Los Angeles Municipal Code § 4.91 Salary Step Placement on Assignment to a Different Position in City Service

(a) Whenever an employee is assigned or appointed from a position to another position, the following step placement procedures shall apply:

(1) If the top step rate of the salary range for the new position is higher than the top step rate of the salary range for the former
position, the employee shall be placed on the lowest step within the salary range for the new position which provides at least a five (5)
percent increase over the rate received in the former position. Any regularly assigned bonus or premium compensation amounts shall
be included in calculating the step rate for the former position and added to the new salary after determining the appropriate salary
step rate for the new position.

Effective June 29, 2014, for non-represented employees the minimum percent increase described above shall be the value of one step
in the 15-step salary range (approximately 2.75 percent).

Effective June 27, 2015, for non-represented employees the minimum percent increase described above shall be 5.5% in the 15-step
salary range.

a. Employees in the classification of Deputy City Attorney II who are advanced to the classification of Deputy City
Attorney III, in accordance with Section B of Article 9 of Memorandum of Understanding Nos. 29 and 31, shall be placed on
the first step of Deputy City Attorney III that results in an increase in salary over their current step of Deputy City Attorney II,
even if it is less than a five (5) percent increase. This provision shall expire on January 21, 2017.

Beginning July 7, 2019, for non-represented employees the minimum percent increase described above shall be 5.5% in the 12-step
salary range.

(2) If the top step rate of the salary range for the new position is the same as the top step rate of the salary range for the former
position, the employee shall retain the same salary step held in the employee’s former position.

(3) If the top step rate of the salary range for the new position is lower than the top step rate of the salary range for the former
position, the employee shall receive the lower of:

a. The top step rate of the salary range for the new position, or

b. The step rate in the salary range for the new position which is the same as the employee’s step rate in the prior class; if
no step rate in the range is the same, the next higher level rate in the new salary range shall apply until the employee’s next
anniversary date.

c. Any regularly assigned bonus or premium amounts shall be included in calculating the step rate for the former position
and added to the new salary after determining the appropriate step rate for the new position.

(4) In no case shall an employee be placed lower than the lowest step rate or higher than the top step rate of the salary range for the
new position.

(5) When an employee returns to a higher level position (higher top step rate), the employee shall be restored to the former step and step anniversary date.

(6) When an employee reverts or returns to a previously held position with a lower top step rate, the employee’s step anniversary

date shall be restored and the employee shall be placed on the step in the salary range in that former position that the employee would have occupied had the employee continued to remain in that position based on the employee’s step anniversary date in that position.

(7) When an employee returns to a class following a Charter Section 1014 transfer, salary step placement and the salary anniversary

date shall be in accordance with Section 4.91.1 of this Code.

(b) Salary Rate Comparisons.

(1) All salary rate comparisons shall be made in the hourly or biweekly amounts for the step rates in the salary range.

(2) Flat rate salary amounts shall be considered to be the top step of the salary range for the position.

(3) In determining the step placement for an employee assigned or appointed from a position in the Department of Water and Power

to a position in any other City department, salary rate comparisons shall be made using the actual salary of the Department of Water and Power employee in accordance with applicable provisions of this section. The availability of higher pay levels for the employee’s classification shall not be considered in the salary step determination. The Controller may request the assistance of the Director of the Office of Administrative and Research Services in making such comparisons and determinations.

(4) For purposes of this section, in comparing the top steps of five-step salary ranges with those of 15-step salary ranges, the 12th

step of the 15-step salary range shall be used; in comparing the top steps of 12-step salary ranges with those of 15-step salary ranges, the 15th step of the 15-step salary range shall be used; and in comparing the top steps of five-step salary ranges with those of 12-step salary ranges, the 12th step of the 12-step salary range shall be used.

(c) Concurrent Step Advancement and Position Change. Employees who would be entitled to receive a step advancement on the same date as they are appointed or assigned to a new position on a different salary range shall be deemed to have received the step advancement prior to the appointment or assignment to the new position.

(d) Bonus – Premium Compensation Assignment. Assignment to or from a position with a regularly assigned bonus or premium rate within the same class and pay grade does not change the employee’s step placement or step advancement anniversary date.

(e) Change in Classification by the Civil Service Commission. Whenever a position is reclassified and an employee is found “legally employed” or if an employee is found to be “not legally employed” by action of the Board of Civil Service Commissioners, such employee shall retain the salary step and anniversary date of the former classification.

(f) Retroactive Salary Adjustments. Step adjustments will be recomputed, if necessary, pursuant to the provisions for any retroactive

salary ordinance (for non- represented employees) or Council-approved MOU (for represented employees).

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 89,100. Amended by: Ord. No. 102,505; Ord. No. 142,103, Eff. 6-1-471, Oper. 7-1-71; Ord. No. 143,593, Eff. 7-12-72; Ord. No. 148,563, Eff. 7-12-76, Oper. 7-4- 76; Title and Section, Ord. No. 155,181, Eff. 5-4-81; Subsecs. (a)(1), (a)(5) and (d) amended, Ord. No. 157,221, Eff. 11-3-82; Subsecs. (a)(1), (a)(4), (a)(5) and (e) amended and Subsecs. (a)(3)c. and (f) added, Ord. No. 159,659, Eff. 2-15-85; Ord. No. 173,308, Eff. 6-30-00, Oper. 7-1-00; Subsec. (a)(1)a. added, Ord. No. 176,576, Eff. 4-16-05; Subsec. (f), Ord. No. 177,103, Eff. 12-18-05; Second para. of Subsec. (a)(1) and Subsecs. (a)(6) and (b)(4) added, Ord. No. 182,975, Eff. 4-18-14; Subsecs. (a)(1)a., (a)(5) and (b)(4) amended and third para. of Subsec. (a)(1) added, Ord. No. 184,256, Eff. 5-5-16; Subsec. (a)(1)a., Ord. No. 185,127, Eff. 8-30-17; Fourth para. of Subsec. (a)(1) added, Ord. No. 186,553, Eff. 3-4-20; Subsec. (a)(7) added and Subsection (a)(2) amended, Ord. No. 188,220, Eff. 4-25-24.

Whenever an employee is placed on leave from a position to accept a transfer pursuant to Charter Section 1014, the employee shall upon return from the leave be placed at the step in the current salary range for the position that was held prior to the leave. If the employee’s present salary step rate is higher, then the closest equivalent step in the current salary range for the formerly held position that does not result in a lower salary rate shall be used. In no event shall the employee be paid a salary rate that exceeds the current top step rate of the class formerly held. The employee shall retain the step anniversary date for the position formerly held prior to the return from leave.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 144,154, Eff. 12-14-72. Amended by: Ord. No. 148,563, Eff. 7-12-76, Oper. 7-4-76; Ord. No. 173,308, Eff. 6-30-00, Oper. 7-1-00; Ord. No. 188,219, Eff. 4-25-24.