Public health nursing probation and pay

I had a one year probation at my local public health department job when I was first hired, and that was in Colorado....so it seems normal to me, but I don't know about other regions. In my employee handbook, the period of probation was defined as time when you could be easily let go without a formal reason, yes, but where you also weren't eligible for things like FMLA (need to be there a year first) or certain job sweeteners like flexible scheduling. In practice it might be different though. In 5 years of being here I haven't heard of anybody being let go at the end of their probationary period. Some leave voluntarily during probation because they found the job wasn't to their liking, or they had a baby or moved etc.

I'm a PHN in a southwestern state....when I was hired probation was 6 months, but it's since been extended to one year for new staff. We also have similar rules about the 'extras' - technically you can't get approval for an alternate schedule or telecommute until you pass probation, although in practice some supervisors will allow it. In the case of RIFs ("reduction in funds" causing layoffs), a person on probation can get bumped out of her job by a person with more experience.

Part of the reason for the long probation for permanent positions, I think, is that afterward we're practically impossible to fire. (Our department often does hire people on temporary contracts - that's different, no probation and they can be cancelled anytime). Even though my workplace is not unionized, it is a government entity, and there are stiff requirements for managers to "prove" inadequate performance when they want to reprimand or terminate someone in a permanent job. I have never actually heard of a permanent RN in our department being terminated; you'd probably have to burn the place down or something. In the private sector, whether nonprofit or for-profit, it's much easier to get rid of people, so they don't typically want as long to check you out.