HomeMy WebLinkAboutPersonal Policies Procedures 1997
Augusta Richmond GA
DOCUMENT NAME: Pe~SON(\Jt:L Po1:c.;~s ftNC) ~(-<OC.E-()lJ(l.ES )~q~
DOCUMENT TYPE: CVe LIe; e S
YEAR: 1 ~ <i 7
BOX NUMBER: 'lp
FILE NUMBER: 14D I Y
NUMBER OF PAGES:
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Augusta-Richmond County Commission- Council
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Personnel Policies
and
Procedures
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Revised March 1997
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Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council
Personnel Policies
and Procedures
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Revised March 1997
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Table of Contents
Section 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A. PUr'Dose . . . . . . .. ... ........... 1
B. Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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C. Employees Covered . .
Section 2. Definitions. ...
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Section 3. Position Classification and Pay Plan
A. Establishment . . . . . . . .
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B. Definitions . .
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C. Allocation of Positions . ......
D. Maintenance of Plan . . . . . . .
E. Interpretation of Job Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
F. Official COpy of the Plan . . . .
G. Amendments to the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Section 4. Rate of Pay ...
A. New Employees . . . . . . . . .
B. Promotion . . . . .. ................
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E. Increases in Salaries .
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Section 5. Applications and Examinations
A. Announcement of Vacant Positions . . .
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B. Application Forms . .' . . . . . .'. . . . . . . .
C. Emplovment Reauirements . . . . . . . . . . .. ...
D. Receipt a::\d Duration of Applications . . . . . . . .
E. Reiection of Applications . . . . . . . .. .....
F. Open COmDetitive Appointments . . . .. ...
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G. Promotional Appointments
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Section 6. Appointments
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A. Initial Appointments
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B. TYPes of Appointments . .
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Section 7. Probationary Period.
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A. Obiective .
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B. Duration
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C. Promotional Appointments
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D. Interruption of Probationary Period .
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E. Probationary Period Reports . . . .
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Section 8. Promotions and Transfers
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A. All EmPloyees
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B. Firefiqhters
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Section 9.
EmPloyee Performance Evaluation .
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A. Obiective
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B. Period of Evaluation
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C. Evaluations
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D. Performance Evaluations Confidential
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Section 10.
. Separations ..
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A. TYPes of Separation From the Classified Service
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B. Return of Auqusta-Richmond County, Property
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C. Exit Interviews
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D. Final Paychecks for Terminated Employees . . . . . . . . . 24
Section 11.
Disciplinary Actions .
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A. Intent
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B. Conduct Subiect to Disciplinary Action
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C. TYPes of Disciplinary Action
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E. Holidays . . . 36
F. Vacation Leave 37
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. G. Sick Leave 39
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H. Other Types of Leave
Nepotism .
Polvqraph.
Smokinq Policy
Substance Abuse Policy .
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination
Section 17.
Section 18.
Section 19.
Section 20.
Section 21.
A. Policy
B. Publicity
C.'Appeals Based on Alleqed Discrimination
D. Affirmative Action Plan .
E. Elected Officials and their Emplovees
F. Statement of Policy and Procedure on Harassment
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Section 22. Outside Emplovrnent '.
A. Requlations .
B. Procedure.
Section 23. Political Activities
Section 24. Policy Chanqes
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Section 1. Introduction
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A.
Puroose
The purpose of these personnel policies, rules and
general procedures, together with the position
classification and pay plan, is to provide the
fundamental features for an effective system of
personnel administration for Augusta-Richmond County.
These personnel policies and procedures are not and do
not form an express or implied contract between
Augusta-Richmond County and its employees.
This document contains general statements of policies
of Augusta-Richmond County and should not be read as
including. the fine details of every policy, nor as
forming an express or implied contract or promise that
the policies discussed herein will be applied in all
cases. The Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council
may add to these policies or revoke or modify them from
time to time and, while the Human Resources Department
will try to keep this document current, there may be
times when policies are changed before this document
can be revised.
B. Administration
The Director of Human Resources for Augusta-Richmond
County is responsible for administering these policies.
C. Emolovees Covered
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These personnel policies and procedures apply to all
employees of Richmond County .an~ by adoption of
Richmond County elected officers and all boards,
commissions, and authorities unless specifically
excluded by these policies and procedures or.by other
state law and Augusta-Richmond County ordinance.
