OPM Asking For List of Probationary Employees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know offhand the probationary period for FDA - a lawyer in Regulatory Policy specifically CDER? And what are they doing if the lawyer went out on leave during that first year - i.e. sick leave/annual leave for maternity, followed by FMLA for the child? I mean not that anyone knows for sure what they'll too but I guess I'm asking does mat leave/FMLA affect the probationary time at all?

We’re in a different part of HHS and our boss has said that for the excepted service, which includes lawyers, the probationary period is 2 years.

I don’t know whether there are any special rules re counting maternity leave or FMLA for purposes of the probationary period. But I have researched this and spoke to HR about how leave without pay affects the computation of your years of service for pension calculations. The answer there is that you can take up to 6 months in any calendar year without it affecting the calculation. Annual leave and sick leave count the same as being in the office for the years of service number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do I look to see if I'm on probation? Is it on my SF50? I don't actually know because I took a transfer within my agency, and I don't know if my new job came with a new probationary period. I certainly hope not.

At my agency you would be on a new probationary period. I just became a manager (same office I’ve been working for 15 years) and I was told that I am on a probationary period for one year. WTF??

That’s because you became supervisory. Regular transfers don’t usually restart the probationary period.

This is not the same as the initial federal service probationary period. They can’t just let you go. Worst case you get moved to a non-supervisory position.

[Anonymous]

Does this memo apply to someone in a new fed position who has been a fed employee for over 2 decades? Sorry if this has already been answered- just stressed about everything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this memo apply to someone in a new fed position who has been a fed employee for over 2 decades? Sorry if this has already been answered- just stressed about everything

No one knows. It seems to vary by agency. My husband with almost 20 years in (some competitive, some excepted) asked at his new intel agency. They said yes he was on probation because he started with their agency less than two years ago. We're scared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this memo apply to someone in a new fed position who has been a fed employee for over 2 decades? Sorry if this has already been answered- just stressed about everything

Check your SF-50 from when you moved to your new position. It will say in the comments if you have a probation period. If it says nothing, you are fine for now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this memo apply to someone in a new fed position who has been a fed employee for over 2 decades? Sorry if this has already been answered- just stressed about everything

It depends. Some agencies make you restart your probationary period when you join and others do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many years is the probation period - does it vary by agency? Not asking for myself as I'm close to 10 years in but my group at the SEC has hired 2 fantastic junior attorneys in the last 1.5-2 yrs. Can I assume they are safely past probation? I seem to recall it being a year but genuinely can't remember.

Attorneys are excepted service so usually 2 years. Some agencies may have authority to make the period longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHERE DO WE LOOK TO SEE IF WE'RE ON PROBATION?

Your official HR hiring documentation will say if you are on probation. The probation is one year.

It can be longer than that. It depends on the position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years is the probation period - does it vary by agency? Not asking for myself as I'm close to 10 years in but my group at the SEC has hired 2 fantastic junior attorneys in the last 1.5-2 yrs. Can I assume they are safely past probation? I seem to recall it being a year but genuinely can't remember.

Attorneys are excepted service so usually 2 years. Some agencies may have authority to make the period longer.

Probationary period is 2 years at DOJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years is the probation period - does it vary by agency? Not asking for myself as I'm close to 10 years in but my group at the SEC has hired 2 fantastic junior attorneys in the last 1.5-2 yrs. Can I assume they are safely past probation? I seem to recall it being a year but genuinely can't remember.

Attorneys are excepted service so usually 2 years. Some agencies may have authority to make the period longer.

Probationary period is 2 years at DOJ.

*for attorneys*

[Anonymous]

My SF-50 says “conditional,” but I have been in a permanent job for nearly five years. I know that my first year was probationary, but I didn’t think it went beyond that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this memo apply to someone in a new fed position who has been a fed employee for over 2 decades? Sorry if this has already been answered- just stressed about everything

I’m at Commerce and when I came here (with 12 years experience at DOJ), I had a one-year problem nationally period in my new role (attorney).

[Anonymous]

Probation not problem!

[Anonymous]

Are all federal government attorneys = "excepted service" ?

Or does "excepted service" depend upon one's agency ? (For example: IRS or Treasury attorneys ?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are all federal government attorneys = "excepted service" ?

Or does "excepted service" depend upon one's agency ? (For example: IRS or Treasury attorneys ?)

All federal attorneys are excepted service. However, if they are preference eligible (veterans or certain other categories like widows of veterans), they may have only a one-year probationary period. Also, there are lots of excepted service positions other than attorneys.

OPM has a lot of information on the different service types. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/types-of-hires/

Your SF-50 would say what service you are, and whether you are preference eligible. Additionally, the job vacancy you applied for would have identified the position as in the excepted or competitive service, and whether it was permanent, temporary, or some other category.