Article IV — Compensation

The table of salary ranges for classifications and positions and the salary schedule shall be established by resolution. This table or salary schedule is available and can be obtained from the city's department of human resources.

(Ord. 1072, 2004)

New employees of the city start and are paid the entry level rate allocated to the class of employment for which the employee has been hired and as stated in the job offer. However, upon recommendation of the department director or manager and with the approval of the city manager, such new employee may be offered the job at a higher salary within the salary range for that classification.

(Ord. 1072, 2004)

All employees are paid every two weeks. A pay period is for fourteen consecutive calendar days, beginning on a Saturday and ending on a Friday. (Ord. 1072, 2004)

• A. Hire Date. An employee's hire date shall be the first day of employment with the city.

• B. Review Date. An employee's review or evaluation date shall be the date of the next regularly scheduled written performance evaluation, or another date as requested by supervisor for purpose of conducting a written performance evaluation.

• C. Merit Step Increase Eligibility Date. The merit step increase eligibility date for individual employees shall be the date of the next scheduled review for advancement within the salary schedule.

The city's compensation system is a merit system. Advancements within the salary schedule are subject to the employee satisfactorily completing the minimum length of service within the current step and receiving a satisfactory performance review. An employee shall be denied a merit step increase by the evaluating supervisor for unsatisfactory performance.

If step advancement is denied, the evaluating supervisor shall coordinate with their assistant city manager and the director of human resources to design an action plan of limited duration, specifically designed to address the performance deficiencies of the subject employee. Additionally, the action plan shall include a strategy that provides support and training designed to equip the subject employee to overcome their performance deficiencies.

Following the presentation of the performance evaluation, and the required action plan, the employee may exercise one or both of the following options:

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 2.52.415

§ 2.52.425

1. Write a rebuttal to the performance evaluation, which must be included in his or her personnel file;

2. Request that the evaluation and the action plan be reviewed by an assistant city manager that is not in their direct line of supervision.

This option involves a review of the requirements set by policy, and the documents only, which include the performance evaluation, the action plan, and the employee's rebuttal. It does not constitute a hearing before the independent assistant city manager.

If the employee chooses to exercise this option, the human resources director shall assign one of the assistant city managers to independently review the performance evaluation and the action plan. The selected assistant city manager shall determine if the recommended action shall be sustained, modified or revoked. The independent assistant city manager's determination shall be final.

During the life of the action plan the employee shall receive monthly performance evaluations until such time as the employee either improves his or her performance sufficient to justify advancement within the salary schedule, or until such time as the action plan expires without the employee achieving the required job proficiencies in which case the employee would be subject to discipline up to and including discharge. If the subject employee qualifies for a merit step increase, the next merit step increase eligibility date shall be based on the date of the last satisfactory performance evaluation.

he salary schedule, or until such time as the action plan expires without the employee achieving the required job proficiencies in which case the employee would be subject to discipline up to and including discharge. If the subject employee qualifies for a merit step increase, the next merit step increase eligibility date shall be based on the date of the last satisfactory performance evaluation.

• D. Employee merit step increase eligibility and review dates will conform to Sections 2.52.420, 2.52.425, 2.52.450 and other pertinent sections of this chapter.

• (Ord. 1072, 2004)

Employees may be advanced within their respective salary schedules in accordance with the following schedule of minimum length of service:

Step 2: five percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 1;

Step 3: five percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 2;

Step 4: five percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 3; Step 5: five percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 4;

Step 6: five percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 5;

Step 7: three and one-half percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 6;

Step 8: three and nine-tenths percent increase after twelve months of satisfactory service in Step 7.

(Ord. 1072, 2004; Ord. 1112 § 1, 2006; Ord. 1274 § 1, 2014)

All advancements require the approval of the city manager in order to become effective.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL

§ 2.52.425

§ 2.52.435

Advancement to the higher steps shall be granted only as a result of a written evaluation of continued satisfactory performance of the duties of the position held.

Promotional Advancement. When an employee is promoted to a position with a higher salary range, such employee shall be assigned to Step 1 of the higher classification; provided, however, that if such employee is already being paid at a rate equal to or higher than Step 1, he or she shall be placed in the step of the higher classification as will grant such employee a salary increase of not less than five percent.

If the percentage difference between the ranges will not grant the promoted employee a minimum of five percent salary increase, the promoted employee shall be granted the next highest step in the new salary range.

When the effective date of a promotion is within sixty days before an employee's merit step increase eligibility date, any merit step increase which would have been granted to become effective on that merit step increase date, shall become effective on the effective date of promotion and shall be in addition to the promotional increase. (Ord. 1072, 2004; Ord. 1112 § 2, 2006)

The salary of an employee in a position which is reclassified, shall be determined as follows:

• A. Same Range. If the position is reclassified to a class that is allocated to the same salary range, the salary shall not change.