These personnel policies and procedures do not govern
the Richmond County Sheriff's Department. The policies
and procedures for the Sheriff's Department are
regulated by its departmental manual.
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Department Directors and Professionals are excluded
from the following sections:
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Section 3, Paragraph D
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
However, this exclusion does not exempt anyone from equal
employment opportunity practices that may be required by
state and federal laws. Nothing in these personnel policies
and procedures should be construed as allowing department
directors, professionals, and employees of .elected officials
to attain a property interest in their positions.
Section 2. Definitions
For the purpose of these policies and procedures the following
terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them
below, unless another meaning is specifically indicated.
Aooeal - The right of an applicant or employee to appear before
the Personnel Board to be heard on matters of. discrimination,
unfair practices or other grievances of such person in the manner
prescribed in these policies and procedures.
Classified Service - The classified service consists of all
positions included in the classification and pay plan with the
exception of those positions specifically. excluded by the
Augusta-Richmond County Commission~Council.
Classification and Pay Plan - The system of assigning jobs to'
classes and to appropriate pay grades based on the similarities
of positions.
Continuous Service - Continuous service is employment which is
uninterrupted except for authorized leaves of absence,
suspension or separation due to a reduction in work force.
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Deoartment Director - Person holding the position, whether
appointed or elected, with overall administrative responsibility
for a department.
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Dismissal - The termination of a probationary, temporary or part-
time employee, or the termination of a regular employee for just
cause.
Elected Official - The persons filling the offices of Sheriff,
District Attorney, Tax Commissioner, Probate Judge, Judge and
Solicitor of State Court, Judge of Superior Court, Judge of Civil
and Magistrate Court, Coroner, and Clerk of Superior Court are
considered to be elected officials. Persons employed by these
officials do not have a property interest in their positions and
are considered to be "Employees At Will" who work for elected
officials and have no grievance procedure rights.
Elioible - A person who has made a passing score on any
examination required under these regulations and who has
qualified to be employed by Augusta-Richmond County.
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Emoloyee - A person appointed to a position in Augusta-Richmond
County government for which he or she is compensated on
full.-time, part-time or temporary basis.
Employee Benefits - Participation of regular employees, employees
of elected officials, and probationary employees in Augusta-
Richmond County sponsored health, dental & life insurance
coverage, retirement plan, vacation and sick leave accrual, cost
of living adjustments, pay increases, and holiday pay. Materials
outlining various employee benefits are available for review in
the Human Resources Department.
Firefiqhters - Employees of the Augusta-Richmond County Fire
Department who are certified fire suppression personn~l pursuant
to O.C.G.A. sec. 25-4-1 et seq.
Grievance - Any dispute concerning the interpretation or
application of these personnel policies and procedures or any
decision relative to certain disciplinary actions, dismissal or
charge of discrimination.
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LaY-Off - The separation of an employee from the classified
service due to lack of work, lack of funds, abolishment of the
position, economic reduction, or other material changes in duties
or organization.
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Overtime - Time worked in excess of the regular work schedule for
the position in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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Part-time Employee - An employee who works on a continuing basis,
but does not work a full or normal work period. Employees in
this class are not eligible for employee benefits.
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Performance Evaluation - A method of evaluating each employee on
a periodic basis as to his or her performance on the job.
Probationary Employee ~ An employee serving the initial twelve
months of his or her appointment, promotion, transfer or
re-employment to any position in the classified service. A
. . probationary employee is hot a regular employee until completion
of the twelve (12) month probationary period. A probationary
employee is entitled to accrue vacation and sick leave.
Employees of elected officials do not serve a probationary
period, but may be terminated at will.
Promotion - A change in rank of an employee from a position in
one class to a position in another class having a higher minimum
salary and carrying a greater scope of discretion and
responsibility.
Promotion List - A list of persons who have been found qualified
for appointment to a higher position. They may be qualified
either by a written examination or other evaluation techniques.
Public Hearinq - A meeting of the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Councilor other agency, open to the public, at which
any interested party may appear and be heard.
Reqular Employee - An employee who has completed the probationary
period and is scheduled to work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.
(Employees of elected officials do not serve a probationary
period and cannot attain regular employee status as defined by
these policies and procedures.) An employee in this class is
eligible for employee benefits.
Reprimand - A formal means of communicating, either verbally or
in writing, to the employee a warning that a problem exists an~
that it must be corrected.
Resiqnation - The termination of an employee at the employee's
request.
