STATE OF LOUISIANA

DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

General Circular No. 001495

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

Subject: Probational Appointment of Employees Eligible for Promotion

Issue Date: July 9, 2002

When filling key positions, many agencies prefer to make probational appointments, even when a permanent state employee has been selected. This provides management with a "trial period" to evaluate the employee’s performance in the new position. This practice is particularly popular when an employee is moving from one agency to another, where the management has no direct knowledge of the employee’s prior performance.

To facilitate such optional use of a probationary period, the Staffing Division is modifying certification policies to allow promotional authority to also be used to make probational appointments of permanent employees. That is, a permanent employee who is eligible for promotion to a position may also be probationally appointed to that position in lieu of promotion. As long as the employee meets the standards required for promotion to a position, the employee may also be probationally appointed to that position. See General Circular #1361 for testing standards for promotions.

The probationary period is a valuable management tool, which we encourage managers to use. However, when offering probational appointments to permanent employees, it is imperative that the terms of employment be clear to all candidates, as well as the appointee. See General Circular # 1485 for guidelines on making probational offers to permanent employees.

A Clerk Chief 1 (GS-9) with permanent status may be promoted OR probationally appointed to a Clerk Chief 2 (GS-10) provided he/she meets the minimum qualification requirements. Since this employee would not be required to possess a certifiable score to be promoted to the Clerk Chief 2, such a score is not required for probational appointment either.

A Workforce Development Assistant 2 (GS-12) with permanent status may be promoted to Workforce Development Officer 1 (GS-14) provided he/she has a passing score on the Professional Entry Test and meets the minimum qualification requirements. Beacuse a passing score is sufficient for the employee to be promoted to Workforce Development Officer 1, it is also sufficient for the employee to be probationally appointed.

An agency obtains a promotional certificate for an Administrative Specialist 4 (GS-16). The certificate contains the names of 10 permanent employees. The agency sends Inquiries of Availability (SF-9’s) to all 10 employees, informing them that the position will be filled probationally and asking if they wish to be considered. Two of the employees indicate they are not interested in a probational appointment. Those two employees are removed from consideration for the vacancy and recorded as on the certificate with a code "S" for "Skipped". This means those two employees are removed from the certificate, but remain active on the register for future vacancies.

Note that while the certificate is requested and issued as a promotional certificate, the SF-9’s must indicate that the position is being filled probationally, so that the employees understand the conditions of work.

When an employee accepts a probational appointment in lieu of a promotion, without a break in service, the employee’s pay should be set in accordance with Rule 6.5(h).

As long as the employee meets the standards required for promotion to a position, the employee may also be probationally appointed to that position. However, when offering a probational appointment to permanent employees, it is imperative that the terms of employment be clear to all candidates, as well as the appointee.

For more information regarding this circular, contact Jean Tozer, Staffing Administrator at (225) 342-8536 or jtozer@dscs.state.la.us.

Sincerely,

Allen H. Reynolds

Director