(a) An individual's initial appointment as an SES career appointee becomes final only after the individual has served a 1-year probationary period as a career appointee; there has been an assessment of the appointee's performance during the probationary period; and the appointing authority, or his or her designee, has certified that the appointee performed at the level of excellence expected of a senior executive during the probationary period.

(b) When a career appointee's executive qualification have been certified by a Qualifications Review Board on the basis of special or unique qualities, as described in § 317.502(c), the probationary assessment must address any executive development activities the agency identified in support of the request for QRB certification.

(c) The probationary period begins on the effective date of the personnel action initially appointing the individual to the SES as a career appointee and ends one calendar year later.

(d) The following conditions apply to crediting service towards completion of the probationary period.

(1) Time on leave with pay while in an SES position is credited. Earned leave for which the employee is compensated by lump-sum payment upon separation is not credited.

(2) Time in a nonpay status while in an SES position is credited up to a total of 30 calendar days (or 22 workdays). After 30 calendar days, the probationary period is extended by adding to it time equal to that served in a nonpay status.

(3) Time absent on military duty or due to compensable injury is credited upon restoration to the SES when no other break in SES service has occurred.

(4) Time following transfer to an SES position in another agency is credited, i.e., the individual does not have to start a new probationary period.

(e) Removal of a career appointee during the probationary period is covered by subpart D of part 359 of this chapter.

(f) A career appointee who resigns or is removed from the SES before completion of the probationary period may not receive another SES career appointment unless selected under SES merit staffing procedures. The individual, however, need not be recertified by a QRB unless the individual was removed for performance or disciplinary reasons.

(g) An individual who separated from the SES during the probationary period and who has been out of the SES more than 30 calendar days must serve a new 1-year probationary period upon reappointment and may not credit previous time in a probationary period. In the following situations, however, there is an exception and the individual is only required to complete the remainder of the previously served probationary period.

(1) The individual left the SES without a break in service for a Presidential appointment and is exercising reinstatement rights under 5 U.S.C. 3593(b).

(2) The individual left the SES without a break in service for other civilian employment that provides a statutory or regulatory reemployment right to the SES when no other break in service occurred.

(3) The break in SES service was the result of military duty or compensable injury, and the time credited under paragraph (c)(3) of this section was not sufficient to complete the probationary period.