SafetY-Sensitive Position - The positions of: public safety and
law enforcement employees who regularly carry firearms; employees
who guard prisoners or inmates at any jailor correctional
institution; employees who dispatch public safety services or who
handle telephone communications through the 911 system; employees
who dispatch transit vehicles; firefighters; employees who work
with chemicals at Augusta-Richmond County's water treatment
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facilities; operators of multi-passenger vehicles; employees who
operate heavy equipment; mechanics; and employees whose job
requires them to have a Class 4 (CDL) license.
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Suspension - An enforced leave of absence for either a
disciplinary purpose or a pending investigation of charges
against an employee. Suspensions may be with or without pay.
Temporary Emplovee - An employee appointed to fill a position
which is authorized and established for a specified period of
time, not to exceed 90 days. An employee in this class is not
eligible for employee benefits.
Section 3. Position Classification and Pay Plan
A. Establishment The Director of Human Resources shall be
responsible for developing, maintaining, and
administering a position classification and pay plan
covering all employees in the classified service of
Augusta-Richmond Co~nty. Such plan shall be approved
and amended after recommendations to the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council, and shall
constitute the official approved system of grouping
positions into appropriate classes and pay scales.
B. Definitions For the purpose of this section, the
following words shall have the meanings respectively
ascribed to them below.
i. To "allocate" a position shall mean assigning the
position to an appropriate class on the basis of
the similarity of work and level of responsibility
performed in the position.
ii. A "class" shall mean a group of positions (or one
position) that:
(1) has similar duties and responsibilities;
(2) requires like qualifications; and
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(3) can be equitably compensated by the same
salary range.
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iii. The "class title" shall be the official
designation or name of the class as stated in the
job description. It shall be used on all
personnel records and actions. No job titles can
be used other than what is set forth in the
official position classification.
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iv. A "position" shall mean a group of currently
assigned duties and responsibilities requiring the
full or part-time employment of one person. A
position may be occupied or vacant.
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v. "Reclassification" shall mean the reassignment of
an existing position from one class to a different
class due to a significant change in duties or
responsibilities. No reclassification may occur
without proper authorization and by following the
reclassification process.
C. Allocation of positions
1. initial Allocation The Director of Human
Resources shall be responsible for the initial
allocation of the position of every employee of
Augusta-Richmond County to one of the classes in
the plan.
2. New Positions When a new position is requested,
the department director for the department
involved shall complete a position description
covering the duties and responsibilities of such
new position and submit such request to the
Director of Human Resources. The.position
description shall designate which functions are
essential to the position and which functions are
marginal. The Human Resources Department shall
allocate the position to one of the classes in the
classification plan, unless a suitable class does
not exist, in which case the. Director of Human
Resources shall recommend that the Personnel Board
establish a new class. Upon the recommendation
and approval of such new class by the Personnel
Board, the Director of Human Resources shall
recommend to the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council that the new position be
established.
D. Maintenance of Plan
1.
Vacancies Each time a vacancy occurs, the
department director shall submit a position
replacement card for the vacant position t.o the
Human Resources Department for a review to
determine if the position is authorized and
allocated.
2. Departmental Reorqanization Each time a
department or division under the jurisdiction of a
department director is significantly reorganized,
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such department director shall submit to the Human
Resources Department new position descriptions for
all affected positions. The reorganization must
be approved by the Augusta-Richmond County
Administrator and the Director of Human Resources.
3.
Chanoes in Duties of Position The Director of
Human Resources may require department directors
to submit position descriptions on a periodic
basis or at any time the Augusta-Richmond County
Administrator has reason to believe that there has
been a change in the duties and responsibilities
of one or more positions.
New and Abolished Positions Each time a new
position is established, a position description
shall be written and incorporated into the
existing plan. Likewise, an abolished position
shall be deleted from the classification plan.
E. Interoretation of Job DescriDtions The job
descriptions are descriptive and not restrictive. The
use of a particular description as to duties,
qualifications or other factors shall not be held to
exclude others of similar kind or quality or lesser
qualifications and responsibilities to which such
- employee may be assigned from time to time which are in
the best interest of Augusta-Richmond County.
4.
F.' Official CODY of the Plan The Director of Human
Resources shall be responsible for maintaining an
official copy of the Position Classification and Pay
Plan. The official copy shall include a list of class
titles and job descriptions plus all amendments. The
~osition Classification and Pay Plan shall be'
confidential and only available to the Administrator,
Mayor, and members of the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council. ..
