N.J.A.C. 4A:6-5.2 PAR procedure: State service
N.J.A.C. 4A:6-5.2, PAR procedure: State service. An employee and his or her supervisor shall jointly develop a job performance plan consisting of work assignments together with measurable performance stand Full text with 3 recorded amendments, 2 citing decisions.
Current through New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 14, July 20, 2026. Reviewed as of July 26, 2026.
This is an annotated mirror, not the official publication. Verify against the Civil Service Commission before relying on it.
In plain language
The performance plan is built jointly by the employee and the supervisor, and an employee who disagrees with the plan that results may note the disagreement. Reviews come at six months, producing an interim rating, and at one year, producing the final one, and the employee is entitled to a copy of the rating. A change of job assignment or supervisor mid-cycle closes out the old plan: the work under it is rated, a new plan is written, and the final rating is a proration of everything received in the review period. A change of title works the same way, with the former supervisor assigning a final rating for the former plan. Any rating below Successful triggers a performance conference after three months, or sooner if the supervisor decides. Supervisors carry their own exposure: failing to complete subordinates' final ratings on time earns an Unsatisfactory rating and may bring discipline.
Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:6-5.2. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.
(a) An employee and his or her supervisor shall jointly develop a job performance plan consisting of work assignments together with measurable performance standards. The employee shall be provided with a copy of the performance plan once established. If an employee disagrees with the established performance plan, he or she may note such disagreement. #
(b) At the end of six months and at the end of one year, the employee and the supervisor shall review the employee's performance. The supervisor shall designate an interim performance rating at the end of six months and a final rating at the end of one year. #
1. When there is a change either in job assignment or supervisor during the evaluation period, the old performance plan shall be closed out. The employee's performance during the portion of the rating period under the old performance plan shall be rated and a new performance plan shall be prepared. The final rating shall be a proration of all ratings received during the review period. #
2. When there is a change in job title during the evaluation period, the former supervisor shall assign a final rating for the former performance plan and title. A performance plan for the new title shall be developed. #
3. When appropriate, performance improvement plans shall be set at each review. #
4. The employee shall be entitled to a copy of the rating. #
(c) When a rating below the Successful level is received, a performance conference shall be conducted after three months or such shorter period of time as determined by the supervisor. #
(d) A performance plan for each rating period shall be established within a reasonable time after completion of the previous rating period. New employees shall receive a performance plan within a reasonable time after appointment. #
1. The supervisor shall prepare a job performance plan prior to the commencement of the working test period which shall identify the job assignment, include the essential criteria for successful job performance, and emphasize training and development. #
(e) A supervisor's own PAR shall provide that the supervisor shall complete the PAR of his or her subordinates. A supervisor who fails to timely complete the final ratings of his or her subordinates, or who is responsible for another employee's failure to timely complete a final PAR rating, shall receive a rating of Unsatisfactory, and may be subject to discipline. #
(f) A representative of the Civil Service Commission may require additional reports, information, or audits of an agency's PAR program. #
(g) A complaint that an entire agency or unit is in violation of this subchapter shall be presented to the PAR coordinator within the personnel office for the subject department. The PAR coordinator shall, within 30 days, investigate the complaint, respond in writing to the individual(s) presenting the complaint, and implement remedial action as appropriate. If the individual(s) is (are) dissatisfied with the response of the PAR coordinator, or if no action has been taken within 30 days of the complaint, the individual(s) may appeal the matter to the PAR Program Coordinator, Civil Service Commission. #
(h) Complaints concerning an individual's final PAR rating or performance standards shall be addressed through procedures set forth in N.J.A.C. 4A:6-5.3(b) through (d). #
Amendment history
Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 3 recorded changes.
- AmendedR.2016 d.17148 N.J.R. 5(a); 48 N.J.R. 2775(b)
- AmendedR.2000 d.1131 N.J.R. 2824(a); 32 N.J.R. 35(a)
- AmendedR.1993 d.4724 N.J.R. 3590(a); 25 N.J.R. 293(a)
How this rule has been applied
2 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:6-5.2. The list below is citations to those decisions, not the decisions. We have not written summaries for this section. A citation with no summary is deliberate: we do not paraphrase a decision we have not read. Nothing here is legal advice.
Civil Service Commission final determinations (2)
- In re Bennett Sr., Reg'l Forester (PS3804G), N.J. Dep't of Envtl. Prot., CSC Docket No. 2021-17752021 N.J. CSC LEXIS 452Docket 2021-1775
- In re Opacka, Claims Adjudicator Supervisor Disability Determinations (PS3520N), Dep't of Labor and Workforce Dev., CSC Docket No. 2017-40792017 N.J. CSC LEXIS 571Docket 2017-4079