El Segundo Municipal Code Ch. 6 Personnel Merit System

A. Word Construction: Words used in this chapter in the present tense include the future as well as the present; words used in the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter; the singular include the plural, and the plural the singular; writing includes printing and typewriting; and the word "employee" includes appointive officers.

B. System Established; Rank:

1. There is hereby created and established a merit system for certain officers and members of the Fire Department, Police Department, and for other departments as may be designated from time to time by the City Council. All full time, regular and permanent positions in the Police Department and Fire Department, except the department heads and clerical employees, are included in the personnel merit system and shall for the purpose of this chapter be known as the classified service.

2. Department heads will, while serving in that capacity, retain their last previous rank in the classified service. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962; amd. 2000 Code)

The personnel merit system, created and established in section 1-6-1 of this chapter, and all of its benefits are extended to and, by this section, do include all regular and permanent officers and members of all departments of the City who are members of the State employees retirement system, subject to the provisions of the State Employees Retirement Act 1 , except department heads, elective officers, and those expressly excluded in section 1-6-4 of this chapter. (Ord. 639, 9-13-1965)

Effective October 19, 2022, the organization of City government consists of the following departments:

City Administration

Community Development Department

Finance Department

Fire Department

Human Resources Department

Information Technology Systems Department

Police Department

Public Works Department

Recreation, Parks, and Library Department. (Ord. 1546, 1-17-2017; amd. Ord. 1620, 11-17-2020; Ord. 1639, 9-20-2022)

Effective October 16, 2025, those officers and members of departments, in addition to department heads and elected officers who are expressly excluded from the merit system, are:

Assistant City Clerk

Assistant City Manager

Building Official

• City Attorney

• City Engineer

• City Manager

• Communications Manager

Deputy City Manager

Environmental Programs Manager

Finance Manager

General Services Superintendent

Human Resources Manager

Information Systems Manager

Library Services Manager*

Park Maintenance Superintendent*

Planning Manager

Principal Civil Engineer*

Recreation Manager

Risk Manager

Senior Civil Engineer

Treasury and Customer Service Manager

Utilities Superintendent.

*NOTE: Any position designated above with an asterisk will only be excluded from the personnel merit system under this section upon both the vacancy of such position after the date first set forth in this section and City Council approval of a revised classification specification for the position. (Ord. 1576, 11-6-2018; amd. Ord. 1620, 11-17-2020; Ord. 1650, 9-5-2023; Ord. 1656, 2-8-2024; Ord. 1662, 6-18-2024; Ord. 1663, 9-3-2024; Ord. 1677, 9-16-2025)

For purposes of this chapter and expanding the coverage of initiative ordinance no. 586, pursuant to its § 19, effective October 16, 2025 the term “department head” includes:

Assistant City Manager

• Chief Financial Officer

• Chief of Police

• City Manager

Deputy City Manager

Director of Community Development

Director of Human Resources & Risk Management

Director of Information Technology Services

Director of Public Works

Director of Recreation, Parks, and Library

Fire Chief (Ord. 1576, 11-6-2018; amd. Ord. 1620, 11-17-2020; Ord. 1639, 9-20-2022; Ord. 1677, 9-16-2025)

It is hereby the declared personnel policy of the City that:

A. Employment in the City government shall be based on merit and fitness, free of personal or political considerations.

B. Just and equitable incentives and conditions of employment shall be established and maintained to promote efficiency and economy in the operation of the City government.

C. High morale shall be maintained by fair administration of this chapter, and by every consideration of the rights and interests of employees consistent with the best interests of the public and the City.

D. Tenure of employees covered by this chapter shall be subject to satisfactory performance of work, necessity of the performance of work, behavior consistent with the interests of the City, and the availability of funds. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

The City Manager shall be ex officio personnel officer. With the approval of the Council, the City Manager may delegate any of the powers and duties conferred upon him as personnel officer in this Chapter to any other officer or employee of the City; provided, that the other officer or employee is qualified by education and/or experience to perform the duties, or the City Manager may recommend that the powers and duties, or any portion thereof, be performed under contract as provided in Section 1-6-28 of this Chapter. The personnel officer shall:

A. Prepare and recommend to the City Manager personnel rules. The City Attorney shall approve the legality of these rules prior to their submission to the City Council for its approval. Personnel rules shall be adopted by resolution. Amendments to the rules shall be made in accordance with the above procedures.

B. Prepare or cause to be prepared a position classification plan for those positions included under the classified service including class specifications. The allocation or reallocation of any position to any existing class shall not be considered a revision of the plan.

