Probationary Period

Employment

View policy pdf: Probationary Period Policy

Policy Statement 

This policy follows the University System of Georgia (USG) Business Procedures Manual except where identified in the section labelled UGA Procedures below. All employees should adhere to the full Business Procedures Manual in addition to the UGA Procedures. 

Refer to USG's Policy on Provisional Appointments:  

www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manua/HRAP_Provisional_Appointments_Employment.pdf 

UGA Procedures 

All newly-hired staff employees in regular positions are required to serve the first 180 calendar days at the University on a provisional basis to provide the employer an opportunity to evaluate the employee's performance. During this 180-day provisional work period, an employee may be terminated at any time without the right of appeal or access to any of the procedural steps provided for in the Grievance and Disciplinary Review Policy. The Grievance and Disciplinary Review Policy can be found on the Office of Legal Affairs website.  

Temporary employees hired into regular positions are considered new staff employees and will serve a 180-day 
provisional period beginning with the first workday of regular employment. 

 
The provisional period will not be extended unless the department requests and is granted specific written approval from the Associate Vice President for Human Resources or designee. 

UGA Police Department Employees 
Police Department employees are subject to the same provisional employment requirement as other classified employees, except that the 180-day provisional period will not begin until completion of the mandated training for certification as a police officer. This special provision only applies to those UGA Police Department employees for who specified training is mandated by state law and such training occurs after their employment 

Military Duty 
Employees who are called to active duty in the uniformed services will have the provisional period suspended until their return to employment in accordance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). 

When a provisional employee is dismissed, a letter of termination should be given to the employee, along with the Department of Labor Separation Notice (Form DOL-800) stating the employee was "terminated during the provisional period." No specific reason for the termination should be stated in these documents. Copies of all such written terminations are to be filed with the University Human Resources Office of Workforce Engagement. Additional exit procedures are available in the Involuntary Separation section of this policy.   

Exception: An employee, returning from active military service in accordance with USERRA, may be terminated during the provisional period for cause. The specific reason for the termination should be stated in the letter of termination 

Record Retention 

Citation or Reference: www.usg.edu/records_management/schedules/930   

Number: 0472- 04-016   

This series documents an employee's work history at the institution. Records may include but are not limited to: personnel file close out form (includes salary at time of separation, final leave totals, and rehire eligibility); copies of Affirmative Action Compliance data forms; applications for admission to graduate school; sabbatical leave records; applications for academic employment; background surveys; employee contracts; athletic contracts/overseas agreements; conditions of employment; memoranda of agreement; notices of appointment; overload compensation requests; patent rights waivers; pay/budget action forms; forms documenting personnel actions; proposals for academic appointment; requests for approval for outside employment; resumes or curriculum vitae; retirement agreements; technology transfer agreements; tenure relinquishment forms; promotion, tenure, and salary increase records; and employee Social Security number disclosure forms.     

Retention: Personnel File Closeout Form: 50 years; Supervisor's Copy: 3 years after separation of employee; Employment Eligibility Verification Forms: 3 years; All other records: 7 years following separation of employee from institution.   

Related information 

 Faculty/Staff Separation Checklist: www.busfin.uga.edu/forms/fac_staff_sep_cklst.pdf 

Responsibilities

Date Issued: 06/28/2019

Last Reviewed/Updated: 04/19/2023