BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION

**HUMAN RESOURCES**

**Portland, Oregon**

**PERSONNEL LETTER NO. 315-1 DATE:** July 20, 1998

**SUBJECT**

Probation Period for New Managers and Supervisors

**I PURPOSE OF ISSUANCE**

The purpose is to establish policy and procedures for administering the
probationary period for new managers and supervisors.

**II**. **PURPOSE OF REVISION**

To adapt BPAM Chapter 400/315C, dated 7-6-88, to Personnel Letter
format, and to clearly define roles and responsibilities.

**III. POLICY AND DELEGATED AUTHORITIES**

It is BPA policy to require all employees permanently assigned to
supervisory or managerial positions to satisfactorily complete a
probationary period unless otherwise exempt according to provisions of
this letter. Separate probationary periods are required for supervisory
and managerial positions. However, successful completion of a managerial
probationary period satisfies any further requirement to serve a
supervisory probationary period. New supervisors and managers will be
provided appropriate guidance, counseling, and training in accordance
with applicable rules and regulations. See BPAM Chapter 400/700A,
Employee Relations Program, for policy and delegated authorities for
removing employees during their supervisory/managerial probationary
periods.

**IV. REFERENCES**

5 U.S.C., Chapter 33, Subchapter I, Section 3321, Competitive Service,
Probationary Period

5 CFR Part 315, Subpart H, Probation on Initial Appointment to a
Competitive Position

5 CFR Part 315, Subpart I, Probation on Initial Appointment to a
Supervisory or Managerial Position

5 CFR 410, Employee Development

5 CFR 412, Managerial, Supervisory, and Executive Development

5 CFR 353, Restoration to Duty

Office of Personnel Management (OPM), General Schedule Supervisory Guide
(GSSG) of April 1998

OPM, Job Grading Standards for Supervisors (WS) of December 1992

BPAM Chapter 400/700A, Employee Relations Program

BPAM Chapter 400/300A, Employment

BPAM Chapter 400/410, Employee Development

BPAM Chapter 400/430, Performance Appraisal

Personnel Letter 315-2, Probationary Period for New Employees

Personnel Letter 410-9, Bonneville Power Administration Employee
Development

MAS Handbook Chapter 9, Termination during Probationary Periods

**V. DEFINITIONS**

A. [Managerial/Supervisory Positions]{.underline}: Managerial and
supervisory positions have the meaning given them in the GSSG or in the
Job Grading Standards for Supervisors (WS).

B. [Supervisor/Managerial Probationary Periods]{.underline}: The first
year of service as a newly appointed supervisor or manager in the
competitive service.

**VI. RESPONSIBILITIES**

A. [Human Resources]{.underline}:

1\. Provides advisory services on the requirements and administration of
the probationary period.

2\. Conducts reviews to evaluate program effectiveness.

3\. Determines whether new supervisors and managers are subject to a
probationary period. This includes implementing and maintaining
appropriate documentation.

4\. Coordinates with the appropriate manager on the development of
managers and supervisors.

5\. Coordinates with management on placement of employees who do not
satisfactorily complete probationary periods.

6\. Advises and assists management in removing probationary supervisors
and managers from their positions for failure to satisfactorily complete
probationary periods.

B. [Supervisors and Managers]{.underline}:

1\. Provide the new supervisor or manager with a full and fair
opportunity to demonstrate his/her capacity to perform satisfactorily as
a supervisor or manager.

2\. Orient the new supervisor or manager to his/her work environment and
job assignments, and provide expectations, guidance, and formal and/or
informal training to assist the employee in developing his/her skills,
knowledge and abilities to perform effectively as a supervisor or
manager.

3\. Observe the employee's conduct and performance as a supervisor or
manager and discuss his/her progress at frequent intervals.

4\. Complete the required 2-month and 10-month supervisory reports as
prescribed in Section VIII.

5\. In consultation with the Employee Relations staff, take timely
action to return an employee to a non-supervisory/non-managerial
position if he/she demonstrates during the probationary period that
his/her performance, conduct, or capacity does not suit him/her for
satisfactory service as a supervisor or manager.

