TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of this Policy is to establish a mandatory Introductory Period for newly hired employees and Qualifying Period for current employees who are promoted, transferred, or demoted to different positions.

It is the policy of the Johnson County Government that the performance of all new employees and all current employees promoted, transferred, or demoted to a new position should be carefully monitored and evaluated for a period of typically six (6) months.

Employees generally will be allowed to continue in their new positions if they are given a satisfactory performance appraisal at the conclusion of their Introductory or Qualifying Period, as applicable. The Department of Human Resources, upon request of an employee’s supervisor, may approve the extension of any employee’s Introductory Period or Qualifying Period due to circumstances specific to the employee.

The County Manager may establish an extended Introductory Period or Qualifying Period for certain positions due to the specialized nature of the positions’ duties as recommended by the Director of Human Resources.

Supervisors may recommend the termination of an individual’s employment at any time. New hires terminated prior to completion of their Introductory Period are not eligible for severance pay and are not eligible to participate in the County’s Dispute Resolution Process.

At the discretion of the County Manager, transferred or promoted employees who are unable to perform satisfactorily in their new positions may be returned to their previous positions or may be terminated. Promoted, transferred, or demoted employees remain eligible for all benefits, including access to the County’s Dispute Resolution Process.

At all times, both during and after successful completion of the Introductory Period or subsequent Qualifying Periods, employment with the County is considered to be “at-will” and the employment relationship may be terminated at any time for any lawful reason by either party.

The County Manager may develop Human Resources Procedures to effectively implement this Policy.

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This Procedure covers the County’s mandatory Introductory Period for new hires and Qualifying Period for current employees who are promoted, transferred, or demoted to different positions.

A new employee who is hired into a full-time regular or part-time regular job must complete an Introductory Period, typically of six (6) months. A current full-time regular or part-time regular employee who is promoted, transferred, or demoted to a different job must complete a Qualifying Period, typically of six (6) months. The Department of Human Resources may approve the extension of any employee’s Introductory Period or Qualifying Period due to the nature of a specific position or due to circumstances specific to the employee.

During the Introductory Period or Qualifying Period, an employee will have the opportunity to determine if the job is suitable for him/her. The County will evaluate the employee’s abilities, performance, conduct, and other job-related factors to determine if the employee is suited for the position.

An employee’s performance may be evaluated by his/her supervisor at any time, but at a minimum shall be evaluated at the mid-point and conclusion of the Introductory or Qualifying Period. Employees generally will be allowed to continue in their new positions if they are given satisfactory performance appraisals at the conclusion of their Introductory or Qualifying Period.

At the discretion of management, promoted or transferred employees who are unable to perform satisfactorily in their new positions may be returned to their previous positions, reassigned to another vacancy, or terminated. The Department of Human Resources will make reasonable efforts to work with departments/agencies to place the promoted or transferred employee in another position before considering termination of employment.

At all times, including after successful completion of the Introductory Period or subsequent Qualifying Periods, employment with the County is considered to be “at-will,” and the employment relationship may be terminated at any time for any lawful reason by either party.

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The purpose of this Policy is to establish a work culture in which performance expectations and results are regularly communicated and evaluated to ensure that the County succeeds in fulfilling its mission and strategic goals.

It is the policy of the Johnson County Government to use performance management to align individual goals with County objectives, communicate expectations to employees, and evaluate performance on an ongoing basis. Performance management is an integrated and on-going process that combines the traditional annual appraisal with continuous communication and feedback between the supervisor and employee, and consists of planning, managing, improving, appraising, and rewarding performance. Specifically, it is designed to provide employees with regular feedback on their performance in an unbiased manner and to identify and correct performance problems, plan employee career development, assess readiness for transfer or promotion, determine compensation, recognize achievements, and improve individual and organizational productivity.

This system provides a holistic approach to appraising and developing employees by involving continual, supportive management by supervisors and giving employees input into their progress.

The County Manager shall establish procedures setting forth regular periods for the completion of performance planning, appraisal, and development consistent with the goals of this Policy.

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This Procedure sets forth the County’s process and timeline for establishing performance plans and conducting performance appraisals.

Employee job performance will be reviewed and performance achievements evaluated in an unbiased manner during the review period. The appraisal system is designed to align individual performance expectations and outcomes with County goals and strategies and to measure performance based on job accountabilities, defined competencies, performance standards, and documented achievements and deficiencies.

The Department of Human Resources is responsible for developing and administering the performance appraisal system established by the County Manager and will audit the appraisal process to ensure procedures are followed and timelines are met.

A. Performance Plan

A Performance Plan outlines and establishes employee performance expectations, measurement criteria, and employee development goals. Setting performance goals for employees keeps the evaluation process objective and gives employees advance notice of performance expectations. Performance Plans are to be established and/or updated for all employees on an annual basis and will be maintained by the Department of Human Resources in the employee’s personnel file. The Performance Plan shall be signed and copies of it retained by both the employee and supervisor.

The purpose of a Performance Plan is to:

Performance plans for newly hired employees should be established and discussed within 30 days of hire. Changes in job duties that occur due to a reclassification, status change, transfer, promotion, or demotion should be communicated to employees immediately and documented within 30 days of the effective date of the change.