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Amendments to the Plan When there is a need for the
establishment of new positions or the abolition of
current positions, the Director of Human Resources
shall submit findings and recommendations to the
Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council, which shall
take such action as deemed appropriate. All such
changes in .the position classification and pay plan
shall be in the form of amendments to the plan which
are approved by the Augusta-Richmond County Commission-
Council.
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Section 4. Rate of Pay
A.
New Emolovees New employees shall be paid the minimum
rate of pay for the class to which they are assigned,
subject to the following exceptions which require the
approval of the Administrator and/or the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council.
1. If an applicant in a particular position does not
meet the qualifications stated in the job
. description or if certain class.es of work require
a formalized training period which is of unusual
duration, and the needs of the government can best
be met by placing an individual in a training
capacity, the Administrator may' designate such
position as a "trainee" position. Appointment to
a "trainee" position shall be at a salary range
not more than 10 percent below the minimum rate
established for the classification.
2. If an applicant exceeds the minimum qualifications
for the positi9n, such applicant may be started at
a rate up to 4 steps (or 10%) above the starting
salary for the classification. A written request
for a starting salary 10% above the starting
salary for the classification shall be submitted
to the Director of Human Resources, who will
submit such request to the Administrator, along
with a recommendation on the request based on
facts presented by the Department Director making
the request. All requests must be in writing and
there shall be no offer or representation of an
increased starting salary to the applicant.
B. Promotion
1. An employee shall be promoted when:
(a) The employee is transferred to a position
classified in a higher pay range.
(b) The employee's position is reclassified to a
classification having a higher pay range.
2. Promotions may occur within a department or
between departments.
3. At the time an employee is promoted to a
previously established position in a
clas~ification with a higher pay range, a salary
increase may be granted of:
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(a) Up to 15% above the employee's current salary
and placed on nearest step; or
(b) Up to the minimum of the new classification,
whichever is greater.
C. Part-time and Temporary Emplovrnent Pay for part-time
and temporary employment in a position shall be
equivalent to the hourly rate for full-time employment
in similar positions, provided all qualifications for
the position are met.
D. Overtime Overtime is work beyond 40 hours within a
workweek or in the case of a Firefighter, in excess of
212 hours during a 28-day work period. All overtime
must be approved by the department director in advance
and, other than for Firefighters, is subject to the
approval of the Administrator. Overtime and
Compensatory Time Off will be authorized in accordance
with the Fair Labor Standards Act as amended. In the
computation of payment of overtime, pay will be for
actual hours worked which excludes using holidays and
any type leave in computing overtime pay. Salaried
Exempt employees are not entitled to receive overtime.
.. E. Increases in Salaries Increases in pay for Augusta-
Richmond County employees shall be governed by the
following principles.
1. Any employee shall be initially employed for a
probationary period not exceeding twelve months.
(Employees of elected officials do not serve a
probationary period.)
2. The pay plan consists of twenty-eight pay grades.
The Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council may
add or delete pay grades as deemed necessary,
based upon the recommendation of the Administrator
and the Director of Human Resources.
3.
Each pay grade shall have a pay range with an
entry rate and steps placed at 2 1/2% intervals.
The range between the entry rate and the maximum
rate is approximately 50 percent.
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4. After an employee reaches the maximum rate within
a pay grade, such employee shall only be entitled
to across-the-board salary adjustments and
additional compensation as may be determined by
the Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council.
An employee's annual salary will not change;
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however, the gross earnings for the year will
reflect the additional compensation amount, if
any.
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Each department director shall file an annual
performance evaluation report on each employee
within that department. This report shall become
a permanent part of each employee's human resource
file.
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6. In order for an employee to receive a merit
increase, the following are required:
(a) performance evaluation for current fiscal
year;
(b) recommendation by the department director;
and
(c) approval by the Director of Human Resources
(which will then forward notice of the
increase to the appropriate approving
'authority) .
7. In order to move to a higher pay grade, an
employee must apply for a new position within a
higher pay grade or be an incumbent in a position
which has been reclassified to a higher pay grade.
8. Annually, the Augusta-Richmond County Commission-
Council will consider the salaries within all pay
grades on an equal percentage basis. The Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council shall determine
what percentage increase, if any, will be allotted
for increases to employee salaries. The
percentage for cost-of-living pay increases will
change the entry rate, steps, and maximum rate for
each pay grade of the salary schedule.