C. The initial classification plan shall be revised from time to time as changing conditions require. The revisions may consist of the addition, abolishment, consolidation, division or amendment of existing classes.

D. Be responsible for administration of the following procedures within the framework of this Chapter, the classification and salary ordinance and the personnel rules:

1. The formulation of standards and qualifications for each class of position in the classified service;

2. The public announcement of vacancies and examinations and the acceptance of applications for employment;

3. The preparation and conduct of examinations and the establishment and use of employment lists containing names of persons eligible for appointment;

4. The certification and appointment of persons from employment lists to fill vacancies and the making of temporary and emergency appointments;

5. The evaluation of employees during probationary period and periodically thereafter;

6. The transfer from one department to another, promotion, demotion and reinstatement of employees;

7. The allocation of positions to classes on the basis of duties, responsibilities and requirements;

8. The standardization of hours of work, attendance and leave regulations, working conditions, and the development of employee morale, welfare, training and safety;

9. The separation of service of employees through layoff, suspension and dismissal;

10. The maintenance and use of necessary records and forms;

11. The establishment and maintenance of suitable methods for effective communication between employees and their supervisors; between employees and the City Manager relating to conditions of employment in the City service.

E. Administer all other provisions of this Chapter, the classification and salary ordinance, and the personnel rules established which are not specifically reserved to the Council. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Suspension Of Employees: Employees who are suspended for six (6) working days or longer, where discharge is not provided at the end of the suspension period, shall have the right to appeal to the City Council.

B. County To Hear Certain Appeals: The City shall contract with the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission to hear appeals from the following:

• 1. Dismissal;
• 2. Demotion;
• 3. Suspension for a period of six (6) days or longer where discharge is provided; and
• 4. Suspension for a period in excess of thirty one (31) days.

C. County Action: Following the giving of notice as specified in these rules, the cases shall be certified to the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission for hearing and report of their findings. The decision of the County Civil Service Commission will be final in each case. The decisions and findings of the County Civil Service Commission will be subject to review of courts only. Hearings shall be conducted according to the rules of the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission, as the same may be amended from time to time. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Appraisal Of Qualifications: All applicants for positions in the classified service shall be subject to an appraisal of their qualifications as provided herein.

B. Open Or Promotional: Examinations may be specified by the Personnel Officer, as promotional only, as open only, or as both open and promotional. It shall be the policy of the Personnel Officer to encourage the general practice of promotion within the City service wherever in his view a sufficient number of fully qualified candidates are available and such policy will continue to contribute to a sound and efficiently operating City organization.

C. Veterans: Honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined in the applicable statutes and regulations of the State pertaining to veterans' preferences may be given five (5) points, which shall be added to the earned total passing examination score in examinations for entry level positions in the classified service. The Personnel Officer shall determine in advance of the publication of the announcement of an examination, whether veterans' preference will be granted, and it shall be stated in the official announcement. No additional points shall be credited to any veteran's scores on any promotional examination.

D. Recommend Examination Plan: The Personnel Officer shall review and recommend to the City Manager, who in turn shall recommend to the City Council, an appropriate examination plan and weights for each portion of the examination. For departments other than the Police and Fire Departments, the plan may consist of any one or combination of the following techniques:

• 1. Written;
• 2. Oral;
• 3. Demonstration;

4. Any evaluation of education, experience, or skills or physical fitness which fairly evaluates the relative capacities of the applicants. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

E. Police And Fire Departments: The examination plan, for entrance or promotional, for the Police and Fire Departments shall consist of a written examination and one or more of the following:

1. Oral;

2. Demonstration;

3. Any evaluation of education certification, experience, or skills or any test of manual skills or physical fitness which fairly evaluates the relative capacities of the applicant. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962; amd. 2000 Code)

A. Notice of time, place and general scope of every examination shall be posted by the Personnel Officer in a conspicuous place. The posting shall be not less than two (2) weeks prior to the examination, at the City Hall, at the office of the appropriate department, and at such other places as the Personnel Officer deems appropriate.

B. An announcement of time, place and general scope of promotional examinations shall be posted by the Personnel Officer in such places as specified in subsection A of this Section, not less than thirty (30) days prior to posting of "Notice of Examinations" at the end of which thirty (30) day period, the plan for examination will be submitted to the City Council for approval. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Examination papers of the candidates are not subject to inspection by the public. Upon request any candidate may inspect his own papers, including his application and the questions and answers thereto except for copyrighted or standardized tests for entrance classes.

