In the federal government, a probationary period is required any time an employee begins a new posting, even if they have worked in government for years in a parallel role or as a contractor.

This is different from many private sector probationary periods. These individuals do the work of a full time employee for the entirety of their probationary period, and they are a protected class of federal workers.

Most survey respondents were in the midst of a 1-year probationary period, but some were close to completing their 2-year or even 3-year probationary periods.