Counseling Guidelines for Probationary Employees

All salaried University staff employees are expected to serve a one year Probationary Period, and during this period supervisors may not apply the Standards of Conduct and employees may not use the Grievance Procedure. Probationary employees are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and job performance. Those who do not perform to these standards are normally terminated from University service prior to the end of their probation. There are situations where a supervisor finds a probationary employee's behavior or performance can be improved to a satisfactory level with counseling prior to the end of the probationary period. The following guidelines are suggested for use by a supervisor who chooses to counsel with a probationary employee experiencing either behavioral or performance problems.

Counseling Probationary Employees

Probationary employees must be evaluated during the probationary period. Those who do not meet minimum expectations during the probationary period are normally considered for separation from state service. Supervisors, however, are strongly encouraged to address performance difficulties with probationary employees through counseling. The objective of performance counseling is to let the probationary employee know that there are established performance expectations, what the employee needs to do to achieve them, and the consequences if he/she does not. Performance counseling works best and is most effective when it is approached from a positive "rehabilitative" standpoint versus a disciplinary one. It should be conducted at the point where (in the judgment of the supervisor) an observed pattern of substandard performance has occurred and is likely to continue if not addressed.

The objective of performance counseling is to redirect the employee's behavior.

The following list, while not all inclusive, provides some basic suggestions for performance counseling:

• The counseling session should be conducted by the individual responsible for evaluating the employee's performance.
• The employee should be advised of the session in advance.
• It should take place in a private setting.
• The employee should be shown documentation of the problem if applicable and given a reasonable opportunity to respond.
• Supervisors should not attempt to make judgments as to why the behavior/performance problems have occurred.
• Supervisors should review job expectations with the employee to ensure they are understood.
• An action plan between supervisor and employee may also be formulated. It can be used to address specific weak areas and how the employee can address those weaknesses. The Notice of Improvement Needed Form may be used.
• Finally, a follow-up counseling session to again review the employee's performance/ behavior should be scheduled. There are no standard rules as to when this should occur, but normally 30 days after the initial session is sufficient.

Supervisors who have concerns regarding the performance of probationary employees are encouraged to contact the UHR Employee Relations Division at 924-4430.