Web Architect: Chird Bobbitt
Copyright
© 1997- All
Rights Reserved
PERSONNEL POLICY OF THE CITY OF SEARCY
The purpose of
this document is to establish and define a system which will govern all facets
of employment with the City of Searcy. It is intended to create and maintain an
equitable and efficient workplace environment for city employees at all levels.
In addition, it will insure that supervisors have adequate management tools and
standards and employees have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities
and entitlements. It will define personnel rating requirements and outline
provisions for the address of grievances and complaints.
These policies
and procedures apply to all employees, but it is recognized that uniformed
employees are governed by numerous state statutes. When an inadvertent conflict
with these laws occurs, this document will be subordinate. The City Council
possesses legislative powers defined by State Statute. This policy in no way
addresses or affects these powers.
The use of gender specific pronouns
has been avoided wherever possible. Whenever this would have lead to awkward
phrasing the male pronoun is used. These pronouns are to be considered to refer
to both genders equally.
The Mayor is the approving authority for these
policies and will direct changes as he deems appropriate. The Human Resource
Manager is responsible for review, updating and insuring compatibility with
appropriate State Laws. The Human Resource Manager will develop and implement
the necessary procedures to insure compliance with these policies.
Each
director is responsible for the enforcement of these policies. All city
employees are responsible for compliance with them and with any departmental
directives generated by same.
This document will be reviewed and updated
as required. Requests for changes or additions must be submitted to the Human
Resource Manager in writing.
I. EMPLOYMENT
POLICIES.
A. General:
The Mayor will
exercise final authority concerning all personnel acquisitions, termination's
and policies. The Human Resource Manager will insure compliance with all
appropriate regulations and policies and will conduct preliminary hiring
functions and provide recommendations to the mayor.
1.
The City of Searcy is committed providing equal opportunity with no regard to
race, color, religion, national original sex, age handicap or veteran status and
in compliance with all Federal and State Laws.
2. AT WILL:
The City of
Searcy is an at-will employer. This means that the City or any of its employees
may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason with the
understanding that neither has an obligation to base that decision on anything
but the intent not to continue the employment relationship. No policies or
comments in this document or made during the employment process shall be
construed in any way to waive this provision.
3.
HARASSMENT:
Harassment of city employees will not be tolerated under any
circumstances. Any employee who believes he is being harassed should report it
to the Human Resource Manager immediately. The Human Resource Manager will
initiate appropriate action.
Harassment, may take the following
forma:
a. Sexual harassment, which is the act of
offering or withholding career enhancements or benefits based on sexual favors
or unsolicited sexual advances in the workplace.
b. General
harassment, which is any annoying, insulting, or unwelcome act that singles out
an employee by race, sex, religion, national origin, handicap or unique
characteristic. It may include, but is not limited to: verbal abuse, ridicule,
or interference with work.
4. DRUG-FREE
WORKPLACE:
It is the policy of the City of Searcy to create a drug-free
workplace in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 and its amendments . The use of controlled substances is inconsistent
with the behavior expected of employees, subjects all employees and visitors to
City facilities to unacceptable safety risks and undermines the City's ability
to operate effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the unlawful manufacture,
distribution, dispensation, possession, sale or use of a controlled substance in
the workplace or while engaged in City business of the City of Searcy or on the
City's premises is strictly prohibited.
Such conduct is also prohibited
during non-working hours to the extent that, in the opinion of the City, it
impairs an employee's ability to perform on the job or threatens the reputation
or integrity of the City.
B.
HIRING:
1. General Department Directors shall submit
applications to request filling a vacancy to the Human Resource Manager. All
requisitions must be approved by the Mayor prior to initiation of the hiring
process.
Applications for employment will be accepted from anyone who
wishes to apply. Application forms are available at the office of the Human
Resource Manager.
The City will attempt to fill vacancies with persons
already employed. Employees are encouraged to apply for vacancies for which they
are qualified and which offer promotional opportunities .
Position
vacancies will be posted in the Human Resource Manager's office at least 10 days
prior to the deadline for submission of applications. Copies of the job
announcement will be distributed to City Departments and, as appropriate, to
outside agencies which might provide applicants.
