14.7.3.1 Where an employee’s performance is assessed as “Inadequate” at any time during the course of the assessment period, or “Requires Attention” or “Inadequate” in accordance with
clause 14.7.2.4, the manager/supervisor will initiate immediately the processes outlined below.
14.7.3.2.1 Where the employee has not achieved a “Fully Effective” standard of work performance, the manager/supervisor is to give a formal written warning to the employee, detailing the required “Fully Effective” standard and how the employee’s performance does not meet the “Fully Effective” standard.
(a) The Secretary (or delegate as defined in the Review of Actions policy) will appoint a person to assess the employee’s performance formally for a specific period of 3 months. The person must be from outside the immediate work area of the employee whose performance is to be assessed.
(b) The assessing officer should immediately discuss with the manager/supervisor and the employee matters in the written warning and the assessment process to ensure all parties are heard on the matter. The employee may be supported by a third party during these discussions.
(c) Discussions between the assessing officer and the employee, and the assessing officer and the manager/supervisor, may include identifying mitigating circumstances, setting realistic, achievable expectations for “Fully Effective” performance consistent with clause 14.5.1.7 which focus on the areas of the employee's performance that have been identified as not achieving a “Fully Effective” standard and, accordingly, within one week, record the outcome in the employee’s Agreed Performance Statement.
(d) The assessing officer, based on the evidence available and discussions with the employee and their manager/supervisor, may at any time form a view on whether a correct assessment has been made under clause 14.7.3. Where an assessment of “Inadequate” is found to be:
(i) inaccurate, the employee will either proceed through the steps set out in clauses 14.7.2.1 to 14.7.2.2 if the employee’s performance is instead found to be “Requires Attention”, or no further action will be taken if the employee’s performance is instead found to be “Fully Effective”; or
(ii) accurate, the employee will proceed through the steps outlined in clauses 14.7.3.3 to 14.7.3.5, with the exception that the assessment period at (e) may be increased by a further period of up to three months, if it is found that a reasonable period of warning should have been given to the employee prior to the assessment as “Inadequate”.
(e) At the completion of the three months assessment period (or if determined otherwise, a period not exceeding 6 months established under sub-clause 14.7.3.3 (d) (ii) above), the assessing officer will advise the Secretary (or delegate) on whether the employee sustained (or, where appropriate obtained and sustained) a “Fully Effective” standard of work performance during the assessment period.
(f) If during or at the completion of an assessment period, there are grounds for concern about negligence, abuse or discrimination on the part of the manager/supervisor, the assessing officer will refer the matter to the Secretary (or delegate).
(g) If more than two inaccurate assessments are made by the manager/supervisor during a performance appraisal cycle, an investigation of performance management practices in the area will be conducted by People Management Branch.
If the employee’s performance improves to the “Fully Effective” standard, no further action is taken and the normal performance assessment cycle resumes. If the “Inadequate” or “Requires Attention” performance rating occurred at the end of the annual cycle, any deferred pay progression will take effect from the date on which the assessing officer advises the Secretary (or delegate) that a “Fully Effective” performance rating has been achieved.
Where measures to correct under performance have been pursued for three months (or if determined otherwise, a period not exceeding 6 months established under sub-clause 14.7.3.3 (d) (ii) above) from the commencement of Step One, without the employee’s performance improving to the “Fully Effective” standard, the Secretary may determine that one of the following will apply:
(a) issue of notice of retirement pursuant to section 29 of the Act; or
(b) action pursuant to paragraph 23(4)(e) of the Act – reduction in classification; or
(c) any other action the Secretary considers appropriate.
[previous] [next] 14.8 Non-ongoing Employees - Performance Management Processes
[Contents]