Strengthening Probationary Periods in the Federal Service
Headline: Agencies Must Certify Probationary Employees Before Finalizing Appointments
What it does: Agencies must certify in writing before probation or trial periods end that continued employment advances the public interest, or the employee's service terminates.
- New federal hires may be automatically separated if agencies do not certify.
- Managers must meet with probationary employees about performance at least 60 days prior.
- Old procedural limits are removed, giving agencies clearer authority to terminate probationers.
Summary
This order requires federal agencies to use probationary and trial periods to evaluate new hires and to certify in writing before those periods end that keeping an employee serves the public interest; otherwise the employee’s service ends automatically. It applies to newly hired or reinstated employees in the competitive and excepted services, agency managers who evaluate them, and the Office of Personnel Management, which will replace the old rule with a new Civil Service Rule XI. The change aims to remove poor performers earlier and strengthen government accountability; review and certification steps take effect in 90 days.
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