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PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
Section 1. Annual performance appraisals shall be
made under the provisions of applicable laws, regulations, FAA directives, and
this Agreement. A copy of the annual performance appraisal shall be given to
the employee.
Section 2. Members of the unit shall be rated by their first-line
supervisor. The first-line supervisor shall review and discuss the rating with
the employee.
Section 3. FAA directives require the Agency to encourage employee
participation in establishing performance standards. The Union may nominate
bargaining unit employees to serve on any national committee established in
accordance with Article 24, Work Groups, Committees, Programs, and Project
Representatives.
Section 4. Performance standards established by the Employer shall be
consistent with the position description for the position. The employee may
initiate a request for the supervisor to review the performance standards. If
performance standards are adjusted at the national level during the rating
period, performance under the standards must be used as the basis for any
rating of record. The new performance standards must have been in effect for
at least 90 days at the time of the rating. Changes may be made in the
performance plans during the last 90 days of the appraisal period only when
necessary; however, the employee cannot be rated on the changed plan until
he/she has worked for at least 90 days under the new plan. The supervisor
shall justify in writing any changes made less than 90 days before the end of
the appraisal period. New performance standards become effective following
approval by a higher official than the immediate supervisor.
Section 5. Annual performance appraisals shall be recorded on the forms
provided by the Employer for that purpose.
Section 6. Performance standards established by the Employer shall be
applied to individual employees in a fair and equitable manner. The employee's
performance will be measured throughout the year against the written
performance standards of his/her position. The supervisor should document all
progress reviews other than brief performance related remarks, including
agreements and/or disagreements. Documentation should adequately reflect the
substance of the discussion. A copy of this documentation shall be given to
the employee upon request. Frequent, informal progress reviews may be
conducted at any time at the supervisor's discretion. Formal progress reviews
are required under the following circumstances:
a. Preferably at the midpoint or within 30 days before or
after the midpoint of each appraisal period.
b. When an employee's performance becomes unsatisfactory under any
performance standard.
c. Preferably 90 days after a new supervisor/employee relationship is
established.
All progress reviews, whether required or discretionary,
should be open exchanges regarding performance standards. The rating official
and the employee should be able to "fine tune" the meaning of the written
performance standards jointly. The supervisor should schedule the meetings in
advance on a regular cycle. Periodic progress reviews should not be viewed as
punishment or reward in themselves, which result from one particularly good or
bad instance of performance, but as a normal way for the supervisor and
employee to formally or informally communicate on the employee's progress
toward goals and accomplishments.
Section 7. Bargaining unit employees shall not be required to sign any
document during any performance appraisal process. The employee may make
comments in the Remarks section or attach them on a separate page.
Section 8. At any point during the rating period that the first-line
supervisor believes an employee's performance may result in an unacceptable
rating (Fails to Meet Expectations), the supervisor shall identify the
standards for which performance is unacceptable and will meet with the
employee to discuss the matter. Normally such performance discussions shall be
conducted on a one-to-one basis between an employee and the rating official.
If more than one management official is present, the Employer may allow a
union representative to be present at the employee's request. If the employee
asks that a representative be given his/her performance related documents for
review, the supervisor shall give the representative all the documents which
relate to the employee's performance that is in question. The supervisor will
write an Opportunity to Demonstrate Performance (ODP) plan which will identify
what the employee must do to improve his/her performance to be retained in the
job and what the Employer will do to assist the employee. The supervisor has
the final authority to write the plan, but will consider ideas proposed by the
employee or representative.
Section 9. When an appraisal of supervisory potential is used as part
of the Merit Promotion Program, employees shall be allowed to review the form
containing the appraisal of their supervisory potential and the supervisor
shall discuss the appraisal with the employee. These discussions shall be held
with the employee at the time such appraisal of supervisory potential is
completed or revised.
Section 10. Employees shall be rated only on those performance
standards for which they were provided an opportunity to demonstrate
performance. In those instances where an employee is not provided an
opportunity to demonstrate performance in a specific performance standard,
he/she shall not be rated on that element nor shall that performance standard
be a factor when the employee is being considered for a rating.
Section 11. Use of authorized official time and approved absences for
labor relations activities shall not be an evaluative factor in employee
performance appraisals.
Section 12. The appraisals made pursuant to this Article shall not be
required to conform to any pre-established distributions of expected levels of
performance that interfere with appraisal of actual performance against
outcomes.
Section 13. When assessing the employee's performance to determine
whether it is deserving of special recognition, the Employer shall consider
the employee's performance outside his/her current position description.
Section 14. Data accumulated from electronic Management Information
Systems (e.g., TMIS, EMIS, etc.) will not be solely relied upon to evaluate an
employee's performance.
Section 15. Waivers to the time constraints under this Article may be
granted by mutual agreement of the Parties.
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