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Eligible Marines can accept or decline the offer of Continuation Pay no earlier than 11 years and zero days of service and no later than the day prior to reaching 12 years and zero days of service as determined by their pay entry base date.

Eligible Marines complete NAVMC 11905 for active component and NAVMC 11908 for active reserve and Select Reserve (non-AR). The form must have a witness signature and be submitted to their local personnel admin center via EPAR in Marine Online before 12 years and zero days of service.

Yes, Eligible Marines are encouraged to make a Continuation Pay (CP) election after having completed CP Financial Awareness Training and no later than three (3) months prior to the beginning of their 12th year of service. The preferred method to complete training is via the Marine’s installation Personal Financial Manager (PFM). PFMs offer in-person and virtual training options. Marines whose permanent duty status (PDS) is not located near a Marine Corps installation should contact a PFM closest to their PDS. PFM contact information is at Personal Financial Management (mccs.org).

AC / AR Marine (E-6) is ~$20K and O-4 is ~$40K. SelRes (non-AR) (E-6) is ~$4K and O-4 is ~$8K.

No, accepting Continuation Pay does not cause a change in the dollar amount or timing of retired annuity pay the Marine would receive should he or she qualify for retired pay reduce the retired pay of future retirement pay.

No, in addition to your Continuation Pay payment, your participation in the Blended Retirement System also allows a Marine to receive a lump sum of either 25% or 50% of the value of your future retirement pay from the date of retirement from the Marine Corps to the date the retiree turns age 67.

No, any additional service obligation incurred as a result of electing to receive Continuation Pay must served in the component in which the Marine was serving at the time of agreement.

The effective date of payment of Continuation Pay (CP) will be at 12 years and zero days of service (YOS). The goal is to disburse payment within 30 days of completing 12 YOS. CP is payable as a single payment or as two, three or four equal installments, paid on the anniversary of the first payment. The payment option is irrevocable after receiving payment and after reaching 12 YOS. Once the Marine has elected to receive CP, and entry is reported to Marine Corps Total Force System, payment amounts, status updates, and obligated service dates may be found by visiting Marine Online (MOL). In MOL, navigate to Personal Information, BRS/TSP Report, and BRS-CP.

A Marine who receive payment of CP and do not fulfill their additional obligated service in the component in which the Marine is serving at the time of the agreement are subject to recoupment of the unearned portion of the payment. That is, an AC Marine must complete 4 years of obligated service in the AC, an AR Marine must complete 4 years of obligated service in the AR, and a Selected Reserve (non-AR) Marine (i.e., IMA, SMCR), must complete 4 years of obligated service in the Selected Reserve (i.e., IMA, SMCR).

The BNA is a monthly allowance for active-duty Sailors with dependents whose gross household income from the previous calendar year falls below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size and duty station location for same year.

All Marines and Sailors (assigned to a Marine Command) will be screened monthly via MCTFS to determine potential eligibility. If found to be potentially eligible, Sailors will be notified by their chain of command and may apply for BNA. Final determination of eligibility is made by the owning unit Commander.

Yes, anyone can apply for BNA. However, applications cannot be properly completed (or adjudicated by the owning command) without publication of the federal poverty guidelines for the current calendar year. 

Marines and Sailors are responsible for ensuring that DEERS is up to date as well as their Record of Emergency Data (RED) and dependents have been added within MCTFS. If a dependent is not listed in DEERS, the dependent is not considered a dependent for purposes of BNA.

Marines and Sailors will be paid monthly one their application has been certified by the supporting Installation Personnel Administrative Center (IPAC). The start period for payments is the date of certification by the IPAC.

It was determined by the Office of the Secretary of Defense that BNA is taxable income in line with statute (26 U.S.C. 61).

The glossary of DoDI 1341.15 – Basic Needs Allowance policy, defines gross household income (GHI) and specifies all the exceptions that are not included in GHI.

BNA payments are calculated based on current year FPG and the member’s previous year GHI. A decrease in current income won’t increase current BNA payment amount.

DoDI 1341.15 specifies that Service members must be complete with IET to be eligible for BNA. IET is complete upon arrival at your first Permanent Duty Station (PDS) after you depart your final training location, regardless of the scheduled duration of the training locations.

