If a ratee receives a "does not meet expectations" rating, what immediate consequence do they face?

Receiving a "does not meet expectations" rating typically leads to not receiving the next step increase in salary or rank. This consequence serves as an important measure within performance evaluations, encouraging personnel to meet established standards and expectations.

By not receiving the next step increase, the department emphasizes the importance of performance levels and creates a direct link between evaluation outcomes and compensation. This approach is designed to motivate employees to improve and align their performance with the department’s expectations.

The other options, while impactful, do not directly follow from a performance rating of "does not meet expectations." For instance, losing their current rank or facing mandatory transfer would likely require additional disciplinary measures or repeated poor performance, rather than being an immediate consequence of a single evaluation. Similarly, fines imposed by the department are not standard practices in response to performance ratings. Therefore, the most logical and immediate consequence is indeed the withholding of the next step increase.