B. Inspection of a keyed copy of the examination question booklet, which is for the purpose of requesting a review of such items as the candidate may believe are incorrectly or improperly keyed, will be allowed for the five (5) working days immediately following an examination. The inspection time allowed a candidate will not exceed one-half (1/2) the amount of the time originally allowed to answer the questions during the administration of the examination. During key inspection a representative of the personnel office will be present to assure that the candidate takes no notes of any kind regarding any test materials. The candidate may protest any item or group of items or the whole test on the basis of either inappropriateness or inaccuracy. All protests shall be resolved and answered before the completion of the final scoring.

C. Inspection of a candidate's answer booklet, which is for the purpose of detecting whether any clerical or other error has been made in the scoring of the booklet, shall be allowed for a thirty (30) day calendar period immediately following the notification to the candidate of examination results. Candidates are not allowed to review the question booklet during this inspection period. Not more than one hour will normally be allowed for answer booklet review during which time a representative of the Personnel Officer shall be present to assure that no changes or marks of any kind are made by the candidate on his answer booklet or the keyed answer booklet. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Priority For Consideration: Priority for consideration for employment shall be given to the various employment lists in the following order: re-employment lists, promotional lists and open competitive lists.

B. Names On Re-Employment List: The re-employment list for any position shall consist of the names of permanent employees who have been laid off, for lack of work or lack of funds, from a position in the same class or an equivalent class to that in which the vacancy exists. The names shall be placed on the re- employment list in reverse order of layoff. Employees whose positions have been reallocated to a lower class, but who have not been demoted for cause, shall also have their names placed on the re-employment list for the class from which their position was reallocated.

C. Promotional Lists: Promotional lists shall consist of the names of permanent employees who have been successful in a promotional examination for a higher class.

D. Open Competitive Lists: Open competitive lists shall consist of the names of persons not employed by the City who have been successful in an examination, or of employees of the City who have passed the examination but have not yet attained permanent status in their present class, or in the case where an examination has been designated as open competitive only, the names of all passing candidates, whether permanent employees, nonpermanent employees, or persons not employed by the City, shall be placed on the list in order of their scores.

E. Creation Of Lists: Promotional lists and open competitive lists shall be created as a result of examination as provided herein. The names of probationary employees who are laid off for lack of work or lack of funds may be restored to the same employment list from which the original appointment was made and in the same rank as when the original appointment was made.

F. Request For Certification: When request for certification from an employment list has been received, certification shall be made in conformance with the following provisions:

1. If a re-employment list exists for the class, the highest name on the list shall be certified for each vacancy to be filled. Promotional and/or open employment lists shall not be certified if there are any names on the re-employment list for the class.

2. If there are less than three (3) qualified names on the promotional list, the appointing power may request additional highest one or two (2) names to be certified from the open competitive list if the list exists.

3. If no re-employment or promotional lists exist, the Personnel Officer shall certify to the department head from the open competitive employment list as prescribed in subsection 1-6-9B of this Chapter.

4. Except for re-employment lists, when all appropriate employment lists for a class contain a total of fewer than three (3) names, the department head may, with approval of the City Manager, make provisional appointments until additional names are secured through another examination.

5. No person shall be appointed to any classified service position unless that person has the qualifications for the position as set forth in the specifications for the class.

G. Expiration Of Lists: Employment lists shall expire at such time as the Personnel Officer determines; provided, that:

1. Names shall remain on the re-employment list for a period of not less than three (3) years;

2. Promotional and open competitive lists shall have an expiration date of one year unless otherwise announced in the notice of examination. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Basis For Appointments: Appointments and promotions to vacant positions in the classified service shall be based on merit and fitness to be ascertained insofar as practicable by competitive examination. Appointments and promotions shall be made by the City Manager upon recommendation of the various department heads.

B. Names Transmitted By Personnel Officer: When appointments and promotions are to be made to vacancies in the classified service, the names of the highest eligible persons willing to accept appointment shall be transmitted by the Personnel Officer to the department head in the order in which they appear on the list as follows: for one vacancy the names of three (3), for two (2) or secondary vacancies the names of five (5), for each additional or each subsequent vacancy, three (3) additional names shall be submitted and appointment shall be limited to any of these eligible persons.

C. Provisional Appointment: In the absence of appropriate employment lists, a provisional appointment may be made of a person meeting the qualifications established for the classification. Any employment list shall be established within six (6) months, for any permanent position filled by provisional appointment. No person shall be employed by the City under provisional appointment for a total of more than six (6) months in any fiscal year except that the City Manager may, with approval of the City Council, extend the period of any provisional appointment for not more than thirty (30) days by any one action.