The EB Program Manager can assist with any EB reconciliations or questions.

Retention (MMEA-1)

Retention (MMEA-1)

Current and former federal employees, job applicants, and in some cases contractors who believe that a federal agency has discriminated against them can file a discrimination complaint.

Generally, you must contact the EEO representative within 45 calendar days from the day discrimination occurred, the day you became aware of the discrimination, or when you should have become aware of the discrimination.

Contact with the EEO representative can be made by email, phone, letter, or office visit. An EEO representative will counsel you about your complaint and then you can decide whether or not you want to file an informal complaint, also known as the pre-complaint.

During the informal complaint process you can elect to remain anonymous, but anonymity is not extended to the formal stage.  

No, the EEO counselor is a neutral party to the process and cannot represent you, nor can the EEO counselor represent management.

The informal or pre-complaint process can take between 30 to 90 calendar days. If resolution is not reached, you will receive your notice of right to file a formal complaint during the final interview. You will have 15 calendar days to file with the instructions you get from your EEO counselor. The timeline of the formal stage is on a case-by-case basis. The agency will review the formal complaint, decide if the case should be dismissed for procedural reasons or accepted for investigation. If accepted, the investigation generally has 180 calendar days from the day you filed your formal complaint to conclude the investigation.  The EEO representatives will keep you informed of the timelines associated in each case.

Both you and your representative, if an employee of the agency, are entitled to a reasonable amount of official time to present the complaint and respond to requests for information and documentation. The amount of time should be mutually agreed upon between you and the agency.

ADR is a process used to assist parties in an attempt at resolving a dispute with the assistance of a neutral party. There are different techniques available in ADR, but the most common technique used by USMC is mediation. The goal in mediation is help the parties reach a voluntary agreement and can help improve communication between the parties.

The ADR process is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time.

Once the agency has determined that a matter is appropriate for ADR, it can decide who should represent the agency and can require the responsible management official (RMO), or the agency official directly involved in the case, to cooperate in the ADR process. However, in the EEO ADR process, the responsible management official may not be the agency official that has settlement authority. 

The ADR process ends, and the discrimination complaint process continues.

It is a change to work environment, or the way things are usually done at work.

Complete SECNAV form 12306/1 and submit to your immediate supervisor and local EEO Office?

You will contact your local EEO office, an Appropriated Fund (APF) or NAF EEO Specialist can assist you?

An individual with a Qualified Disability. A current employee or applicant for employment.

"Reasonable Accommodation" is for the employee only.

If the disability is not visible, then yes, you will need to provide medical documentation.

Yes, the local command can request supplemental medical documentation to seek clarity on diagnosis and how the command will evaluate the reasonable accommodation to distinguish if the employee is able to complete the essential functions of their position of record.

It depends, the local command will assess the request to determine if they are able to provide an interim accommodation to the requestor?

It depends, however only those that are in a “Need to Know” regarding your specific reasonable accommodation request.  Those in the “Need to Know” status must keep all information confidential.

They will be stored in a secured database separate from the employee’s Official Personnel File (OPF).

The local command hiring supervisor of the position if for an applicant, a supervisor of the employee and subject matter experts as applicable.

Yes, the local command can provide only a portion of the reasonable accommodation suggested by the medical provider.  The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a business, and the essential functions of a position must be able to be done with/without a reasonable accommodation.

Only current employees, that are unable to perform the essential functions of their position of record and have made the election to go through the reassignment process.

No, an employee can not be promoted, they can be assigned to a lateral or position grade below if they meet the qualifications if a position is found during the reassignment process.

The employee will request for jobs to be searched with an internal Job Search or a DON - Wide Job Search. The employee can also search on their on behalf during the Job search process.

The local command will proceed with their current business process rules.

PAS allows employees to perform activities of daily living that an individual would typically perform if he or she did not have a disability, such as assistance with removing and putting on clothing, eating, and using the restroom.

Enforcement date January 3, 2018, amendment to Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (CFR 1614.203).

Yes, the employee is required to have a targeted disability; which are those that are identified as severe on the SF-256.

Yes

An employee can make an initial request for PAS verbally or in writing to the immediate supervisor or Reasonable Accommodation point of contact.