**VII. SERVICE CREDITED TOWARD PROBATIONARY PERIOD**

A. [Length of Probationary Period]{.underline}. An employee must serve a
probationary period of 12 continuous months upon initial assignment to a
permanent supervisory and/or managerial position.

B. [Creditable Service]{.underline}. Service in a supervisory or
managerial position will be credited in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 315,
Subpart I. Time served as a supervisor does not exempt an employee from
probation in a subsequent managerial position.

Employees transferring from other Federal agencies who submit
documentation of satisfactory completion of a managerial or supervisory
probationary period for which they are appointed are not required to
serve a new probationary period.

Temporary assignment to a supervisory or managerial position that
immediately precedes an appointment to a permanent supervisory or
managerial position, may count towards the completion of the supervisory
or managerial probationary period as long as:

• The individual was officially assigned to the position (e.g., a
temporary promotion, temporary assignment);

• The temporary assignment was in excess of 120 days;

• There was no break between the temporary and the permanent assignment;
and

• The temporary supervisory/managerial duties during the temporary
assignment were satisfactorily performed.

**VIII. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS**

A Personnel Action (SF-50) to place an employee into a supervisory or
managerial position for the first time includes appropriate remarks to
document the employee's probationary period. In addition, the
probationary period is documented by the 2-month and 10-months
Supervisory or Managerial Probation Reports that are sent through
administrative channels to Human Resources and placed into the file
maintained for probation reports.

Vacancy notices for supervisory and managerial positions will annotate
probationary period requirements.

**IX. EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE DURING PROBATIONARY PERIOD**

Evaluation of supervisory or managerial performance is based only on the
supervisory or managerial aspects of the position. In addition to the
required 2-month and 10-month documentation, supervisors/managers of
probationary employees will keep probationers advised of their progress
or lack thereof, and will suggest remedial actions if they appear to be
needed.

**X. FAILURE TO SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD**

A. [Decision and Notice of Action]{.underline}. If, after a reasonable
trial during the probationary period, the new supervisor's or manager's
performance demonstrates supervisory or managerial deficiencies which
make him or her unsuitable for continued employment in the position,
action must be taken to return the employee to a
non-supervisory/non-managerial position. Such action should be taken as
soon as these facts become apparent, and in sufficient time for the
probationer to be notified and for action to be taken before the
probationary period expires. If the effective date of the action is
after the end of the probationary period, the termination may be subject
to the full performance-based action procedures described in Personnel
Letter 432-1.

The employee must be given notice in writing of the decision to return
him/her to a non-supervisory/non-managerial position. The memo should
describe the supervisory or managerial performance that was
unsatisfactory and provide sufficient factual information to describe
the basis for the decision. The supervisor/manager of the probationer
prepares the memo with the assistance of the Employee Relations staff.
BPAM Chapter 400/700A specifies the managerial level that has been
delegated the authority to reassign or demote an employee during
supervisor/managerial probation.

B. [Placement and Pay Setting upon Reassignment or Demotion from
Supervisory/ Managerial Position]{.underline}. The employee will be
assigned to a position in BPA at no lower grade and pay than the one the
employee left to accept the supervisory or managerial position. An
employee who was demoted into a supervisory or managerial position and
subsequently does not succeed because of unsatisfactory supervisory or
managerial performance shall be reassigned to a position at the same
grade and pay as the position in which he/she was serving probation.
Employees who do not satisfactorily complete their probationary period,
and who are returned to their former grade are not entitled to grade or
pay retention. The highest previous rate rule does not apply to these
situations.

C. [Subsequent Assignments as Supervisor or Manager]{.underline}. An
employee's failure to measure up to the requirements of his/her first
supervisory/managerial position should not reflect upon his/her ability
to fit successfully into another position with supervisory or managerial
responsibilities under different circumstances.

D. [Relation to New Employee Probationary Period (Under 5, CFR 315, Part
H)]{.underline}. When a career-conditional probationary period and a
supervisory/managerial probationary period are served concurrently, the
career-conditional probationary period has precedence. Action to
separate an employee who is serving probationary periods concurrently
must be taken under the procedures of 5 CFR, Part 315, Subpart H (See
Personnel Letter 315-2).

Veronica L. Williams

Manager, Human Resources