WSR 01-20-104

PROPOSED RULES

PERSONNEL RESOURCES BOARD


[ Filed October 3, 2001, 11:18 a.m. ]

Original Notice.

Exempt from preproposal statement of inquiry under RCW 34.05.310(4).

Title of Rule: WAC 356-30-305 Trial service period -- Provision and 356-30-260 Probationary period -- Provisions -- Status of employee.

Purpose: The purpose of these rules is to address the trial service period and the probationary period.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 41.06 RCW.

Statute Being Implemented: RCW 41.06.150.

Summary: These modifications are housekeeping in nature and will clarify that employees being hired off of the promotional or open competitive registers, prior to completing their probationary period, will start a new probationary period rather than a trial service period, except as provided in WAC 356-30-280.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Sharon Whitehead, 521 Capitol Way South, Olympia, WA, (360) 664-6348; Implementation and Enforcement: Department of Personnel.

Name of Proponent: Department of Personnel, governmental.

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: The purpose of these rules is to address the trial service period and the probationary period. The modifications are to clarify that employees being hired off the promotional or open competitive registers, prior to completing their probationary period will start a new probationary period rather than a trial service period, except as provided in WAC 356-30-280.

Proposal Changes the Following Existing Rules: See above.

No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. Not required.

RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this rule adoption.

Hearing Location: Department of Personnel, 521 Capital Way South, Olympia, WA, on November 8, 2001, at 10:00 a.m.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Department of Personnel by November 1, 2001, TDD (360) 753-4107, or (360) 586-8260.

Submit Written Comments to: Sharon Whitehead, Department of Personnel, P.O. Box 47500, fax (360) 586-4694, by November 6, 2001.

Date of Intended Adoption: November 8, 2001.

October 3, 2001

E. C. Matt

Secretary


AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 99-01-052, filed 12/10/98, effective 1/11/99)

WAC 356-30-305   Trial service period -- Provision.   (1) Permanent ((E))employees appointed from a voluntary demotion register to a class not previously held, a promotional register, or from the inter-system employment register shall serve a trial service period of six months. The trial service period will provide the appointing authority with the opportunity to observe the employee's work and to train and aid the employee in adjustment to the position, and to revert such an employee whose work performance fails to meet required standards. Reversions shall be under the provisions of WAC 356-30-320.

(2) Employees who during their trial service period go on leave without pay or shared leave shall have their trial service period extended by the number of calendar days they are on leave without pay or shared leave, including any intervening nonworking days.

(3) Employees shall have their trial service period extended by the number of calendar days in excess of 30 in which the employee is not at work, including any intervening nonwork days, if:

(a) Work is missed due to sick leave, vacation leave, military training leave, or miscellaneous leave; or

(b) Work is missed by employees of the departments of social and health services, corrections or veterans affairs due to an assault that occurred on the job and who are receiving compensation in an amount equal to full pay, as provided in chapters 72.01 and 72.09 RCW; or

(c) Work is missed due to any combination of leave identified in (3)(a) and (b) of this section which when added together exceed 30 calendar days.

(4) Work missed during the trial service period due to holidays shall be counted as part of the required trial service period.

(5) When an employee accepts a temporary appointment to a higher class in the same series in the same work unit while serving in a trial service period, the trial service period shall continue for the lower class.

(6) When an employee is appointed to a higher class while serving in a trial service period, the trial service period for the lower class and the new trial service period for the higher class shall overlap provided that the higher and lower classes are in the same or a closely related field. The employee shall complete the terms of the original trial service period and be given permanent status in the lower class. Such employees will also be granted the rights normally accruing to trial service for the remainder of the trial service period in the higher class.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150. 99-01-052, 356-30-305, filed 12/10/98, effective 1/11/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.040 and 41.06.150. 91-20-029 (Order 383), 356-30-305, filed 9/23/91, effective 11/1/91; 91-07-055 (Order 371), 356-30-305, filed 3/19/91, effective 5/1/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150. 88-06-001 (Order 295), 356-30-305, filed 2/19/88, effective 4/1/88; 84-11-091 (Order 204), 356-30-305, filed 5/23/84, effective 9/1/84. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150(17). 82-19-092 (Order 175), 356-30-305, filed 9/22/82.]


AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 99-01-052, filed 12/10/98, effective 1/11/99)

WAC 356-30-260   Probationary period -- Provisions -- Status of employee.   (1) Employees who receive appointments to permanent positions from the open competitive register and the reemployment register shall serve a probationary period of six to twelve months as determined by the board. Employees appointed from the open competitive or promotional register prior to completing their probationary period shall start a new probationary period, except as provided in 356-30-280. The board shall designate a probationary period of six months for all positions in a class unless they determine that job requirements of the class require a longer period (up to twelve months) to provide adequate training and/or evaluation. The board shall apply the following criteria for approving probationary periods of longer than six months:

(a) The work of the majority of the positions in the class is of such a nature that performance of the full range of duties cannot be properly evaluated within six months after an appointment.


or

(b) Work of the class is cyclical in nature and the workload cycle cannot be completed within six months after an appointment.


or

(c) Work is of such a nature that extended formalized training is required prior to the full assumption of duties.

All positions in a class shall have the same probationary period.

(2) All persons at time of appointment shall be notified in writing by the agency of the length of their probationary period. When the probationary period for a class is increased beyond six months, the increased probationary period shall apply only to persons appointed after the effective date of the change.

(3) The probationary period will provide the appointing authority with the opportunity to observe a new employee's work, to train and aid the new employee in adjustment to the position, and to terminate any employee whose work performance fails to meet the required standards.

(4) Employees who, during their probationary period, go on leave without pay or shared leave shall have their probationary period extended by the number of calendar days they are on leave without pay or shared leave including any intervening nonworking days.

(5) Employees shall have their probationary period extended by the number of calendar days in excess of 30 in which the employee is not at work including any intervening nonwork days if:

(a) Work is missed due to sick leave, vacation leave, military training leave, or miscellaneous leave; or

(b) Work is missed by employees of the departments of social and health services, corrections or veterans affairs due to an assault that occurred on the job and who are receiving compensation in an amount equal to full pay, as provided in chapters 72.01 and 72.09 RCW; or

(c) Work is missed due to any combination of leave identified in (5)(a) and (b) of this section which when added together exceeds 30 calendar days.

(6) Work missed during the probationary period due to holidays shall be counted as part of the required probationary period.

(7) When an employee accepts a temporary appointment to a higher class in the same series in the same work unit while serving in a probationary period, the probationary period shall continue for the lower class.

(8) Permanent appointment of a probationary employee shall be automatic unless the person is dismissed under provision of WAC 356-30-270.

(9) Veterans and their widows who have not remarried and are in probationary status will be granted seniority preference only within ranks of probationary employees and will not be granted preference within the ranks of the permanent employees until they acquire permanent status.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150. 99-01-052, 356-30-260, filed 12/10/98, effective 1/11/99; 98-19-034, 356-30-260, filed 9/10/98, effective 10/12/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.040 and 41.06.150. 91-20-029 (Order 383), 356-30-260, filed 9/23/91, effective 11/1/91; 91-07-055 (Order 371), 356-30-260, filed 3/19/91, effective 5/1/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150. 88-06-001 (Order 295), 356-30-260, filed 2/19/88, effective 4/1/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.06.150(17). 82-19-092 (Order 175), 356-30-260, filed 9/22/82; Order 36, 356-30-260, filed 7/1/71, effective 8/1/71. Formerly WAC 356-20-220.]

Washington State Code Reviser's Office