you keep full protections for now, but the order lets agency heads petition OPM to add positions, and plaintiffs argue there's no stated limit on future rounds. The roles most likely to be added next: GS-14 and GS-15 policy-adjacent jobs, senior advisors, legislative affairs, communications, budget analysis, and labor/employee relations specialists. Four organizations (AFGE, NTEU, PEER, and the Government Accountability Project) have sued; as of June 2026 no court had blocked implementation, though that could change quickly.

Know Your Number Before You Need It

If your position is on the list, the worst time to learn what you're owed is the day you're walked out. Use our free Severance Pay Calculator to model your potential payout by years of service, age, and salary, so you're not guessing under pressure.

Estimate your severance →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my position was reclassified into Schedule Policy/Career?

Check the public White House appendix (a 229-page PDF). Find your position description (PD) number on your SF-50, then search the appendix for your agency and that PD number. Your agency was also required to notify you within 7 days of the June 3, 2026 order, so if you haven't heard from HR, ask for written confirmation of your current service designation.

The appendix lists 4,800 PD codes, but the White House says 8,000 employees. Which is right?

Both, because they measure different things. The appendix contains about 4,800 position description codes, but one PD code can cover several employees. A "GS-15 Program Manager" description at a large agency might apply to three, five, or ten people. The roughly 8,000 figure is the estimated headcount. The appendix does not publish per-PD employee counts, so the exact total can't be verified from the public document.

What rights do I lose if my position is on the list?

The biggest losses are your MSPB appeal rights, your 30-day advance notice before termination, your right to reply to a proposed removal, and direct access to the Office of Special Counsel for whistleblower complaints. You also lose the agency-paid student loan repayment benefit. You keep your FERS pension, FEHB, TSP, EEOC complaint rights, and severance pay eligibility for an involuntary separation.

If my position is NOT on the list, am I safe from future reclassification?

Not permanently. The order lets agency heads petition OPM to add positions, and OPM's director can recommend expansion to the President. Positions most likely to be added later are GS-14 and GS-15 policy-adjacent roles: senior advisors, legislative affairs, communications, budget analysis, and labor/employee relations specialists.

If I'm reclassified and then separated, am I still eligible for severance?

Usually yes for an involuntary separation, but with caveats. Schedule Policy/Career employees keep federal severance eligibility, but you generally cannot collect severance if you're eligible for an immediate retirement annuity, and a separation classified as performance or misconduct may not qualify. Model your potential payout with our Severance Calculator and confirm the separation type in writing with HR.

Related Resources

• Schedule Policy/Career and Your Benefits: What reclassification does to your FEHB, TSP, and pension
• Schedule F Employee Guide: The underlying rule framework and the lawsuits
• Severance Pay Calculator: Estimate your payout if you're separated
• FERS Retirement Calculator: See your pension at different retirement ages

---

This article is general information, not legal advice. If your position has been reclassified and you're facing an adverse action, consult a federal employment attorney. Sources: White House Executive Order, White House Appendix (PDF), Federal News Network, FedSmith, GovExec, OPM Schedule Policy/Career. Agency PD counts are FNN estimates; legal-challenge status is as of June 2026 and may change.