PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INFORMATION

The new performance appraisal system includes new performance standards/elements, an Alignment Statement and performance expectations that may include numerics. As each employee should be aware, not everyone does exactly the same work nor does everyone have the same level of expertise and training. Understanding this fact, your supervisor may hold each employee to the same standard or to an individualized standard which clearly is not fair and equitable.

Your supervisor will be conducting meetings with you in the coming months regarding his/her performance expectations for you to achieve. At these meetings, you should have a clear understanding of what performance will allow you to achieve a Successful rating, as well as an Outstanding rating, but more importantly, ask questions and know what level of work you must perform to receive an award. If you do not understand your supervisor's expectations for your performance for the rating year, then either management or you have done a poor job. You should take notes and specifically ask for explanations of terms, numbers and expectations so that you have a record of these discussions and are able to explain your expectations to someone else if required to do so. If you cannot do that, then you do not understand what your requirements are for a Successful and Outstanding rating and you will be at the mercy of your supervisor at the end of the rating period.

The Agency has indicated it will utilize a bell curve in rating employees and that only a small percentage of employees will be rated Outstanding and, hopefully, only a small percentage will be rated Not Successful after utilized the PAP and PEP procedures. This unknown bell curve process should not be acceptable to you since it will probably be changing at the will of your supervisor to increase productivity and the results will be no awards or promotions to many dedicated and hard working employees. As many of you are aware, productivity stressors will substantially increase and you or your co-workers should fear that one day the bell curve will reflect you in the Not Successful zone. Remember, you have to be rated Outstanding in all performance elements to obtain an Outstanding rating, but you do not have to fail in all elements to be rated as a poor performer. While some employees may think they will fudge on quality to meet the numbers which technically manipulates work measurement processes, their reward may be a rating of Not Successful because the numbers will most likely continue to be increased.

To any employee who wishes to survive the new appraisal system, it is necessary to understand it. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions. Take notes, take notes and take notes of your supervisor's answers. Make sure you have a clear understanding of everything and that your supervisor is doing his/her job. As you can see, this new system requires self survival because each employee may have individualized expectations from his/her supervisor.

James E. Marshall
President, AFGE Council 215