October 20, 2023 -
In June of 2023, UPE learned from members that probationary employees were not receiving probationary evaluations. Under current Court policy, probationary employees are to receive three (3) evaluations, generally every four (4) months. This was not happening. UPE took our concerns directly to the Court, who assured UPE that some outlying Courts (FRC and CMJC) were not always doing evaluations but were happening downtown.
After a few months, UPE checked in at the worksites and learned that probationary employees at all locations were still not receiving evaluations. To hold the Court accountable, UPE then requested data on all probationary workers between September 2021 and September 2023, along with the dates of hire, the date of each evaluation, the date they passed probation, or the date they were released from probation.
The Court’s statistics were shocking. 24 out of 28 employees released from probation never received an evaluation. To be clear, ‘released from probation’ means a worker’s employment with the Court ends. 62.6% of employees on probation never received an evaluation. Only eight employees received the three evaluations required by the Court’s own policy. The Court has systematically failed its probationary employees.
UPE then filed a grievance demanding to meet with the Court over its plan to fix its broken probationary evaluation process.
The parties met on October 20, 2023, and the Court acknowledged its failures and stated they planned to place mechanisms in place to track probationary evaluations and ensure they are completed timely. UPE is pleased that the Court is finally taking steps to fix this problem, but the two sides will be meeting again soon to review the Court’s plans further and look at the training process altogether. UPE will continue to hold the Court accountable. If you have not received a probationary evaluation and have been on probation for at least four months, please let UPE know. Court upper management has asked that such cases be brought to their attention. You can contact your UPE Business Agent, Seth Alexander, at alexander@upe1.org or 916-736-9503.
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