Is my supervisor required to complete a performance evaluation?
According to the current contract a probationary employee shall be evaluated in writing once during the probationary period. It is not required that the evaluation be at the end of the period, but it usually done then. After that, the contract says that each employee "shall be evaluated periodically."

Can my supervisor evaluate me more than once a year?
Yes, but this is not common unless you are have problems on the job.

Do I have to sign the evaluation if I don’t agree with it?
If they insist that you sign it, you should sign it -- refusing to do so would be considered "insubordination." However, signing it does not mean that you agree with it, so there is no reason to get into a fight with your supervisor over it. When you sign, you should indicate that you disagree with parts of the evaluation right on the form, and that you will write a response. This way, your disagreement becomes part of the evaluation. Then, prepare some very brief, coherent, clear responses. When you send them to your supervisor, also ask that they be attached to the performance evaluation. Your supervisor is required to include your response in your personnel file.

Can I get a poor performance evaluation removed from my file?
Sometimes. You can request that a poor evaluation be removed from the file. Often a supervisor will be willing to do this, especially after a subsequent review shows your performance has improved.

Does a poor performance evaluation count as a disciplinary action?
No. A performance evaluation is not in and of itself a disciplinary procedure. According to management it is a constructive process to acknowledge the performance of an employee. However, a negative performance evaluation is often an important indication that your supervisor is considering disciplinary action if you do not improve in those areas specified in the evaluation.

Can I file a grievance against an unfair performance evaluation?
According to the current contract you can only file a grievance if the overall rating is "less than satisfactory," "improvement needed" or "unsatisfactory." These grievances can only go to Step 2 of the grievance procedure; they cannot be heard by an outside, neutral arbitrator.