2.
RESTRICTIONS:
The minimum age for permanent employment is 18 years. Police
and firefighters are subject to state restrictions. Summer youth program
employees may be as young as 14 in some cases.
Applicants who are not
citizens of the United States must be able to prove, prior to employment, their
status as a resident alien or provide proof of permission to work in the United
States as authorized by the United States Naturalization Service. Applicants for
Police Officers must be citizens of the United States.
Applicants shall
be disqualified automatically for the following:
a.
Falsification or deliberate misrepresentation of information on the application
form.
b. Conviction of a felony which is related to the
position being sought.
c. Failure to submit the application
with required documents within the prescribed time
period.
3. SELECTION:
Any of the following may be
used as a selection device in a competitive hiring.
-Written Test
-Performance work sample test
-Application or resume evaluation
-Interview
-Education, training and experience
-Physical abilities
test
-Background & reference checks
-Other discriminators as
appropriate
Applicants shall be notified of the result of tests or
interviews within 10 days of completion of testing for the
position.
Complaints or allegations of errors must be submitted in writing to
the Human Resource Manager within 10 days of receipt of the results.
The
Human Resource Manager will organize and conduct all testing and interviews for
city employment. The Mayor is the hiring and approval authority for all hiring
actions. Persons selected for employment shall report to the Human Resource
Manager prior to beginning work to complete tax withholding and benefit
enrollment forms. New employees must present Social Security Cards and a valid
drivers license will be required when motor vehicle operation is part of the job
description.
New employees will be given a copy of their job description
at this time and will sign a statement that they understand the responsibilities
and requirements of their position. The rating procedure, to include provisions
for rebuttal, will be explained by the Human Resource Manager at this
time.
C. TRAINING:
Any training necessary to perform
a job for the City will be identified in the individual job description. In many
cases, such training can be provided on-the-job by supervisory personnel. New
employees will be informed of the necessity of successfully completing such
training prior to hiring, and will acknowledge these requirements when signing
for the job description.
Training which is not essential, but would
improve an employee's ability to do his job, should be identified by supervisors
on the performance appraisal. Such training will be provided whenever practical.
Training required for all personnel, such as safety and drug-abuse awareness,
will be provided by the Human Resources Management Office
.
D. NEPOTISM:
No employee shall in any manner be
placed in a position under the direct supervision of a relative. All cases in
which relatives of current employees are considered for hiring shall be
specifically reviewed by the Human Resource Manager. For this policy "relative"
is defined as persons related by blood within two generations, spouse's blood
relatives, and persons living together.
E. TYPES OF
APPOINTMENT:
Employees will be appointed to positions within the following
categories:
a. Regular Positions Full time employees
in this category are scheduled to work a minimum of 40 hours per week and will
be entitled to all benefits the city offers.
Part time employees in this
category are scheduled to work only part of the work week, not to exceed 35
hours on a regular basis. They will be entitled to limited
benefits.
b. Temporary Position These positions may be
either full or part time for a designated time period. Employees in this
category are not eligible for benefits.
c. Temporary
Emergency Position Employees in this category are scheduled to work full time or
part time for the duration of an emergency, not to exceed a fiscal year. These
employees are not eligible for benefits.
F.
PROBATION:
Non-uniform employees hired into full time positions shall be in
probationary status for six months. This period may be extended for up to 90
days for extraordinary circumstances. Requests for extension must be submitted
to the Human Resource Manager by supervisors no later than 5 working days prior
to the culmination of the original probation period.
G.
WORK HOURS:
Department Directors may change or adjust hours of work for the
employee with prior approval from the Mayor. Requests for such changes will be
submitted in writing to the Human Resource Manager. Nonuniform employees shall
be granted a non-paid mealtime of not less than 30 minutes and two paid rest
periods of 15 minutes daily. Supervisors will designate these
times.
Employees are expected to be at the work site on time and to work
the hours scheduled . Unauthorized absences or tardiness will result in a
corresponding loss of pay. Habitual absences will lead to disciplinary
action.
