Separating a Probationary Employee With Hours to Spare
The Department of Homeland Security cut it perilously close when it decided to terminate a probationary employee a few hours before his probation expired.
The Department of Homeland Security cut it perilously close when it decided to terminate a probationary employee a few hours before his probation expired.
In a recent decision the Federal Circuit refused to buy a probationary employee’s argument that he should receive credit for his military service against his probation requirement in determining whether he was covered by the statutory right to appeal his probationary separation to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
The probationary period for federal employees is frequently not used by managers even though it is intended to be part of the initial hiring process. A new bill has been introduced to extend the federal government’s probationary period for new employees.
This federal employee went from getting good ratings to being terminated during his probationary period after he became involved in internal office politics. But, despite being a probationary employee, he will get his day in court after filing a complaint that he was fired for engaging in protected EEO activity.
It took four years, but the various appeals by a probationary employee who worked for the Department of Labor may be over–four years after he was separated during his probationary period.
When does an employee have to serve a new probationary period? In this case, the court told the MSPB to take a closer look at the case of an air marshal who previously worked for the Immigration Service in a job with some similarities.
New federal employees are on probation. They can be easily terminated, at least in theory. But the system isn’t working, according to a new MSPB report.
When does a probationary period begin for a federal employee if an employee is re-hired for the same job?