D. Special Credit Not Allowed: No special credit shall be allowed in any examination or the establishment of any employment or promotional lists, for service rendered under a provisional appointment.

E. Temporary Appointments: Appointments to temporary, emergency and seasonal positions may but need not be made from eligible lists and those appointed shall not be in the classified service. Appointments of this type shall include temporary employment for the replacement of employees on leave of absence other than military leave, or vacation, emergency appointments to meet emergencies which threaten life, property or the general welfare of the City, or for work seasonal in nature.

F. Filling Vacancy During Suspension: During the period of suspension of any employee, or pending final action on proceedings to review the suspension, demotion or dismissal of an employee, the vacancy created may be filled only by temporary appointment.

G. Transfer: With the approval of the City Manager, an employee may be transferred by the department head from one position to another position in the same class or a comparable class at the same salary level. If the transfer involves a change from one department in the classified service to another department in the classified service, the department heads and the employee involved must consent thereto before the action shall be considered effective. Transfers shall not serve to affect in any way the status, rights and privileges of an employee under this Chapter.

H. Reinstatement: The department head may, with the approval of the City Manager, reinstate to a vacant position any person who has resigned in good standing to a position in a class or equivalent class in which he had acquired status in the classified service; provided, that the reinstatement is accomplished within one year of the date of resignation. A reinstatement may, at the discretion of the department head, take precedence over any employment list except a re-employment list. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Length Of Probation: All original and promotional appointments shall be for a probationary period of one year. During the probation period the employee may be rejected by the appointing authority at any time without right of appeal or hearing.

B. Release From Promoted Position: An employee released during the probationary period from a position to which he has been promoted shall be reinstated to the position from which he was promoted, unless he is discharged for a reason, as provided in this Chapter and the rules, which would have been sufficient to cause his discharge from his former position as well. In this case the employee shall be entitled to appeal his dismissal as provided in this Chapter.

C. Report Following Completion Of Probation: An employee's status shall be considered permanent upon completion of the probationary period only if the department head reports to the Personnel Officer that the services of the employee have been satisfactory and that the employee is recommended for a permanent appointment. A favorable or unfavorable report must be rendered on each employee upon completion of his probationary period. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Submission Of Information: The Personnel Officer shall have the right to require all employees to complete and submit any applications, agreements or statements pertinent to their employment.

B. Medical Examination: The Personnel Officer shall have the right to require, at the expense of the City, a medical examination of any applicant for employment or new employees and, in addition, shall have the right to require periodic medical examinations for any or all employees in the classified service.

C. Employee Request For Reassignment Or Separation: Reassignments, demotions or separations, at the request of the employee, shall be reviewed by and be subject to the approval of the Personnel Officer. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Suspension; Time Limit For Appeal: Any permanent employee in the classified service who has been suspended, for a period of six (6) days or more, demoted, dismissed, or reduced in pay shall have a period of ten (10) days following written notification in which to file an appeal or answer the charges.

B. Notification Statement: The employee shall forthwith be given in the written notification a statement of the extent and nature of any disciplinary action and a full explanation of the reasons for the action including specific information as to time and place of incidents.

C. Disciplinary Action: Each disciplinary action shall automatically be given administrative review by the City Manager, immediately after the written notification, and the City Manager may countermand the disciplinary action or modify the discipline imposed prior to any hearing as hereinafter provided.

D. Filing With County: Appeals and requests for hearings shall be filed with the City Manager, and then immediately referred to the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission or City Council, as the case may be.

E. Right To Refuse To Hold Hearing: The Commission shall have the right to refuse to hold a hearing in any case in which the appellant fails to present sufficient grounds to warrant a hearing.

F. Procedures For Hearing: Procedures for all hearings to be conducted by the County shall be in accordance with the rules of the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

No person in the classified service shall be demoted, suspended or discharged from his position except for:

A. Inefficiency, misconduct, insubordination, disregard of orders;

B. Incompetency, incompatibility, dereliction of duty, malfeasance;

C. Drunkenness on duty;

D. Conviction of a felony;

E. Having a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in any contract, sale or transaction to which the City is a party;

F. Being privately engaged in other business, employment or other activities which occupy a substantial part of his time or attention which interferes with the performance of his duties;

G. Wilful violation of any provisions of this Chapter or the personnel rules established thereunder;

H. Incapacity to perform duties satisfactorily due to insanity, or other mental or physical disability;

I. Obtaining appointment or promotion through falsification, subterfuge or other illegal means;

J. Any other acts, or failures to act properly, which bring discredit upon the City service or otherwise cause the employee to be unfit for the responsibilities of his position. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