H. PAY:
All employees will be paid on a
biweekly basis and shall receive a paycheck with itemized earnings and
deductions every other Friday. Should payday fall on a holiday, paychecks will
be issued the preceding day.
Employees should notify their superior
immediately upon a change of mailing address. It is important that this be
correct in each employee's file to enable the mailing of necessary items such as
tax documents. Employees should also notify their supervisors in case of a
change in marital status.
I I. PERFORMANCE
EVALUATIONS.
Each employee's duties and responsibilities will be
described in a job description maintained in the office of the Human Resource
Manager. Employees and their supervisors will be given a copy of these job
descriptions.
At least once each year supervisors will summarize their
evaluations of each employee's performance on a performance rating form from the
Human Resource Manager's office. This evaluation will include accomplishment of
duties, work habits, any disciplinary actions and potential for
promotional.
This will normally be prepared during the employees month of
original hiring. One copy of the rating will be given to the employee, one copy
will be retained by the supervisor and the original, signed by the employee,
will be delivered to the Human Resource Manager for inclusion in the employee's
permanent file . These ratings will be treated as sensitive information and will
not be shown to anyone who does not have a valid job-related reason to see
them.
Supervisors may prepare and submit a special rating at any time.
Special ratings must be in one of the following
categories:
a. Exceptional--This rating will
recognize an employee for performance substantially above normal for his
position. These will be a primary consideration in selecting employees for
promotion or higher rated jobs.
b. Change of Status--Will
be prepared when the employee changes supervisors, directorate or job
description.
c. Adverse--These ratings will be for
sustained sub-standard performance, poor work habits or disruptions of the work
place. They may be used as evidence in disciplinary or adverse actions such as
suspension or termination.
An employee has the right to submit a rebuttal
as an attachment to any rating containing negative comments and to request a
hearing before the Human Resource Manager in the case of an adverse special
report.
III. SALARIES.
A.
GENERAL .
Job descriptions will be the base document for determining salary
of non-uniformed employees. The Human Resource Manager will present
recommendations to the Mayor on establishment or alteration of salaries, degree
of responsibility, and difficulty of functions. City finance and other pertinent
information will be taken into consideration. Starting pay rates for identical
job descriptions will be the same and will be equitable in the case of similar
duties and requirements. The Mayor will make all final determinations pertaining
to salaries.
Each job description will be reviewed by the Human Resource
Manager at three year intervals to insure accuracy of the title, the duties
required and the appropriateness of salary.
A review may be requested at
any time by an employee or supervisor. These requests must be in writing on
forms available in the Human Resource Manager's Office. The Human Resource
Manager will provide a written response to all requests for review within. 60
days of receipt. Changes in job descriptions or salary based on a review must be
approved by the Mayor.
B. OVERTIME:
Overtime will be
paid for hours worked in excess of 40 per week for non-uniformed employees upon
approval of the Human Resource Manager. This approval will be based on an
agreement between the employee and his supervisor before the accrual of
compensatory time or overtime. Many job descriptions identify overtime as a
requirement. Employees holding these positions are expected to work overtime
whenever so directed by their supervisor. It is not necessary for supervisors to
execute identical agreements with all of their employees. Employees will not be
compensated for hours in excess of the normal work week in the absence of prior
authorization from their supervisor. Overtime will be paid at the rate of 1 1/2
hours for each hour worked. Compensatory time also will be awarded at the rate
of l 1/2 hours for each hour of overtime worked. Compensatory time may be
accrued up to 40 hours and may not be carried in excess of 60 days. Management
has the option to grant time off or pay for accrued compensatory time. When
computing compensatory time or overtime, any part of an hour shall be rounded to
the nearest quarter of an hour (seven minutes will be rounded down, eight
minutes will be rounded up) . Compensatory time must be used prior to
termination of employment. The City will not reimburse employees for such time.
Uniformed employees will be paid as prescribed in appropriate
regulations.
C. HOLIDAY PAY:
Employees required to
work on holidays will be paid 1 1/2 times their regular salary in addition to
their normal holiday pay. Employees required to work on holidays will be
scheduled for at least four hours work and will be paid for that amount if
released before completing an actual four hours.