9. Merit increases may be granted upon the
recommendation of the department director,
administrative approval of the Administrator, and
budgetary approval of the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council. Employees shall be eligible
for.merit increases annually until the maximum pay
rate for the classification has been reached.
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Section s. Applications and Examinations
A.
Announcement of Vacant Positions Except as otherwise
provided below, all vacancies in the classified service
shall be publicized by posting announcements outside of
the Human Resources Department office on the official
job vacancy bulletin board located on the 6th floor of
the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building, Room
601, or in other places and by such other means as the
Director of Human Resources deems .advisable. The
announcements shall specify the t.itles and entry level
salaries of the vacant positions;t' qualification
requirements, manner of making application and other
pertinent information, and shall specify the date, time
and place of examinations (if required) for the
positions. Applications will be posted for six (6)
working days with applications accepted on Tuesdays and
Thursdays following the announcement by the Director of
Human Resources.
In the event a second vacancy within the same
classification occurs within 90 days of an earlier
posting for that classification, applications filed in
response to the earlier posting may be considered for
the second posting. However, beyond 90 days, the job
will be reposted or advertised.
As to the Fire Department, all applicants for
Firefighter Suppression positions will be required to
'take a written examination and undergo agility and
other physical tests as might be required by the Fire
Department. Those applicants successfully completing
said written examination and other tests will be placed
on a list established and maintained by the Fire
Department. Hir~ng for the Fire Department ~ill be
made from such list for a period of three (3) months,
or until the list is exhausted, at which time new
applicants will be allowed to undergo the examination
and testing procedures.
B. Aoolication Forms All applicants for positions in the
classified service of Augusta-Richmond County shall
submit an application on applications provided by the
Human Resources Department to the Georgia Department of
Labor. All applicants shall provide proof of identity
and work authorization as required by federal law. The
application forms shall require information concerning
training, experience, and other pertinent information,
and shall be signed by the applicant.
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No person shall be employed by Augusta-Richmond County
unless and until such person ha$ made application with
the Human Resources Department.
C. Employment Reauirements All positions in the
classified service shall be open only to persons who
meet such requirements as are listed on the public
announcement of the vacancy. Such requirements may
include but are not limited to the following factors:
experience, education, and training. Applicants
considered for employment/rehire will be screened for
illegal drugs as a part of the pre-employment process.
Applicants will also be subject to a complete
background and reference check by the Human Resources
Department.
Applicants for Firefighter positions in the Fire
Department will be required to meet such physical
standards (including without limitation height and
weight standards) as may be established by the Fire
Department. (Such standards are set forth in the
Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department Operations
Manual (the "Manual")). Applicants for Firefighter
positions in the Fire Department will also be required
to meet all standards and requirements of the State of
Georgia for employment of Firefighters, including
without limitation the "Employment Requirements" of the
Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council. A
copy of these requirements is maintained by both the
Human Resources Department and the Fire Department and
may be reviewed there upon request. Applicants for
Firefighter positions in the Fire Department will also
be required to pass written examinations and other
requirements as may be set for~h in the section of the
Manual titled "Firefighter Qualifications." .
D. Receipt and Duration of Applications Applications"from
all persons desiring employment shall be accepted on
Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Applications are only valid for 90 days.
E.
Reiection of. Applications The Director of Human
Resources may reject an application which indicates
that the applicant is deficient in any or all of the
requirements as specified in the public announcement of
the vacancy. An applicant may also be rejected for
fraud or deception in the completion of the
application, or if his or her past record of employment
is determined to be unsatisfacto~T by the Director of
Human Resources.
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Open Competitive Appointments Positions to be filled
by recruitment from outside the classified service
shall be filled through a competitive process open to
the public. This process may include, but shall not be
limited to: ratings of training and experience;
written, oral, physical or performance tests; or any
combination of these as determined by the Director of
Human Resources. Factors such as education,
job-related qualifications, and experience may be taken
into account in making employment decisions. The
Director of Human Resources may require the applicant
to submit proof of education and military service or
any other such documentation as is deemed necessary.
G. Promotional Appointments Promotional appointments
shall be open to all employees who meet the training
and experience requirements included in the position
description or who have an equivalent combination of
experience and training which provides the required
knowledge, skills and abilities. Factors such as
education and other job-related qualifications may be
taken into account in making promotional appointments.