A performance appraisal is a formal discussion between a supervisor and employee with regard to the employee’s level of success in meeting his/her performance plan and development goals. A performance appraisal also includes a discussion and agreement of goals and objectives for the upcoming performance cycle. The performance appraisal summary form will be used to document the discussion and will be signed by both the employee and supervisor and maintained in the employee’s personnel file.

The purpose of a Performance Appraisal is to:

The performance of a newly hired, promoted, transferred, or demoted employee should be formally evaluated at the mid-point and conclusion of the Introductory or Qualifying Period, as applicable, as well as at the one-year anniversary of the date of hire, promotion, transfer, or demotion.

If, at any time during the appraisal cycle, an employee is not meeting the standards established for his/her position as outlined in the Performance Plan and has not satisfactorily corrected the performance issues through the informal coaching process, the supervisor is responsible for developing a Performance Improvement Plan to assist the employee in meeting expectations. A Performance Improvement Plan shall address specific performance problems, methods of corrective action, and a timeline for improvement. Supervisors are encouraged to develop Performance Improvement Plans with employees in an interactive process. Performance Improvement Plans are to be signed by both the employee and supervisor, and shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

Failure to satisfactorily complete the requirements of the Performance Improvement Plan within a reasonable timeframe may result in further corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

Supervisors and Department/Agency Leaders are responsible for submitting completed performance appraisals and proposed merit pay rate increases to the Department of Human Resources no later than the last day of the pay period prior to the employee’s anniversary date.

If a performance appraisal is not submitted to the Department of Human Resources within one (1) pay period of its scheduled effective date, the Department of Human Resources may contact the supervisor or consult with Department/Agency Leadership to provide assistance and determine a course action for the completion and/or submission of the performance appraisal. If the appraisal is not completed and/or submitted within two (2) pay periods of the scheduled effective date, the Department of Human Resources may consult with the County Manager.

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This Procedure sets forth the County’s process for providing informal, on-going feedback to employees throughout the appraisal period.

Feedback is most relevant and beneficial to the employee and the organization when it is given in a timely manner and on an ongoing basis. Supervisors are expected to have regular and informal, yet specific and interactive, discussions to provide feedback to employees in order to jointly:

Discussions providing feedback should be used to assist employees when learning new skills, strengthening current competencies, improving performance or behavior, and assuming additional responsibilities, and should be based on observed and/or verifiable work-related behaviors and results.

When informal feedback processes are not sufficient to address performance or behavior issues, supervisors are expected to follow the formal process of the Corrective Action Policy and Procedures.

Discussions should be conducted on a regular basis, in a private setting, and as frequently as needed to assist the employee in meeting performance and development goals. Feedback should include:

Supervisors are encouraged to make and retain a record of discussions providing feedback throughout the performance review cycle in order to track and monitor progress; document recognized achievements; and provide a comprehensive and balanced performance appraisal. These records should include a brief summary of the discussion and the date on which it occurred, but should not be placed in the employee’s personnel file, until or unless formalized as a part of the performance evaluation or corrective action.

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The purpose of this Policy is to establish a work culture in which continuous employee and organizational learning and development is valued, pursued, and rewarded, and where investing in the ongoing development of employees is recognized as a key strategy in ensuring the County’s ability to fulfill its mission and current and future goals.

It is the policy of the Johnson County Government to provide employees with learning and development tools, opportunities, and programs which enable employees to perform to the best of their abilities and, in doing so, contribute to the County’s mission and goals. The County will conduct or support training and development programs necessary to contribute to the County’s mission and goals. The County provides employees with appropriate orientation and training at the time of hire, whenever transferred or promoted to a different position, and at such other times as would be necessary to meet County goals. The County routinely and consistently provides special training programs explaining its anti-discrimination and harassment policies and for safety and health matters, as required by government regulations. All training programs provided or supported by the County will be offered and administered in a non-discriminatory manner.

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This Procedure generally addresses the administration of various employee training programs offered or supported by the County.

The County provides both formal and informal training to employees to assist them in the performance of their jobs, and to serve and benefit the public, the County, and employees.

The County, through departments/agencies, may sponsor or conduct specialized training programs for specific groups of employees when deemed necessary to meet organizational goals.

This Procedure covers the types of orientation that are provided to new employees and employees transferred into certain positions.

Employees will be provided with department/agency-specific orientation and with Countywide orientation. New executives and key managers will also be provided with Executive Orientation. The Department of Human Resources is responsible for the overall development and coordination of countywide orientation programs.

The smooth assimilation of new hires is essential for improving performance and enhancing retention. The orientation program is intended to make new hires feel comfortable and introduce them to the organization’s culture, supervisors, coworkers, and work expectations. Employee orientation should:

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This Procedure covers the supervisory training that is required of new supervisors and managers.

Every employee hired or promoted into a supervisory or managerial position must complete a prescribed management training program. Supervisors or managers will not be deemed to have completed their Introductory or Qualifying Period until they have completed the Supervisor Training Institute. The Department of Human Resources is responsible for developing and administering the Supervisor Training Institute.

The Supervisor Training Institute will cover, at a minimum, performance management, equal employment opportunity, preventing workplace harassment, the ADA, FMLA, corrective action, documentation and record keeping, key Human Resources Policies and Procedures, and leadership best practices.

The Supervisor Training Institute is available to new and current supervisors and managers only.

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