D.
INSURANCE:
The City of Searcy provides a group health plan for all employees.
Optional dependent coverage is available for eligible dependents including
spouse, available for eligible dependents including spouse, unmarried children
under age 19 and children past 19 who are handicapped or enrolled as full time
students. All regular full time non-uniformed employees are also provided with
disability life insurance and dental coverage. Detailed information on options
and coverage will be given to the employee by the Huw.an Resource Manager upon
hiring.
IV. LEAVES:
GENERAL:
The City
provides paid leave time for all employees to be absent without loss of pay.
Non-uniformed employees using leave time will be charged one hour for each hour
of work missed and will be charged the hours in their normal shift for each full
day missed. Uniformed employees will comply with the appropriate State and Civil
Service regulations concerning leave.
Department Directors may advance
any combination of up to 40 hours of vacation and sick leave to
employees.
Any advanced leave outstanding upon termination of employment will
be deducted from the employee's final pay.
A. VACATION
LEAVE:
Full time employees earn vacation leave from the time of employment.
Annual leave entitlements are as follows:
Up to three years
employment =10 days.
Three to ten years
employment =15 days.
Ten to twenty years
employment = 20 days .
Twenty years and over
=22 days.
Employees will obtain approval from their supervisor a minimum
of one month prior to taking vacation leave. The number of personnel on vacation
leave at one time will be determined by Department Directors based on
departmental work loads. Seniority will determine priority for leave when other
factors are equal.
A maximum of 15 days accumulated vacation may be
carried over to the next year. Exceptions may be granted by Departmental
Directors with approval of the Human Resource Manager.
Employees who are
hospitalized due to sickness or injury while on vacation can have their leave
changed to sick leave by the Human Resource Manager with documentation from an
appropriate medical authority.
B. SICK LEAVE
Regular
employees earn sick leave at the rate of 8 days per year from the first day of
employment. Accrual is limited to 60 days.
Sick leave may be used for
serious illness or injury in an employee's immediate family. Legal family is
defined for this purpose as spouse or dependents. Employees must notify their
supervisor on the first day missed and daily thereafter to claim sick leave.
Exception can be made by supervisors on a case by case basis. A physician's
statement may be required by supervisors for any period.
Any employee
absent from work more than 10 working days in excess of the normal convalescent
time established by the Professional Activity Study may be required to see a
physician selected by the City for an evaluation and a release to work.
Sick
leave abuse will justify reasonable investigation and disciplinary action as
deemed appropriate, to include termination of employment. Abuse on a work shift
immediately before or after a holiday will result in denial of holiday
pay.
HOLIDAYS:
All regular employees receive the following
holidays:
New Years Day
M.L.K.'s Birthday
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Employee's Birthday
Employees
who wish to substitute another date for their birthday entitlement may do so
with the approval of their supervisor.
D. OTHER
LEAVES:
1. FUNERAL LEAVE Regular employees who have a
death in their immediate family will receive up to three days with pay to
arrange the funeral and conduct other related business. for this purpose
immediate family is defined as parents, grandparents, siblings, children,
daughter/Son-in-law, spouse and spouse's immediate
family.
2. JURY DUTY
Employees will be given leave
at normal pay for time spent on jury duty. Verification of time will be required
before reimbursement.
3. EMERGENCY LEAVE
This may
be granted for all or part of a day in the event of a situation which threatens
the health and safety of employees. The Mayor must approve emergency
leave.
4. MILITARY LEAVE
Employees will be granted
a leave of absence to fulfill training obligations with Armed Forces, Reserves
or National Guard. This will not affect accrual of normal leave. Employees will
be paid the difference in military compensation and their regular
pay.
Military requirements for periods exceeding 30 consecutive days will be
considered veterans reinstatement.
5. MATERNITY LEAVE
Employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition
will be treated the same as employees disabled for other illness or injury.
Accrued sick leave and vacation time may be used for this purpose after which
leave without pay must be used.
6. LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Employees may be granted leave without pay for up to six months, renewable
for six months. All such leaves in excess of ten consecutive duty days must be
submitted to the Human Resource Manager f or approval by the
Mayor.
V. DISCIPLINARY
ACTIONS
A. GENERAL :
A disciplinary action
against an employee must be for just cause, properly documented and appropriate
in degree. Degree of discipline shall be determined by severity of the offense,
length of employment and employee's past record, both good and bad. Employees
have the right to appeal disciplinary actions and to submit a grievance for any
adverse actions they consider unfair. The cause for any adverse action, to
include specific date and time, must be documented by the supervisor taking the
action. Forms for this documentation are available from the Human Resource
Manager. A copy of any disciplinary action will be furnished to the employee,
and the original will be given to the Human Resource Manager. Any notice of
disciplinary action will be put in the employee's personal file. Any
disciplinary action should be signed by the employee. This only indicates the
employee has read it, not agreement. An employee's refusal to sign will be
witnessed by his supervisor and another witness and so noted on the
form.
B. TYPES OF DISCIPLINARY
ACTION:
1. Oral Reprimand
This is a formal
discussion between an employee and his supervisor, not to be confused with
normal counseling or performance appraisal. A memorandum will be prepared of an
oral reprimand, with a copy forwarded to the Human Resource Manager and a copy
retained by the supervisor. Employees will be furnished a copy on
request.
2. Written Reprimand
A formal written
censure. This will be placed in the employee's official file and is considered
the first step in progressive discipline.
3. Suspension
This is a disciplinary action which
removes an employee temporarily from his job. An employee receives no pay while
on disciplinary suspension. Suspensions will be delayed one working day and must
be reported to the Human Resource Manager prior to beginning. Employees will be
suspended with pay in the case of a pending termination of employment and may
also be suspended with pay during an investigation.
4.
DEMOTION
An action which permanently places an employee in a position of
less responsibility and reduced pay. An employee will be notified five working
days prior to the effective date of a demotion. Department Directors will submit
proposed demotions to the Human Resource Manager for approval by the
Mayor.
5. TERMINATION
A disciplinary action which
removes an employee from the City work force. The Hlli~an Resource Manager will
be notified immediately upon a Supervisor's decision to terminate an
employee
There are certain actions which cannot be permitted to occur
under any circumstances because of their impact on other employees or the
public. Such offenses warrant termination on the first occurrence. Employees
committing acts of this type will be immediately suspended with pay until the
pre-termination hearing. Examples of such actions
are:
a.
Insubordination.
b. Falsification of official
records.
c. Two consecutive days absence without
notification.
d. Use or possession of alcohol or illegal
drugs on duty. Being under the influence of same while on
duty.
e. Unauthorized possession of a firearm, while on
duty.
f. Violation of nondiscrimination or harassment
policy.
g. Soliciting or accepting gratuities from
citizens.
g. Unauthorized use of city property or
equipment.
i. Fighting or using obscene, abusive or
threatening language or gestures.
Employees will receive a termination
hearing prior to the action. The employee will be notified on a form provided by
the Personnel Manager. This hearing is not to be confused with the appeal
process.
An employee must be told specifically what infraction he is
accused of and that termination is being recommended.
Employees will be given
the opportunity to respond to all allegations during the pre-termination
hearing.
C. APPEAL S
Employees can appeal any
disciplinary action with the exception of an oral
reprimand.
1. Employees can submit a written rebuttal
to any disciplinary action to the Human Resource
Manager.
2. Appeal hearings can be requested on forms
available in the Human Resource Manager's Office. Hearings must be requested
within 5 days of the disciplinary action. The Human Resource Manager will notify
the employee and supervisor of the date, place, and time of the
hearing.
Each party may have any appropriate witnesses at the hearing.
The Human Resource Manager will notify all parties of the Mayor's decision
within 5 working days of the hearing. If a disciplinary action is overturned by
appeal, the employee will have all rights, benefits and privileges restored
immediately.
D. GRIEVANCES
1. Any employee may submit a grievance if he or she
believes a policy, regulation, or action is being improperly applied. No
reprisal of any kind will be taken against an employee for a grievance filed in
good faith .
