An employee shall serve an initial probationary period of 12 months. Time spent in a special limited term position does not count toward the initial probation.Avoid identifying the first month (60 days, 120 days), etc. To successfully complete the probationary period, the employee must attend work as scheduled during the six (6) month period. All entrance appointments and all promotional appointments shall be tentative and subject to a probationary period of six (6) full months of actual service. A new employee hired into a position in the covered service shall serve an original probation period of one year. Work time credit equals thirty days for every thirty days that a probationer does all of the following: 1. Is engaged in eligible employment. A probationary period can be a useful management tool, but it can also cause legal trouble. Learn how and when to use probationary periods.