F.
Section 6. Appointments
A. Initial Appointments All employees of Augusta-Richmond
County shall be appointed upon the recommendation of
the appropriate department director. Department
directors who are elected officials, and boards,
commissions, and authorities which adopt these
policies, have approval authority for their respective
departments.
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B. Types of Appointments When ini~ially hired, person~
employed by Augusta-Richmond County shall be given one
of the following types of appointment_by the
Administrator:
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Probationary A probationary appointment is an
appointment to a posit,ion in the classified
service. An employee serving a probationary period
may be discharged or returned to his or her
previous position at the discretion of the
department director and shall not have the right
to utilize the grievance and appeal procedure set
forth in this policy.
2. Temporarv Temporary appointments may be made to
fill positions which are authorized and
established for a specified period of time, when
the work of an agency requires the services of one
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or more employees on a seasonal or intermittent
basis, or in cases of emergency. Temporary
appointments shall not exceed 90 calendar days;
however, extensions to such appointments may be
granted by the Administrator.
3. Part-time Appointments A part-time appointment is
an appointment to a position which indicates the
employee is to work on a continuing basis, but
will work less than the normal time specified for
regular appointments.
4. Reoular Appointments A classified employee given
an init.ial probationary appointment shall be given
a regular appointment upon satisfactory completion
of the probationary period.
Section 7. Probationary Period
A. Obiective No employee shall have a property interest
in his or her position during the probationary period.
During an employee's probationary period, the employee
may be terminated or returned to his or her previous
position without notice.
B. Duration The probationary period shall be twelve (12)
months in duration from initial appointment or
promotion.
c. Promotional Appointments The probationary period shall
apply to promotional appointments in the same manner as
initial appointments.
. .
D. Interruption of probationarv'period If an employee is
laid off during a probationary period ~nd such person
is subsequently reappointed in the same department, he
or she may be given credit for the portion of the
probationary period completed before the lay-off.
E. Probationary Period Reports Employee performance
evaluation is conducted at regular periodic intervals
by the employee's immediate supervisor or department
director. Employees will be evaluated at six (6) month
intervals during the probationary period and on an
annual basis (anniversary date) thereafter. No later
than 5 working days prior to the expiration of the
employeeis probationary period, the department director
shall notify the Director of Human Resources in wr~.ting
as to whether or not the employee has completed the
probationary period. Failure to send such a notice
14
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shall be construed as completion of the probationary
period by the probationary employee.
Section 8.
Promotions and Transfers
A.
All Emolovees
1. Policy It shall be the policy of the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council to fill
vacancies in the .classified service, as far as
practicable, by.promotion of existing employees.
To this end, closed examinations may be held at
the call and under the direction of the Director
of Human Resources.
2. Political or Partisan Endorsement Prohibited
Promotions to positions in the classified service
shall be based upon merit and qualification for
promotion only. No consideration shall be given
to political or partisan endorsement.
3. Intra-Deoartmental Transfers The appropriate
department director may, at any time, transfer an
employee in the classified service under his or
her jurisdiction from one position to another in
the same class in the same department. An
intra-departmental transfer of an employee to a
position in another class shall be made only
between classes within the same pay ranges. The
Human Resources Department shall be notified of
such changes in assignment.
4. Inter-Deoartmental Transfers A transfer of an
employee from one department to another shall
require the approval of both departmen~ directors
concerned. Requests for such_transfer shall show
how the employee concerned meets the qualification
requirements of the class to which the transfer is
proposed.
5. Pay Grade After Transfer An employee who is
transferred shall receive the rate of pay for the
new position, subject to the application of
Section 4.A. hereof.
6. Promotional Examinations The Director of Human
Resources shall conduct competitive promotional
examinations in accordance with these policies and
procedures. In competitive promotional
examinations, the Director of HUMan Resources
shall admit to the examination all employees who
meet the published qualification requirements.
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All written examinations will be conducted by the
Human Resources Department.
7. Illeqal Substances Screeninq Any employee
considered for promotion and/or transfer to a
safety-sensitive position will. be required to pass
an illegal substances screening prior to being
awarded such promotion and/or transfer.
8. Promotion Probation Individuals promoted or
advanced will serve on a probationary basis for
one (1) year from the effective date of promotion.
