All new and rehired non-exempt employees will serve a probationary or “trial” period at the beginning of their employment. The probationary period allows an employee time to learn the basic responsibilities of a position, and allows a leader to assess the employee’s performance during that time.

For Seasonal, On-Call and Year-Round employees, the probationary period will begin on the first day of employment and last for 90 calendar days. Note: In Manufacturing, the probationary period will be a minimum of 90 days, or the length of the training program (which concludes with demonstration of skills proficiency) – whichever is longer.

If an employee changes positions, the employee is subject to a new 90 day probationary period. If a seasonal employee is promoted to a Year-Round status in the same position, he or she will not be subject to a second probationary period.

If an employee is not meeting the requirements of the job and/or is not showing satisfactory progress and sustained improvement, a decision may be made to end employment at any time during the 90 day probationary period. The progressive discipline policy does not apply during the probationary period. Any behaviors that would typically result in discipline may result in termination of employment during the probationary period.

After 90 calendar days the probationary period will be considered complete (exception-see note above regarding Manufacturing).

Note: A leader may still end Seasonal assignments at any time based on the needs of the business.

At the end of the probationary period, an employee must have become proficient in the basic responsibilities of the position and must meet performance expectations.

During the probationary period, assessment of performance may include an employee’s:

• Quality of work
• Work habits
  
• Job-specific standards, expectations and progress
  
• Productivity
  
• Attendance
  
• Workplace behavior
  
• Relationships with leaders and co-workers
• For Manufacturing: demonstration of an acceptable level of skills acquisition throughout the training program, in addition to the other factors above.

If a decision is made to end a person’s probationary employment, the leader will prepare a termination letter that explains the basis for the decision.

Responsibilities – Employee

• Actively discuss and seek performance-related feedback with leadership.
• Actively seek assistance from Human Resources, as needed.

Responsibilities - Leader

• Review and discuss performance expectations and progress with employees.
• Document all performance-related meetings and discussions.
• Introduce this policy to newly hired and rehired employees.
• Consult with Human Resources on termination assessments.

Responsibilities - Human Resources

• Ensure the policy is administered appropriately.
• Provide consultation to employees and leaders.