Contents

• Application
• Definitions
• Guidelines
• Authorities and References

Application

1. These guidelines apply to employees on probation, except those employed by the NWT Power Corporation.

Definitions

2. Promotion means the appointment of an employee to a new position where the position to which the employee is appointed is at a higher pay range than the position the employee formerly occupied
3. Rejection on Probation of a new employee is the termination of employment prior to the expiry of the probation period for misconduct, incompetence or unsuitability.
4. Rejection on Probation of a promoted or transferred employee is the removal of the employee from the new position, and returning the employee to a position similar to the one from which the employee was transferred or promoted.
5. Standards of General Conduct are the accepted forms of performance, activity and behaviour that generally require no set rules to ensure compliance that an individual ought reasonably to have known (e.g.: dressing as appropriate for work, treating co-workers and clients with respect, etc.).
6. Standards of Particular Conduct are established work rules or orders set out by the Employer (e.g.: taking coffee breaks according to a rotational schedule, seeking advance approval for all absences, etc.).
7. Transfer means the appointment of an employee to a new position that is evaluated within the same pay range as the employee’s former position.
8. Voluntary Reassignment is when an employee accepts a different position where the maximum rate of pay is less than his/her present rate of pay.

Guidelines

9. When an employee is first appointed to the public service they are placed on probation.
10. When an employee is transferred, promoted or accepts a voluntary reassignment within the public service, they may be placed on probation.
11. The purpose of a probationary period is to provide the employing department an opportunity to assess the suitability of the employee. The Government is committed to ensuring that employees have an opportunity to learn their job and to succeed.
12. Employee performance and behaviour is monitored by the supervisor and is expected to contribute toward the achievement of the organization's goals and objectives.  When an employee's performance or behaviour is unsatisfactory, corrective action must be taken.
13. A probationary employee on initial appointment may be rejected on probation, before the end of the probationary period, for misconduct, unsuitability or incompetence.  This means termination from employment with the Government.
14. An employee who is appointed to a position that has the same duties as their previous position will not serve an additional probationary period.  This does not apply to casual employees.
15. If an employee does not successfully complete their probationary period on transfer or promotion, every reasonable effort is taken to appoint them to a position comparable to the one from which they were transferred or promoted.
16. An employee who has been transferred or promoted and who does not successfully complete the probationary period due to misconduct may be terminated for cause.
17. The manager must inform an employee on probation of the standards of particular conduct that apply in the workplace.
18. Employees on probation may be disciplined for breaching standards of general conduct or standards of particular conduct.
19. An employee who is on probation must obtain written authorization from the Deputy Head of the employing department to apply on a GNWT competition. Employees on probation must submit Deputy Head authorization with their resume at the time of their application to a GNWT competition.
20. Employees who enter in to a probationary period after submitting their application on a GNWT competition must also obtain written authorization from the Deputy Head to continue in the competitive process.  Employees who enter in to a probationary period following the submission of an application on a GNWT competition must submit Deputy Head authorization at the point at which they enter the probationary period.
21. Approval for employees on probation to participate in the competitive process is at the discretion of the Deputy Head.
22. Employees on probation may be provided forty eight hours by the Selection Committee to produce Deputy Head approval.  Failure to do so will result in the employee being considered ineligible for consideration.
23. Probationary periods are detailed in Collective Agreements and Handbooks.

Authorities and References

Public Service Act
Section 20.(1) – (5), Probation
Section 21.(1) – (2), Rejection

Public Service Regulations
Section 4, Probation 

Education Act
Section 53 - 54, Notice of Termination, Dismissal

Collective Agreement with UNW
Article 2.01 (y), Probation
Appendix A1.04 – Relief Employees

Collective Agreement with NWTTA
Article 18.02 – 18.06, Probation

Senior Managers' Handbook
Probation

Excluded Employees' Handbook
Probation