La Habra Municipal Code Ch. 3.08 Personnel Merit System

In order to establish an equitable and uniform procedure for dealing with personnel matters, to attract to municipal service the best and most competent persons available, to assure that appointments and promotions of employees will be based on merit and fitness as determined by competitive test, and to provide a reasonable degree of security for qualified employees, the personnel merit system set forth in this chapter is adopted.

(Ord. 1025, 1978)

A. The city manager shall be the personnel officer. The city manager may delegate any of the powers and duties conferred upon him as personnel officer under this chapter to the personnel administrator, or the city manager may recommend to the city council that such powers and duties be performed under contract as provided in this chapter.

B. When the city manager appoints a personnel administrator, the individual shall have the same responsibilities and authority as provided in the ordinance as does the city manager insofar as it affects the administration of the personnel system.

1. The city manager or the personnel administrator shall attend all meetings of the grievance hearing board.

2. The city manager or personnel administrator shall administer the provisions of this chapter and of the personnel rules.

(Ord. 1025, 1978; Ord. 1204, 1983)

There is created a grievance hearing board to consist of three members to be appointed and to function as described in the personnel policy manual adopted by resolution of the city council. All decisions of the grievance hearing board are advisory and shall be submitted to the city manager.

(Ord. 1025, 1978)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all offices, positions and employees in the service of the city, except:

A. Elective officers;

B. Members of appointive boards, commissions and committees;

C. Persons engaged under contract to supply expert, professional or technical service for a definite period of time;

D. Volunteer personnel, such as volunteer firefighters or reserve police officers;

E. City manager;

F. City attorney;

G. Department heads and certain administrative positions, including, but not limited to, those listed below:

1. Assistant city manager;

2. Assistant to city manager;

3. Assistant to city manager — I;

4. Director of public works;

5. City treasurer;

6. City engineer;

7. Public services director;

8. Finance director;

9. Controller;

10. Director of community services;

11. Chief of police;

12. Fire chief;

13. Personnel officer or director;

14. Social service administrator;

15. Employment/training director;

16. Director of planning and community development;

17. Chief building inspector;

18. Planning director;

19. Director of building and safety;

20. City clerk;

21. Deputy city clerk;

22. Deputy social service administrator;

23. Deputy employment/training director;

24. Assistant chief of police;

25. Assistant fire chief;

26. Administrative assistants/analysts assigned to any of the positions listed in this subsection;

27. Grant funded personnel, until such specially-funded employees become a part of the regular city service.

(Ord. 1204, 1983)

The provisions of the personnel rules relating to attendance and leave shall apply to the incumbents of full-time exempt positions.

(Ord. 1204, 1983)

Personnel rules and regulations prepared by the personnel officer consistent with this chapter shall be adopted and may be amended from time to time by resolution of the city council. These rules shall establish procedures and regulations governing the following phases of the personnel system:

A. Preparation and conduct of tests and the establishment and the use of resulting employment lists containing names of persons eligible for appointment;

B. Appointment of persons from employment lists, and temporary and emergency appointments;

C. All regular appointments, including promotional appointments, shall be for a probationary period of not less than six months;

D. Preparation and maintenance of a position classification plan covering all positions in the competitive service, including employment standards and qualifications for each class;

E. Administration of a plan of compensation directly correlated with the position classification plan, providing a rate or range of pay for each class;

F. Standardization of hours of work, attendance and leave regulations, working conditions and the development of employees morale, welfare and training;

G. Evaluation of employees performance;

H. Transfer, promotion, demotion and reinstatement of employees in the competitive service;

I. Separation of employees from the city service through layoff, suspension and dismissal;

J. Suitable provision for orderly and equitable presentation to the city manager and to the city council by employees relating to general conditions of employment;

K. When requested by recognized employee groups, a city management meet-and-confer team will meet and confer with the employees as required by city ordinance and appropriate state law;

L. Annually, the personnel officer shall present to the city council a salary resolution covering salaries and fringe benefits for all of the city's employees.

(Ord. 1025, 1978; Ord. 1204, 1983)

The city manager and any other officer in whom is vested the power to appoint, make transfers, promotions, demotions, reinstatements, layoffs, and to suspend or dismiss employees shall retain such power, subject to the provisions of this chapter and the personnel rules.

(Ord. 1025, 1978; Ord. 1204, 1983)

A. Whenever in the judgment of the city council it becomes necessary in the interest of economy or because the necessity for the position or employment involved no longer exists, the city council may abolish any position or employment in the competitive service and the city manager may lay off, demote or transfer an employee holding such position or employment without filing written charges and without the right of appeal.

B. Seniority shall be observed in effecting such reduction in personnel and the order of layoff shall be in the reverse order of total cumulative time served in the city service upon the effective date of the layoff.

C. The names of employees laid off shall be placed upon reemployment lists for all classes which, in the opinion of the personnel officer, require basically the same qualifications and duties and responsibilities as those of the class of positions from which the layoff was made.

D. Names of persons laid off shall remain on such lists for a period of one year.

(Ord. 1025, 1978; Ord. 1204, 1983)

Any employee of the city may take part in political activity as enjoyed by any other citizen, except on city time, and shall not be restrained or interfered with in any way. An employee wishing to run for elected office that may in any way create a conflict of interest as a result of his position with the city, shall apply for a leave of absence as described in the personnel policy manual.

(Ord. 1025, 1978)

The city manager shall consider and make recommendations to the city council regarding the extent to which the city should contract for the performance of technical services in connection with the establishment or operation of the personnel system. The city council may contract with any qualified person or agency for the performance of all or any of the following responsibilities and duties imposed by this chapter:

A. The preparation of personnel rules and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof;

B. The preparation of a position classification plan and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof;

C. The preparation of a plan of compensation and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof;

D. The preparation, conduct and grading of competitive tests;

E. Special and technical services of advisory or informational character on matters relating to personnel administration.

(Ord. 1025, 1978)