2. All grievances will be submitted in
writing on forms available from the Human Resource Manager. The Human Resource
Director will conduct a preliminary hearing with the grievant and appropriate
supervisor. Any party may have appropriate witnesses present.
If the
grievance cannot be solved at this level, a second hearing will be arranged by
the Human Resource Manager with the Mayor presiding. The grievant will be
notified of the decision within 5 working days.
If a grievance charging
the City with discrimination or unfair practices is simultaneously being
considered by any board, agency or court, that grievance will be held in
abeyance until the other authority has rendered a
decision.
VI. PERSONNEL
ACTIONS
Personnel actions defined in this section
are:
Termination
Resignation
Retirement
Re-employment
Layoff Recall
A.
TERMINATION is involuntary separation from employment and is addressed in the
preceding chapter. Employees in leave-without-pay status who do not return to
work may be terminated by the supervisor with the approval of the Human Resource
Manager.
B. RESIGNATION is a voluntary separation from
employment. In order to be eligible for re-employment, an employee must submit a
written resignation to the appropriate supervisor no later than 10 working days
prior to separation.
C. RE-EMPLOYMENT Any person who
has separated from City's employment in good standing will be considered for
rehire if he meets the following requirements.
1. That a
timely resignation notice was submitted.
2. That
performance ratings were satisfactory during previous
employment
D. LAYOFF
In the event that a layoff is
necessary for any reason, seniority and performance ratings will be the
determining factors in which personnel will be let go. Employees in their
initial probation period will be the first considered for layoff. Names of
employees identified for layoff by Department Directors will be submitted in
writing to the Human Resource Manager for final approval by the Mayor. Employees
will be given as much prior notice as possible prior to layoff. any employee may
extend insurance coverage when laid off. This policy is subordinated when it
conflicts with current state or federal statutes.
E.
RECALL
Laid off employees have recall rights for 18 months. These employees
will be recalled to the former positions in, order of seniority. Employees laid
off during their initial probation period have no recall rights. Recall rights
of laid off employees will be forfeited upon occurrence of any of the
following:
1. Refusal to accept recall to appropriate
position.
2. Failure to contact the appropriate city office
or report for work within 7 days of notification of recall to
work.
3. Return of Certified Mail notification of recall as
undeliverable. It is the responsibility of the laid off employee to insure that
the Human Resource Manager has a current address for mailing of recall
notices.
4. Acceptance of another position with the
City.
VI. STANDARDS OF
CONDUCT
A. CONDUCT TOWARD THE PUBLIC
City
employees will at all times be civil, orderly and courteous in their conduct
toward the public. Employees must remember at all times that they represent the
City when on duty. When dealing with discourteous or upset individuals it must
be kept in mind that "The Customer is Always Right"
.
B. UNIFORMS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE
Uniforms or a
uniform allowance will be provided to personnel of certain departments as
authorized by the Mayor. These employees will wear uniforms at all times while
on duty. Uniforms will be kept as neat and clean as job conditions
permit.
Employees not authorized uniforms will dress in appropriate attire
for their departments. Department chiefs will be responsible for the appearance
of employees under their supervision.
C. Inclement
Weather
In the event of hazardous road conditions employees must notify
their superior of their inability to report for work. This notification must be
made prior to the scheduled work period. An absence from, duty not authorized by
a supervisor will be considered an absence without leave and will be without
pay. In the event that conditions prevent opening departments, absences will be
licensed and with pay.
D. Outside Employment
Any
employee considering additional employment should consult with his or her
superior to insure there is no conflict of interest. Outside employment must not
interfere with the timely and effective performance of duty for the city.
Outside jobs may not be of a nature that would adversely affect the image of the
City. City uniforms may not be worn on outside jobs. Members of the Police
Department are exempt from this rule when employed off-duty as security
personnel.
E. Political Activity
All employees are
urged to exercise their right to vote. Time off will be granted for this purpose
when necessary.
F. Outside Compensation
No tip,
payment, reward, or any type of remuneration in addition to normal salary will
be accepted by any City employee for the performance of their
duties.