VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

ADVANCEMENT - A transfer to a classification which has a higher salary range. No requirement for employee to have first held status in a lower classification.

APPEAL HEARING - A hearing requested by a permanent employee who feels he/she has been suspended, fined, demoted or dismissed without good or sufficient reason and who wishes to dispute the charges against him/her before the Civil Service Board.

CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATION - A change to a different classification with no change in pay range or a change to a classification with a lower pay range in which the employee held no previous status. This change is based on a voluntary request or other reasons not involving discipline.

CLASSIFIED SERVICE - All positions not specifically exempted by the City Charter and includes the competitive, noncompetitive, and labor classes.

DEMOTION - A reduction in classification and status. Used when an employee is found to be unsatisfactory in his/her higher level or for disciplinary reasons.

GRIEVANCE HEARING - A hearing requested by an employee who feels there has been a violation of the rules to his/her harm, or who has a complaint concerning his/her employment under the rules and who wishes to present evidence before the Civil Service Board in support of his/her complaint.

PERMANENT EMPLOYEE - An employee in the classified service who has been appointed to a position after serving the required probationary period for that position. All permanent employees in the classified service have rights under the Rules.

PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEE - An employee who is initially employed, advanced, or promoted to a classified position and who has not completed the necessary probationary period. A probationary employee has no Civil Service rights and may be discharged from an entry level position if a new City employee or returned to the former classification in which he/she held permanent status.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD - The period of service an employee must complete before obtaining permanent status. The required probationary period is 18 months for police officers and Communication Operators, 12 months for fire fighters and all other employees in the classified service. No probationary period may be extended beyond the required time limit without approval of the Board.

PROMOTION - A transfer from a lower to a higher classification in the same job family. Employee must have first held status in the lower classification to be eligible for promotion.

RE-EMPLOYMENT - The return to work of a former employee following endorsement of his/her request by the former employing department and approval by the Civil Service Board subject to meeting certain eligibility requirements.

RETURN TO FORMER CLASSIFICATION - Return to a classification in which the employee held status prior to promotion, advancement, change in classification, or appointment to the unclassified service, due to voluntary request or other reason not involving discipline.

SERVICE RATING - Evaluation of the conduct and ability of an employee to perform the duties of his/her job. Ratings must be completed by the department at least once a year. Any permanent employee who is rated unsatisfactory will be called before the Civil Service Board for a hearing to present evidence why he/she should not be dismissed, suspended, or demoted.

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE - An employee who is appointed for a special period or project, or to replace a regular employee on leave. Temporary employees have no Civil Service rights in their temporary classification.

UNCLASSIFIED SERVICE - All top administrative positions such as the City Manager and his staff, department directors, assistant department directors and/or other positions as listed in Section 36 of the City Charter. These employees have no rights under the Civil Service Rules, but personnel with permanent Civil Service Status appointed to unclassified positions do have Civil Service rights to their former classified positions.