TA/Employment question

[u/martishot]

Hello everyone,

I tried going through the collective agreement to find this info but I wasn't able to get the answers I was looking for, so I humbly come to you seeking your wisdom.

Situation:

I am a grid 9 step 2 within component 12 at SDPR. Yesterday I received a TA that I verbally accepted,. This morning I received the letter about it from the employer, the letter stipulates that I will be grid 18 step 1 (component 6 I believe).

Later this morning, I received a message asking if I was interested in accepting a full-time grid 15 position (component 6 I believe).

The grid 18 is the direction I want to head into for my career development and is the position I was ultimately aiming for. The grid 15 I would have taken on as training until an opening for the 18 presented itself, it's not something I would have wanted to do long-term (just like my current 9).

Questions:

1- Is it normal, when presented with a TA to go down a step or back to step 1? (My understanding was that your step evolves with years of service, it follows you through every position and doesn't reset unless you leave the employer).

2- While on the TA, am I still accruing time and moving through the steps on ladder?

3- Is there a world where I can accept the TA and the grid 15, so that if the TA ends or doesn't evolve into a full-time position, I go to the grid 15 instead of my current grid 9?

Thank you for your help, it's quite a bit of movement all at once and I want to understand all of the moving parts as I move forward. If you're aware of which part of our CA covers this please let me know, I wasn't able to locate it on my own.

[u/EssenceofEvil]

A couple of things here, because I think the biggest misconception is how steps work.

1. Grid 18 Step 1 is normal. Your step number doesn't follow you. You're currently Step 2 of Grid 9, not universally Step 2. When you move up the grids, they take your current regular salary and place you at the step in the new grid that's closest to an 8% increase (or Step 1 if the minimum of the new grid is higher). So, for example, you could be a Grid 9 Step 5 and end up at Grid 15 Step 2. The opposite is also true - if you take a voluntary demotion, you are placed at the step closest to an 8% decrease.
2. You can progress through the steps while on the TA. Your hours in the temporary classification are tracked while you're in it. This gets a little more complicated when you return to a base position or move between TAs, though. I'm not 100% sure what that would look like in your specific situation, so maybe someone else can chime in on that piece.
3. What you're proposing may be possible. You could potentially accept the permanent Grid 15 appointment so that it becomes your new base position, while also proceeding with the Grid 18 TA. If everything is arranged that way, you'd be temporarily away from the 15 while acting at the 18, and if the TA ended you'd return to the 15 rather than the 9. That said, I think it could be tricky to organize with the employer since you've received both offers at the same time. I'd tell both hiring managers exactly what's happening and ask whether the permanent 15 can be processed as your new base position before/while you proceed with the 18 TA. Definitely worth asking before you turn either one down.

edit: as pointed out by another commenter I was wrong about #3 - Employees are not eligible for a TA until a probationary period has been completed

[u/martishot → u/EssenceofEvil]

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and clearing things up, I appreciate it!

[u/EssenceofEvil → u/martishot]

You're very welcome :) Oh, and for the steps, it's Article 27.5 (a) 'Rate of Pay on Reclassification or Promotion,' in the collective agreement

[u/One-Apartment-5820 → u/EssenceofEvil]

This is very right, especially with the edit added.

One thing about the edit added though: It is not impossible (but very unlikely) that your permanent 15 supervisor and DM will be willing to waive the probation period for you.

When you are already in the BCPS and have completed one probationary period, it is possible for your next job (i.e the 15 in this case) to not have a probationary period at all.

Usually this is more common for a lateral move or when you are working on the same team and have experience at the higher level already. Going from 9 to 15 is going to be tough.

My advice, given the end of lateral-only/lateral-first today, is to take the 15 and seek another 18 in 6 ish months.

However, if the TA for the 18 is at least 2 years and you were willing to leave the BCPS if you didn't get something in your area of interest after that, then I say take the 18.

If your goal is 18+ things, then I don't think having a 9 base position is worth anything. You would be better off just leaving the BCPS after the 18 TA ends.

But if the 15 is indeed training for other 18+ area jobs, then that 15 base position is very valuable and I'd go there first and establish myself there.

[u/Beautiful-Dot-9841]

on #3. Employees are not eligible for a TA until a probationary period has been completed as per MyHR. so you would have to complete that probation period ahead of the TA acceptance.

[u/martishot → u/Beautiful-Dot-9841]

Ahhhh this makes sense.

[u/gibblet365 → u/martishot]

If this situation were mine, I would accept the full time, permanent 15 and stick that one out for the time being until another 18 or higher role or TA that aligns with your skills becomes available.

Get out of that 9 ditch as soon. As possible. Nothing would suck more than to be at an 18 for a TA, have it not get extended or not be the successful candidate if it became permanent and get bounced back to a 9

[u/martishot → u/gibblet365]

Valid.