A law that President Biden signed into law on December 29, 2022, that requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to a worker’s known limitations.

Contact your immediate supervisor and local EEO Office.

June 27, 2023.

Yes, the concepts are not new.

Yes, you can request a reasonable accommodation for your known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause an undue hardship to the local command.

Some examples are longer, or more flexible breaks to eat, drink, rest, or use the restroom. A change in work schedule. A change in food or drink policy to allow a worker to have a water bottle or food. Receive appropriately sized uniform and safety apparel. Receive closer parking. Excused from strenuous activities and/or exposure to chemical not safe for pregnancy.

Title VII, The ADA, The Family and Medical Leave Act, and the PUMP Act.

No. Participation in disability reporting is entirely voluntary.

We want to ensure that the depiction of our workforce is an accurate representation. By obtaining a truer picture of IWD and IWTD representation within the Marine Corps, we can enhance our existing efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to equal employment opportunities for IWD and IWTD. In addition, having current disability data can assist in better understanding how to allocate resources to disability-related programs, such as for reasonable accommodations and maximizing accessibility for IWD. Most importantly, increased self-identification of a disability can help foster a greater culture of inclusion in your work environments, which can positively affect job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity. An individual’s disability status can change at any time. Taking a moment to verify and update your disability status is crucial in enhancing the DON’s affirmative employment efforts for IWD.

Targeted Disabilities are a subset of disabilities that are identified as particularly severe. This distinction of “Targeted Disabilities or Serious Health Conditions” is made on the SF-256 through 12 categories below:

• Developmental Disability, for example, autism spectrum disorder

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing, benefiting from, for example, American Sign Language, CART, hearing aids, a cochlear implant and/or other supports.

• Blind or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses.

• Missing extremities (arm, leg, hand and/or foot)

• Significant mobility impairment, benefiting from the utilization of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports.

• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)

• Epilepsy or other seizure disorders

• Intellectual disability

• Significant Psychiatric Disorder, for example, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, or major depression

• Dwarfism

• Significant disfigurement, for example, disfigurements caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders.

Your servicing Human Resource Office (HRO) or Equal Employment Opportunity Office can provide hard-copy versions of the SF-256 upon request. If you have access to a computer outside of the workplace, you can complete a fillable version of the SF-256 from the OPM website at this path: SF-256 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf256.pdf). Please be sure to provide the completed form to your servicing HRO so that they can ensure timely processing while maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information.

Due to the structure of the SF-256 created by OPM, you can only choose one disability code. Therefore, you would select the disability or health condition with which you most identify. If you have a disability but do not identify with any of the targeted or other disabilities or serious health conditions listed on the SF-256, then you would select code “06 – I have a disability or serious health condition, but it is not listed on this form.”

It depends, however only those that are in a “Need to Know” regarding your specific religious accommodation request.  Those in the “Need to Know” status must keep all information confidential.

They will be stored in a secured database separate from the employee’s (OPF).

The local command hiring supervisor of the position if for an applicant, a supervisor of the employee and subject matter experts as applicable.

Contact your immediate supervisor and local EEO Office.

You will contact your local EEO office, an Appropriated Fund (APF) or NAF EEO Specialist can assist you.

An individual with a sincerely held belief. A current employee or applicant for employment.

Veterans Opportunity to Work To Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW Act), requires Federal agencies to treat certain active duty service members (ADSMs) as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligibles for purposes of an appointment, even though the ADSM has not been discharged or released from active duty.  To receive such consideration, ADSMs must submit a certification at the time of application to confirm expected separation from active duty service under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification was submitted. The certification must be on appropriate letterhead of the military branch and must contain (1) military service dates, (2) date expected to be released or discharged from active duty, and (3) expected character of service.

Title 5, section 3326 states that the Department of Defense (DoD) and its Components may not hire retired members of the armed forces within the 180 days immediately following their retirement.  There are two exceptions to this rule: (1) a 180-day waiver is approved by the Secretary of the Navy (or designee); or (2) the position was approved for a special pay rate under Title 5, section 5305.  When hiring a retired military member under exception two, positions covered by a special pay rate, they are appointable immediately after retirement without any special forms, approvals, or documentation.  For hires under exception one, documentation of the approved waiver is required.
For more information, see Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1402.01.

