Locals representing Department of Defense employees should be issuing demands to bargain regarding a new law that extends the probationary period for civilian employees from one to two years, says AFGE Defense Conference Chair Don Hale.
“Even though the probationary period has already been extended, locals should be bargaining over how employees are notified about the change and to determine which employees are affected,” Hale said.
The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act extended the probationary period from one to two years for employees appointed to permanent positions in the competitive service and employees receiving career appointments to the Senior Executive Service within DoD on or after Nov. 26, 2015.
The change does not affect employees who were hired prior to Nov. 26, 2015. Nor does it affect employees who have already completed a probationary period under an initial appointment in the competitive service and who have already attained full appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
DoD issued a memorandum on Sept. 27 regarding the new probationary period, and also released a set of Questions and Answers regarding the change.
Here are some of the items locals should be requesting:
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