Reimbursement for loss of pay due to disciplinary action which is subsequently revoked or modified shall be made to an employee, but only to the extent of such modification, if any. Any additional salary or wages received from other employment performed during the normal work schedule period of the employee shall be deductible from any City compensation payable under this Section. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

No member shall be dismissed because of the discontinuance of the particular office or position held by him, but employees dismissed because of curtailment of expenditures, reduction in force, and for like causes, shall be the last employee or employees, including temporary appointees, that have been appointed to the respective department, until the reductions necessary have been accomplished. Vacancies to be filled in the lowest class or rank, resulting from the removal, shall be filled from the last employee or employees that have been appointed to the next higher class or rank, and their places likewise filled under proper distribution has been accomplished; provided, further, that in the event the department shall again be increased in numbers, the persons dismissed, or reduced in class or rank, under the terms of subsection 1-6-12B of this Chapter shall have the privilege of being re-employed before any new appointments to the department shall be made. Any layoffs in accordance with this Section shall not be subject to appeal and hearing. Any wilful violation hereof, or violation through culpable negligence, shall be sufficient ground to authorize the discharge of any officer or employee. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962; amd. 2000 Code)

A. Military Service: Any member who is called to serve in any branch of the military service of the United States shall, upon his return, and with an honorable discharge, maintain his priority rights within this Chapter, and in accordance with the State Military and Veterans Code section 395.

B. Council Consent: On recommendation of the department head and approval of the City Manager, leave of absence without compensation not to exceed one year for any purpose may be taken by written consent of the City Council, and temporary appointments may be made to fill the vacancies in the manner herein provided for permanent appointments. The leaves may be extended for not to exceed one additional year. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

A. Any person holding a position or employment included in the classified service who, on the effective date hereof, has served continuously in the position, or in some other position included in the classified service, for one year prior to inclusion in the classified service, shall assume regular status in the classified service in the position held on the effective date without qualifying examination or working tests, and shall thereafter be subject in all respects to the provisions of this Chapter, except those with the rating of detective and patrolman assigned to motorcycle duty, the assignments shall be made administratively and are not a part of the classified service.

B. Any other persons holding positions or employments in the classified service shall be regarded as holding their positions or employments as probationers who are serving out the balance of their probationary periods before obtaining regular status. The probationary periods shall be computed from the date of appointment or employment. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

Department heads, with the approval and sanction of the City Manager, may, during an emergency or during vacation periods, hire extra employees as may be needed to properly conduct the departments at a compensation to be fixed by the City Council. These extra employees may be selected from the employment list at the option of the heads of the departments. However, no extra employee shall be hired for a period in excess of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days or six (6) months in any fiscal year, and the hiring of extra employees as herein provided for, shall not in any way mean, or be construed to mean, that said extra employee shall be under probation as defined by Section 1-6-14 of this Chapter. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

The City Council may, from time to time by ordinance, add additional departments, appointive officers or employees of the City to the list originally designated in this Chapter creating a merit system. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

No person holding an office or position in any department placed under the personnel merit system, pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, with respect to any Municipal political campaign, shall seek or accept election, nomination or appointment as an officer of a political club or organization, or serve as a member of a committee of the club or organization or circle, or seek signatures except where it pertains to this Chapter, or act as a worker at the polls, or distribute badges or pamphlets, dodgers, or handbills of any kind favoring or opposing any candidate for election, or for nomination to Municipal office; provided, however, that nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent any such officer or employee from becoming or continuing to be a member of a political club or organization, or from attendance at a political meeting, or from enjoying entire freedom from all interference in casting his vote. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

No officer or employee of the City, or any other person, directly or indirectly shall solicit or receive, from anyone on an eligible list or employed in the service of the City any assessment, subscription, contribution, or political service, for aiding or assisting in the campaign for election, or appointment to any political or official position in the service of the City, or for any political purpose whatever. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

No person in the competitive service or seeking admission thereto shall in any way be favored or discriminated against in his employment because of sex, age, sexual preference, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, familial status, political affiliations, race, or religious belief. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962; amd. 2000 Code)

The City Council shall appropriate such funds as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this Chapter. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

The City Manager shall consider and make recommendations to the Council regarding the extent to which the City should contract for the performance of technical services in connection with the development and administration of any phase of the personnel program and the Council may contract for the performance of the services with any qualified person or agency. (Ord. 586, 4-10-1962)

Any person, charged with the administration of this Chapter who is guilty of violating any of the provisions of this Chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon a conviction thereof, shall be punishable as provided in Section 1-2-1 of this Code. Ord. 586, 4-10-1962; amd. 2000 Code)