Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. A longer probationary period for new Federal hires is important to give supervisors the time they need to evaluate whether a new hire should gain career employee status. But a longer probationary period will not accomplish anything if supervisors don't use the extended time properly. Managers often don't know the end dates for probationary employees under their supervision. Because probationary periods end automatically, without action by a supervisor, an employee can be hired without a complete assessment of whether the employee is qualified for full Federal service. A 2015 Government Accountability Office report recommended automated systems to notify supervisors when the end of an individual's probationary period is imminent. {time} 1600 Agencies have these systems. They just need to use them. My amendment requires supervisors to be notified at a series of regular intervals in advance of the expiration of a probationary period. The notifications occur at 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, and 30 days before the scheduled completion of a probationary period. This notification will remind supervisors of their responsibilities to observe employees and provide feedback throughout the probationary period. It will also remind supervisors to decide whether the employee is fit for Federal service. Mr. Chairman, I urge Members to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”