If, during the promotion probation period, it is
determined that the promoted individual cannot
adequately perform the promoted position, that
employee will be returned to his or her previous
position if .that position has not been filled. If
that position has been filled, the employee will
be placed in another available position with the
government. If no positions are available, the
employee will be laid off.
B. Firefiahters
1. Generallv Vacant positions, above entrance level,
will be filled whenever possible by promotion from
within, the Fire Department. Announcements of
promotional examinations will be posted on
bulletin boards and supervisors will have the
responsibility to ensure that 'employees are
informed of promotion procedures and examination
schedules. See section of Manual titled Promotion
Selection.
2. Oualifications for Promotion
Fire Department:
Battalion Chief:
Three (3) Years Service
Three (3) Years Service
Three (3) Years Service
as Lieutenant, since
date of employment
Three (3) Years Service
as Captain, since date of
employment
Three (3). Years Service
as Battalion Chief, since
date of employment
i
Driver/Operator:
Lieutenant:
Captain:
Assistant Chief:
16
Fire Prevention, Arson, Training Divisions:
Inspector:
Sr. Inspector:
Chief Inspector:
cTraining Officer:
Sr. Training
Officer:
3. Selection for Promotion
Two (2) Years Service
Two (2) Years Service as
Inspector, since date of
employment
Two (2) Years Service as
Senior Inspector or
Captain, since date of
employment
Two (2) Years Service as
Lieutenant, since date of
employment
Two (2) Years Service as
Officer or Captain, since
date of employment
Notice of Vacancy A notice of vacancy for
promotion will be posted in each work place within
five (5) days of notification by the Fire Chief to
the Human Resources Department. Vacancies will be
posted for seven (7) days. The opening and
closing dates will be stated in the notice.
Employees eligible for and interested in applying
for the promotion will sign a roster at the Fire
Department headquarters. Prior to submitting the
roster of applicants to the Human Resources
Department, the Fire Department will list each
applicant's supervisor.
Selection Factors Selection for promotion will be
based on five factors with the following number of
maximum points:
Written examination 60
Longevity 15
Education 10
Evaluation by Chief 10
Evaluation by Supervisor 5
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A written examination to be administered to all
applicants will be purchased from a professional ~
source and include questions relevant to the
promotional level. The test will be administered
and controlled by the Human Resources Department. ..
Test scores will be finalized within five (5) days
of the administration of the test. An applicant
may be awarded a maximum of 60 points based on
test.performance.
Within ten (10) days of the closing date for the
vacancy, the Human Resources Department will
determine longevity points for each applicant.
Applicants will be given one promotion point for
each year of continuous service up to fifteen
years.
Points will be awarded for educational achievement
beyond the minimum educational requirements for
employment with the Fire Department.
Each applicant shall be evaluated by the Chief of
the Fire Department or his designee as to his/her
potential to perform in the position applied for,
on evaluation forms supplied by the Human
Resources Department. The Chief shall complete
all evaluations and return them in sealed
envelopes to the Human Resources Department.
Each applicant shall be evaluated by his
Supervisor as to his/her potential to perform in
the position applied for, on forms. supplied by the
Human Resources Department; provided, however,
that if the applicant has not been supervised by
. the same individual for at least 90 days, that
applicant shall be evaluated by his previous
supervisor. The Supervisor shall complete all
evaluations and return them in sealed envelopes to
the Human Resources Department.
Selection Points from the longevity and written
examination areas will be tabulated by the Human
Resources.Department. A total tabulation sheet
will be furnished to the Fire Department within
five (5) days of the date of administration of-the
written examination.
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The Fire Department will notify selected personnel
in writing and will publicly post rankings by
total score within five (5) days of receiving
tabulated scores. Individuals may review both
areas of their tabulated scores in the Human
Resources Department at their request.
4. Promotion Examinations Promotion examinations
will be conducted when a vacancy exists and a
current list of eligible employees is not
available. A list of five (5) eligible employees
will be established, and the top one (1) person,
based on score, will be chosen for promotion.
The four remaining candidates will be placed on a
promotion list that will remain active for twelve
(12) months, or until the list is exhausted. In
the event another promotion vacancy arises, the
next-highest-scoring candidate of the remaining
four will be chosen for the promotion, and so
forth until the expiration of the twelve-month
period or the exhaustion of the list. If there
are two (2) vacancies, the promotion list will
contain six (6) names, if three (3) vacancies,
seven (7) names, etc.