• B. Higher Range. If the position is reclassified to a class which is allocated to a higher salary range, such employee shall be assigned to Step 1 of the higher classification; provided, however, that if such employee is already being paid at a rate equal to or higher than Step 1, he or she shall be placed in the step of the higher classification that will grant such employee a salary increase of not less than five percent.

When the effective date of a reclassification is within sixty days before an employee's merit step increase eligibility date, any merit step increase which would have been granted on that merit step increase eligibility date shall become effective on the effective date of the reclassification and shall be in addition to the reclassification increase.

• C. Lower Range Y-rating. If a position is reclassified to a class that is allocated to a lower salary range, the position shall be Y-rated.

The salary of a Y-rated position will remain at the rate of pay received immediately before the reclassification until a step in the new (lower) salary range assigned to the reclassified position equals or exceeds the employee's rate of pay. Step advancements in the new (lower) range may be made without increases to the employee's rate of pay.

COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) increase will not be given to Y-rated employees until the employee's step in the new (lower) salary range equals or exceeds the employee's rate of pay.

(Ord. 1072, 2004; Ord. 1112 § 3, 2006)

In the event the city determines it necessary to reduce salaries because of budgetary limitations or

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 2.52.435

§ 2.52.450

business necessity and through no fault of the employee, the salaries of one and/or all employees may be reduced.

If this process is undertaken, the city manager shall notify all employees in writing and will hold employee meetings to explain the business necessity of this action. The city will also notify the employee representative group pursuant to existing memorandums of understanding and collective bargaining procedures.

The city may restore employee's salaries to the prior levels if and when budgetary or business conditions sufficiently improve.

(Ord. 1072, 2004)

The city manager may lay off an employee or employees because of lack of work, for reasons of economy and efficiency, or budgetary reasons.

If this process is undertaken, the city manager shall notify the employee or affected employees in writing of the intended action, with reasons, at least thirty calendar days, before the effective date of layoff. A copy of such notice shall be given to the employee organization that is affected, so the city and the employee organization can fulfill their obligation under MMB to meet and confer over the effects of the layoffs.

Seniority within the classification shall determine the order of layoff. The employee will be given priority based upon tenure with the city, for a period not to exceed twelve months, for reemployment, provided there is a vacancy and the employee is qualified and otherwise suited for the position.

The city will also notify the employee representative group pursuant to existing memorandums of understanding and collective bargaining procedures. (Ord. 1072, 2004)

• A. Unsatisfactory Performance. When an employee is demoted for reasons of unsatisfactory performance or disciplinary action or has his or her job duties and/or responsibilities reduced, the employee's salary shall be reduced to fit within a lower salary range.

The employee's merit step increase eligibility date shall be one year from the effective date of demotion, unless this date is changed by the city manager at the supervisor's request.

• B. Other Type of Demotion. When an employee is demoted to a position with a lower salary range of pay for reasons other than unsatisfactory performance or disciplinary action, the employee shall remain at the rate of pay received immediately before the demotion until the employee is eligible for a merit step increase and a satisfactory written evaluation is received.

• (Ord. 1072, 2004)

The merit step increase eligibility date shall be the date an employee is next eligible for advancement within the salary schedule in accordance with Section 2.52.420 of this article.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL

§ 2.52.450

§ 2.52.465

An employee shall be denied a merit step increase by the evaluating supervisor for unsatisfactory performance.

Advancements within the salary schedule are subject to the employee satisfactorily completing the minimum length of active service within the current step, except those employees advanced due to reclassification.

The merit step increase eligibility date and review date will conform to this section. For purposes of merit step increases within the salary range, the merit step increase eligibility date and performance review date shall be the date of:

• A. Promotional Advancement. The merit step increase eligibility date shall be changed to the anniversary date of the promotion.

• B. Range Change and Reclassification. The merit step increase eligibility date shall change to the anniversary of the employee's reclassification date and conform to Section 2.52.420 of this article.

• C. Retroactivity. If the employee's review is late, any merit step increase he or she is entitled to and eligible for shall be made retroactive to the step eligibility date.

• (Ord. 1072, 2004)

Any change in the status of an assistant city manager, department director or manager, including consideration for advancement, reduction in salary, demotion or reassignment must be approved by the city manager.

(Ord. 1072, 2004)

The city council sets the salary of the city manager. (Ord. 1072, 2004; Ord. 1317 § 3, 2017)

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL

§ 2.52.500

§ 2.52.505