This Regulation governs the establishment and administration of employee performance evaluation systems for employees. (S.C. Code Ann. § 8-11-230 (6))

1. The Budget and Control Board establishes Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) criteria to guide the development of an agency’s EPMS.
   
2. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) shall develop a written EPMS model policy, which complies with Budget and Control Board EPMS criteria, to assist an agency in its policy development. The Office of Human Resources must review and approve each agency’s written EPMS policy.
   

3. Each agency shall develop an Employee Performance Management System that functions as an effective management tool within the agency, supports continuous communication between supervisors and employees, and provides a sound process for the evaluation of the performance and productivity of its employees. The Budget and Control Board criteria provide each agency with the flexibility to develop a written EPMS policy that meets the unique needs of the agency.
   

4. Teaching and research faculty, professional librarians, academic administrators, and all other persons holding faculty appointments at post-secondary educational institutions, including any branch campuses, shall not be covered by these Regulations but shall be governed by § 8-17-380 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. (S.C. Code Ann. § 8-17-380)
   
5. Agency heads and other unclassified positions exempt from the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act are also exempt from the Employee Performance Management System. However, these employees shall be given annual performance evaluations.
   
6. The State Human Resources Director shall have the authority to make exceptions to these Regulations.

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1. A performance review date is the first day which marks the beginning of a new review period. If an employee does not receive a performance evaluation prior to the performance review date, the employee shall receive a "meets performance requirements" rating by default.
   

2. In Probationary Status (Refer to Section 19-704.)

1. Upon initial employment or reemployment, the performance review date shall be established as:

1. Twelve months from the date of an initial employment or reemployment;
   

2. The academic year for instructional personnel; or
   

3. Not more than two full academic years duration for faculty at State technical colleges.

2. The performance review date for a probationary employee who is promoted, demoted, reclassified, experiences an unclassified State title change, or is reassigned or transferred to a new class or unclassified State title shall be established as:

1. Twelve months from the date of the promotion, demotion, reclassification, or reassignment or transfer to a new class or unclassified State title change for non-instructional personnel;
   

2. The academic year duration from the date of the promotion, demotion, reclassification, or reassignment or transfer to a new class or unclassified State title for teachers; or
   

3. Not more than two full academic years duration from the date of the promotion, demotion, unclassified State title change, or reassignment or transfer to another unclassified State title for faculty at State technical colleges.

3. Exception - At the discretion of the agency head or his designee, up to six months of continuous satisfactory service in the previous class or unclassified State title may be counted toward the probationary period in the new class or unclassified State title which would result in a reduction in the length of the employee’s performance review period.

3. In Trial Status (Refer to Section 19-704.)

1. A covered employee who is promoted, demoted, reclassified, reassigned, or transferred to a position or experiences an unclassified State title change in which he has not held permanent status in the class or unclassified State title shall have the performance review date reestablished six months from the date of the action.
   
2. An employee who is in a trial status and has had the trial period extended shall have the performance review date advanced one calendar day for each calendar day such extension is in effect, not to exceed 90 days.
   

3. Exception - An employee who is promoted and, prior to attaining permanent status in the class with a higher State salary range, or unclassified State title having a higher State salary range or higher level job duties or responsibilities, is demoted to the same class or unclassified State title from which promoted, shall retain the original performance review date established in the class with a lower State salary range, or unclassified State title having a lower State salary range or lower level job duties or responsibilities.

4. Covered Employees with Permanent Status in the Class or Unclassified State Title

If a covered employee with permanent status in the class or unclassified State title is promoted, demoted, reclassified; experiences an unclassified State title change; or is reassigned or transferred to a new class or unclassified State title in which the employee has previously completed a probationary or trial period, the employee retains permanent status in the class or unclassified State title and is not placed in a probationary or trial status. Instead, the employee’s performance review date is reestablished six months from the date of the promotion, demotion, reclassification, reassignment, or transfer.

5. An employee's performance review date shall be changed for the following reasons:

1. An employee on approved leave without pay for more than 30 consecutive workdays shall have the performance review date advanced one calendar day for each calendar day on leave without pay after those first 30 workdays. Any day for which an employee is paid shall not be counted in determining the number of workdays the employee is on leave without pay.
   

2. A covered employee who within 30 calendar days of his performance review date receives a "Warning Notice of Substandard Performance," shall have the performance review date advanced one calendar day for each calendar day the "Warning Notice of Substandard Performance" is in effect.
   

3. An employee’s performance review date may be adjusted due to promotions, demotions, reclassifications, reassignments, transfers, or unclassified State title changes, as provided in Section 19-715.
   

4. A covered employee who transfers to a position in the same class in another agency within six months or less of his review date shall have the performance review date advanced six months from the date of the transfer to the new agency.
   

5. An employee’s performance review date may be adjusted when an agency adopts a universal performance review date in its written EPMS policy.
   

6. An employee, who is promoted or reclassified upward and prior to attaining permanent status in the class with a higher State salary range or in the unclassified State title having a higher State salary range or higher level of job duties or responsibilities, and is demoted or reclassified downward to the same class or unclassified State title from which promoted or reclassified upward, shall retain the original performance review date established in the class with a lower State salary range or unclassified State title having a lower State salary range or lower level of job duties or responsibilities.

6. An employee’s performance review date shall not be changed for the following reasons:

1. If a reassignment does not result in a new class or unclassified State title change, the employee’s performance review date does not change.
   
2. When a class is reallocated, an employee in that class shall not have the performance review date reestablished.
   
3. An employee who receives an in-band increase or decrease within the current class shall not have the performance review date reestablished.

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1. For Employees Covered by the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act

Upon completion of a probationary or trial period, the performance review date of a covered employee in the Executive Compensation System shall be reestablished on July 1.

2. Employees Exempt From Coverage by the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act

Annual performance evaluations shall be completed by July 1 for employees in the Executive Compensation System who are exempt from coverage by the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. Such employees do not serve a probationary period or a trial period.

3. Exception – The performance review date for the above categories of employees shall be July 1, unless the agency adopts a universal performance review date in its written EPMS policy.
   

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Annual performance evaluations shall be completed by July 1 for agency heads.

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