MSP is a statutory program administered by the Department of Defense (DoD).  MSP applies to DoD positions being filled in the U.S., in overseas locations, and in the U.S. possessions and territories. This program is derived from Title 10 U.S.C. 1784, “Employment Opportunities for Military Spouses,” and applies to spouses of active-duty military members of the U.S. Armed Forces (including the Coast Guard) who relocate to accompany their sponsors on a permanent change of station (PCS) move. The program is intended to lessen the career interruption of spouses who relocate with their military sponsors.

To be eligible for MSP, the spouse must: (1) be married to an active duty member of the Armed Forces; (2) provide proof of marriage to the active duty sponsor; 3) reside within the commuting area of the sponsor’s PDS; 4) provide proof of the military member’s active duty status; 5) meet all pre-employment criteria and be immediately appointable under the applicable recruitment procedures; and (6) meet the qualifications determination to be among the best qualified for the position. MSP terminates upon acceptance or declination of a job offer for a permanent position in the Federal service within the commuting area of the sponsor’s new PDS whether or not preference was applied.

Vacancy announcements include a "How to Apply" section that specifies the required documents and how to submit your application.  For additional information, refer to the FAQs available at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq.  Vacancy announcements can be found at www.usajobs.gov/Search/?k=marine%20corps.

The Official Personnel Folder (OPF) is a file containing records for an individual’s federal employment career.  These records may include, but aren’t limited to, Appointment Affidavits, Application for Federal Employment when used as a basis for appointment, DD 214s, Notification of Personnel Actions, benefits forms, etc.   Marine Corps employees can access their electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) at https://eopf.opm.gov/navy/.

A position description (PD) is a statement of the major duties, responsibilities, and supervisory relationships of a position. In its simplest form, a PD indicates the work to be performed by the position. The purpose of a PD is to document the major duties and responsibilities of a position, not to spell out in detail every possible activity during the work day.

Classification is the process used to assign pay plan, title, series, grade, and supervisory status to a position using established criteria such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) position classification standards.  If you do not have a copy of your current position description, please contact your supervisor.

The Standard Form 50 (SF-50), Notification of Personnel Action, is the written documentation used to document personnel actions that affect a federal employee’s position, pay, or other employment information.  The SF-50 is used to document personnel actions such as, hiring, movements to other positions, awards, disciplinary actions, and separations and retirements.  Employees can get a copy of their SF-50s https://eopf.opm.gov/navy/.

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a plan only.  It can be used to assist employees in developing their technical and leadership skills to prepare for present or future positions.  Classes/events/activities/seminars not listed on your IDP are authorized with supervisor, chain of command, and funding availability, if applicable.  For more information on IDPs, visit Waypoints: The Purpose of An Individual Development Plan (IDP).

An IDP will help employees develop short- and long-term goals as well as improve their knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics (competencies) necessary to meet current and future objectives.  It can be used to assist employees in developing their technical and leadership skills to prepare for present or future positions. 

While IDPs are mandatory for all employees, they can be updated as needed to accommodate the continuous development of the employee in their career and personal development.  

An IDP is NOT a performance appraisal or evaluation tool.  As an IDP and performance appraisal are two separate tools, there is no effect an IDP will hold on a performance appraisal.  The performance appraisal reviews the past and the IDP plans for the future.

Your developmental needs should be a regular topic of discussion between you and your supervisor.  Announcements of programs and training opportunities are typically circulated to supervisors and posted by your local servicing Human Resources Office and/or organization.  Periodically, you should talk with your supervisor or training officer about opportunities available to you.

Yes.  This type of training can be utilized the same as any other type of training that your organization determines would be beneficial.

Yes, the Academic Degree Program (ADP) provides limited financial assistance for employees seeking an academic degree or professional license or certification in accordance with (IAW) MARADMIN 433/10 and established HQMC fiscal procedures.

Based on available funds, payment of costs associated with obtaining academic degrees that support workforce development and organizational objectives are authorized to recruit, develop, and retain a world-class workforce through planned, systemic, and structured programs of development. 

