OPM Asking For List of Probationary Employees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

You might want to have your HR update your SF-50. A while back my agency was doing an audit and realized that people had finished their probationary periods but they never updated the SF-50 to show it and they fixed it as soon as it was caught. In these times, I suggest bringing it up to someone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

You might want to have your HR update your SF-50. A while back my agency was doing an audit and realized that people had finished their probationary periods but they never updated the SF-50 to show it and they fixed it as soon as it was caught. In these times, I suggest bringing it up to someone

Agreed. Though conditional is not the same as probationary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

You might want to have your HR update your SF-50. A while back my agency was doing an audit and realized that people had finished their probationary periods but they never updated the SF-50 to show it and they fixed it as soon as it was caught. In these times, I suggest bringing it up to someone

Agreed. Though conditional is not the same as probationary.

Correct. All probationary employees are conditional, but not vice versa. Conditional means that you have been in your position for less than three years (which is untrue in OP’s case, so it should be fixed). But this would only matter if OP was applying for other fed jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

You might want to have your HR update your SF-50. A while back my agency was doing an audit and realized that people had finished their probationary periods but they never updated the SF-50 to show it and they fixed it as soon as it was caught. In these times, I suggest bringing it up to someone

This happened to me. I just happened to spot it when looking at a new SF-50. I had been in my job for 15 years and none of us had caught it. I told HR and it took them like a year to fix.

[Anonymous]

When they fire someone in the probationary period, is there any access to unemployment benefits? Does pay get cut off immediately??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Probationary periods are spelled out at the outset.
Being on leave should count.

[Anonymous]

Do we think employees on probation in the DoD are in the crosshairs as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is not always true - I know some have reported that their sf-50s include info about probationary period, but mine does not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When they fire someone in the probationary period, is there any access to unemployment benefits? Does pay get cut off immediately??

You’ll get unemployment benefits if you’re laid off. There are lots of job opportunities in the private sector. You can also apply for jobs at the White House or seek to become a political appointee in a federal agency.

[Anonymous]

SF-50, box 24, and 1 is what you want to see right?

[Anonymous]

Can the laid off probationary people (presuming they are going to be laid off) apply at DOD?

[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.

Incorrect. They are looking to reduce the number of fed employees in a massive way.