OPM Asking For List of Probationary Employees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my SF-50 says I have “tenure” am I non-probation?

This is so confusing. I’ve been in my current role less than a year, but I’ve been with the agency and federal government for many years.

This is what I want to know as well. What's determines if you are on probation, getting a new job anywhere even though you've been employed with the fed gov for many many years.

My DH had to go back on one year probation because he was promoted to management. During the Biden admin, the new feds started have two years worth of probation..

This is not accurate.

Supervisory probation is a separate category. You can’t be terminated without appeal rights, only demoted back down to non-supervisory.

The regular probation is still one year. It’s only two years for excepted service positions like attorneys.

[Anonymous]

My agency's rulebook says probation applies on first fed appointment or appointment as supervisor.

So, to the people above, if you're a transfer with tenure, you might be non-probationary. It probably varies by agency.

[Anonymous]

So someone is currently in a probationary status a result of a promotion, but immediately preceding worked several years in a competitive service appointment, are they OK?

[Anonymous]

So what kind of numbers are we looking at here? How many probationary one-year employees are we looking at? 200k? I have heard and read several different totals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my SF-50 says I have “tenure” am I non-probation?

This is so confusing. I’ve been in my current role less than a year, but I’ve been with the agency and federal government for many years.

This is what I want to know as well. What's determines if you are on probation, getting a new job anywhere even though you've been employed with the fed gov for many many years.

This says a 1 in box 24 means non probation.
https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50

How to read your SF-50
Your appointment type
Tenure - Block 24
On your SF-50, look for Block 24 named "Tenure". You may see a 0, 1, 2, 3 or asterisk.

A 0 indicates that you may be in the Senior Executive Service or appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. You may also be in a group that is not defined in The Guide to Data Standards.
A 1 indicates that you're a permanent, career employee and have completed three years of service.
A 2 indicates that you're a career-conditional employee. You're in a permanent position, but you haven't completed three years of service yet and may still be in your probation period.
A 3 indicates that may be on a temporary or term appointment.
An asterisk indicates that you were appointed through a specific hiring authority that deviates from the above.

Thanks for posting, but LOL #2 - where does this three years of service come from (is that like vesting for TSP or something?) Love the you MAY still be in your probation period.

Oh, also, I think HR might not always be so good updating. I was at my job for more than three years and my SF-50 still showed a “2”

[Anonymous]

They aren't looking for your run of the mill people to fire from the probation list. They are looking for newly hired upper level GS who may have influence on policy, etc. Known people associated with the Biden administration. Agency leadership will flag those people for removal. Hopefully, they will also get rid of some poor performers across the board, although with the hiring freeze also in effect...a warm body is a warm body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They aren't looking for your run of the mill people to fire from the probation list. They are looking for newly hired upper level GS who may have influence on policy, etc. Known people associated with the Biden administration. Agency leadership will flag those people for removal. Hopefully, they will also get rid of some poor performers across the board, although with the hiring freeze also in effect...a warm body is a warm body.

No. They are looking for people to fire. A low level manager at one agency reported on Reddit that they were asked to mark up lists of employees as retain/do not retain. It was in the news a month ago that DOGE was considering a mass firing of probationary employees to make a quick show of cost cutting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They aren't looking for your run of the mill people to fire from the probation list. They are looking for newly hired upper level GS who may have influence on policy, etc. Known people associated with the Biden administration. Agency leadership will flag those people for removal. Hopefully, they will also get rid of some poor performers across the board, although with the hiring freeze also in effect...a warm body is a warm body.

No, that's schedule F. This is clearly intended to be a blunt tool for reducing the number of feds.

If you really want to bend over backwards to give this administration the benefit of the doubt, then maybe this is just a hollow threat intended as leverage on the agency downsizing plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They aren't looking for your run of the mill people to fire from the probation list. They are looking for newly hired upper level GS who may have influence on policy, etc. Known people associated with the Biden administration. Agency leadership will flag those people for removal. Hopefully, they will also get rid of some poor performers across the board, although with the hiring freeze also in effect...a warm body is a warm body.

This is highly unlikely to be the case with this request. Probationary employees at certain agencies, and for sure certain offices within certain agencies, have a good chance of getting axed.

[Anonymous]

Does this include PSCs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is Amanda Scales at OPM?

I really hope this is just a coincidence. https://washingtonprogram.ucdavis.edu/alumni/amanda-scales

She stripped down her LinkedIn. It calls her “Amanda S.”

Weak tea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my SF-50 says I have “tenure” am I non-probation?

This is so confusing. I’ve been in my current role less than a year, but I’ve been with the agency and federal government for many years.

This is what I want to know as well. What's determines if you are on probation, getting a new job anywhere even though you've been employed with the fed gov for many many years.

You need to look at the SF-50 from when you moved to the new position and see if it mentions probation anywhere in the remarks section. It will specifically say if you’re subject to a new probationary period and for how long. If it says nothing, you’re fine (assuming you weren’t still in probation at the old job before you moved).

How long is the typical civil service probationary period? I thougnt it was 1 year for career conditional but an above comment indicates 3 years? The remarks on my SF50 only state the clock began on X date.

[Anonymous]

What about all the people in leave all the time—FMLA, then sick, then LWOP, then late, then leaving early every week? Obviously working the system? (And I support all the leaves but one person taking this many is a bit much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about all the people in leave all the time—FMLA, then sick, then LWOP, then late, then leaving early every week? Obviously working the system? (And I support all the leaves but one person taking this many is a bit much

You’re upset at people taking their earned leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about all the people in leave all the time—FMLA, then sick, then LWOP, then late, then leaving early every week? Obviously working the system? (And I support all the leaves but one person taking this many is a bit much

When you remove workplace flexibilities you're going to force people into taking more leave.