For eligibility, criteria, and enrollment, please reach out to your servicing Human Resources Office (HRO).

Currently, the Self-Assessment Program is available to all Appropriated Fund Employees within the United States Marine Corps.

To gain access to the Self-Assessment Program, please email MPC-30 at mpc30@usmc.mil.

The Marine Corps established the Community of Interest (COI) program to enhance civilian careers.  The Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DC, M&RA) is responsible for management of the COI program.  COIs are aligned by civilian occupational series grouped along functional lines.  Each COI has a Community Leader, routinely from the Senior Executive Service, and a Community Manager.  To find out more about the Marine Corps' Community of Interest program read MCO 12410.25.  To find out more about your COI and how to contact your COI Manager view the COI Manager Roster or email mpc30@usmc.mil.    

A system of drug testing imposed without individualized suspicion that a particular individual is using illegal drugs.  Random testing may be either testing of a testing designated federal civilian employee occupying a specified area, element, or position, or a statistically random sampling of such employees based on a neutral criterion.  

Read DoDI 1010.09 for more information.

A reasonable suspicion test may be authorized when management has a reasonable suspicion that an employee is using illegal drugs, has committed actions related to avoidance of illegal drug use detection or actions resulting in investigation, arrest or conviction of illegal drug use or possession. This belief must be based on specific objective facts and reasonable inferences drawn from those facts. Although reasonable suspicion testing does not require certainty, mere "hunches" or "rumors" are not sufficient to meet this standard.

Reasonable suspicion testing of employees in testing designated positions (TDPs) is based upon, but not limited to the following factors:

• Observable phenomena, such as direct observation of drug use or possession and /or the physical symptoms of being under the influence of a drug

• A pattern of abnormal conduct or erratic behavior

• Arrest or conviction for a drug-related offense, or the identification of a federal civilian employee as the focus of a criminal investigation into illegal drug possession, use, or trafficking

• Information provided either by credible sources or independently corroborated

• Evidence that the federal civilian employee has tampered with Newly discovered evidence that the employee has tampered with a previous drug test
   

Management must work with the servicing Human Resources Office before scheduling this type of test.

For more information read DoDI 1010.09.

The Civilian Employee Assistance Program (CEAP), or Department of the Navy Civilian Employee Assistance Program (DONCEAP) is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems.  CEAP addresses a broad and complex body of issues affecting mental and emotional well-being, such as alcohol and other substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders.  CEAP counselors also work in a consultative role with managers and supervisors to address employee and organizational challenges and needs.  CEAP helps organizations prevent and cope with workplace violence, trauma, and other emergency response situations. 

DONCEAP is available 24/7/365!
Call: 1-844-DONCEAP (1-844-366-2327)
TTY: 711
International: 1-888-262-7848
Visit website: https://magellanascend.com
 

There is no cost to employees who receive counseling and other services provided by the agency's Civilian Employee Assistance Program (CEAP).  Costs for outside treatment and professional services, which can result in personal expense, may be covered by your Federal Employee Health Benefits plan or private insurance. The CEAP counselor will work with you to identify the best available outside treatment program and services in line with your individual finances.

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), 5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq., which superseded the 1908 statute in 1916, is a workers' compensation law for all civilian Federal employees who have suffered work-related injuries or occupational diseases.  It provides for wage-loss compensation, schedule award benefits, vocational rehabilitation, medical care, and survivors' benefits; however, the FECA is not a retirement program.  Employees who fully or partially recover from their injuries are expected to return to work.  

Benefit costs are paid from the Employees' Compensation Fund, which the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers.  Federal employers reimburse the Fund for the amounts paid to its employees in workers' compensation benefits through the chargeback system.  Entitlement decisions are made through the Department of Labor (DOL) and OWCP vice the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

The FECA Program currently has a total of 12 offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.  

For general telephone inquiries, please reach out to (202) 513-6860 or the FECA Contact website.
 

Yes, the Consolidated Master Labor Agreement (CMLA) is an agreement between the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) which covers all appropriated fund civilians.  The AFGE is the largest federal employee union and represents workers in virtually all functions of government at every federal agency.  

To see if you are covered by the CMLA, you can check your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) on MyBiz+.  If block 37 of your SF-50 denotes "1034", you are covered by the CMLA.

Under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), many Federal government bargaining unit employees are eligible for union inclusion if there is a union at their worksite. However, not all federal employees are covered by bargaining units or eligible to be represented by a union. Employees should consult with their agency’s human resources office to determine their bargaining unit status.

Also referred to as a “labor agreement” or “labor contract,” a CBA is a written agreement that is binding on the agency and the union. A CBA establishes the relationship framework between management and the union and contains those conditions of employment mutually agreed upon during negotiations. CBAs can take many forms, including term agreements, midterm agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOU), basic agreements, supplemental agreements, oral agreements, side agreements, and past practices. The Marine Corps has a Consolidated Master Labor Agreement (CMLA) that covers many bargaining unit employees world-wide. Local commands may have other CBAs that are applicable to their bargaining unit employees. 

For a thorough examination of if an employee is performing poorly, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), provides an "Employee Relations Practitioners Performance Issues Facts" sheet or a more detailed guidance, "Addressing and Resolving Poor Performance: A Guide for Supervisors".

If an employee’s job performance becomes unacceptable under a critical job element and it has been determined that the employee is aware and capable of meeting the standard, supervisors should promptly address this matter with the employee.  Supervisors should clearly communicate to the employee that current performance fails to meet the performance standards described in the performance plan; provide clear guidance as to what is needed in order for the employee to improve; and provide specific examples of what and how work has not met expectations, as well as examples of work that would meet expectations.  Assistance should be provided to the employee early on.  It is important to offer appropriate assistance to include providing ideas of where the employee may go to obtain additional assistance or training, on-the-job training, and closer supervision and feedback. 

At the earliest opportunity, the supervisor should work with the Human Resources Office Employee Relations staff to determine the appropriate procedure for resolving the poor performance and whether placing the employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 43, a specific measurable action plan, is appropriate.

Managers are responsible for notifying their employees about the rules of behavior in the organization, including written guidance, policies or laws. It is imperative that leaders manage their workforces effectively, which involves the effective use of discipline when addressing employee misconduct. 

Generally, the objective of discipline is to correct deficiencies in employee conduct and performance, not to punish the employee. Discipline can deter misconduct and correct situations interfering with the efficiency of civil service. Documenting misconduct is also imperative to support any conduct-based action and in the event that progressive discipline is initiated based on repeated misconduct. 

Conduct-based actions are important tools designed to aid supervisors in maintaining an efficient and orderly work environment. Further, misconduct should be addressed when deficiencies are first noted, when, for example, an employee refuses or fails to comply with a rule, regulation or law within the workplace. 

Lastly, managers must consult with the Human Resources Office Employee Relations staff for help in navigating technical or complex laws, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements and when considering available options. 

For more guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), review "Managing Federal Employees' Performance Issues or Misconduct".

Performance management is the systematic process by which an agency involves its employees, as individuals and members of a group, in improving organizational effectiveness in the accomplishment of agency mission and goals.

Employee performance management includes:

• planning work and setting expectations,

• continually monitoring performance,

• developing the capacity to perform,

• periodically rating performance in a summary fashion, and

• rewarding good performance.

For more information on performance management, visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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No. The law and regulations specifically exclude probationary/trial employees from the procedures that require the use of an opportunity to improve. This exclusion is because the entire probationary period is similar to an opportunity period. These employees should receive closer supervision, instruction, and training as needed during the first year of their employment. 

 The probationary period is governed by Title 5 §315.801.

Individuals newly appointed to permanent positions within the competitive service in Department of Defense or receiving career appointments in the Senior Executive Service on or after 31 December 2023, are subject to a 1-year probationary period.  The appointment SF-50 should properly annotate with either remark code E18, “Appointment is subject to completion of 1-year initial probationary period beginning (date)” or E25, “Subject to satisfactory completion of 1-year SES probationary period beginning (date).”

There are no authorities which a supervisor can extend a probationary period.  Probationary periods can be highly effective tools to evaluate a probationer’s potential to be an asset to an agency and to determine fitness for continued employment in the Federal agency.  

For more information, review "Practical Tips for Supervisors of Probationers" from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).