Section 9. Emolovee Performance Evaluation
A. Obiective The purpose of the employee performance
evaluation shall be primarily to inform employees of
how well they are performing their work and how they
can improve their work performance. Such performance
evaluation may also be used in determining merit
raises, as a factor in determining order of lay-off, as
a basis for training, promotion, transfer or'dismissal,
and for such other purposes as may be set forth in
these policies.
B.
Period of Evaluation All employees except temporary
and part-time workers shall be evaluated annually;
probationary employees are..also evaluated after six (6)
months of employment (mid-way through the probationary
period). An employee shall not be eligible for a merit
pay raise until the performance evaluation form has
been completely processed.
z
c. Evaluations Evaluations shall be prepared by the
immediate supervisor of each employee and reviewed by
the department director. An employee in a supervisory
position who is lea'ripg the position shall be required
.
19
to submit performance eval~ation forms on all the
employees under his or her supervision who have not
been evaluated within the previous six-month period.
D.
Performance Evaluations Confidential Performance
evaluations shall be confidential and shall be made
available only to the employee evaluated, the
employee's department director, the Director of Human
Resources, the Administrator, and the Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council.
:.;
Section 10 - Separations
A. TYPes of Seoaration From the Classified Service
Separations and/or terminations from positions in the
classified service shall be designated as one of the
following: (1) resignation; (2) failure to report for
work; (3) lay-off or reduction in force; (4)
disability; (5) loss of job requirements; (6) dismissal
or discharge; (7) retirement; and/or (8) death.
1. Resianation An employee shall submit to the
department director written notice of resignation
at least 14 days in advance of the effective date
of resignation. Immediately upon receipt of such
notice of resignation, the department director
shall forward the same to the Human Resources
Department~ Failure to comply with this rule
shall be entered on the service record of the
employee.
2. Failure to Reoort for Work Any employee not on
authorized leave of absence who fails to report
for work for two (2) consecutive days (or two (2)
consecutive shifts for Firefighters), or who fails
to contact his/her supervisor reg~rding his/her
absence for two (2) consecutive days (or two (2")
consecutive shifts for Firefighters), for any
reason, may be terminated for failure to report
for work.
Any employee terminated for failure to report for
work shall have the right of appeal in the manner
set forth in Section 12 of these policies and
procedures.
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3. Lav-off or Reduction in Force Any involuntary
separation not related to an employee's conduct
shall constitute a lay-off or reduction in force.
a. Reasons for Any employee may be laid off
because of shortage of funds or work,
abolishment of the position, material changes
in the employee's job duties or organization
of the employee's department, economic
conditions or related reasons beyond the
employer's or the employee's control which do
not reflect dissatisfaction with the service
of the employee. The duties previously
performed by any laid-off employee may be
reassigned to other employees holding
positions in appropriate classes.
b. Notice to Deoartment Director Whenever the
lay-off of any employee shall become
necessary, the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council shall notify the
department director at least 30 calendar days
in advance of the intended action of the
necessity for such lay-off and the reasons
therefor. The department director shall
thereupon furnish to the Director of Human
Resources the names and job titles of the
employees to be laid off and the order in
which such lay-off shall be effected.
c. Order of Lav-off Should it become necessary
to reduce the number of employees within a
given class in any department, such employees
shall be laid off on the basis of the
following three factors to be weighted
equally: length of service in class, length
of service with the government, and
performance evaluations for the last three
years.
d.
Soecial Cases Should a department director
determine that the retention of a certain
employee is essential to the effective
operation of the department because of the
fact that such employee possesses special
skills or ability, and should the department
director wish to retain such employee in
preference to another with a higher rating,
then the department director shall submit a
written request to the Di~ector of Human
Resources. Such notification shall set forth
in detail the specific skills and abilities
;
21
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possessed by the employee and the reasons why
such employee is essential to the effective
operation of the department. With the
approval of the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council, the individual may be ·
retained.
e. Notice to Emplovees Regular employees to be
laid off shall be notified in writing by the
Director of Human Resources at least fourteen
calendar days prior to the effective date of
the lay-off.
4. Disabilitv. A department director, with the
approval of the Director of Human Resources and
the Administrator, shall have the right to direct
any employee within such department to undergo a
medical examination or inquiry that is job related
and consistent with business necessity. Medical
examinations or inquiries may be job related and
necessary under several circumstances, including
but not necessarily limited to, the following:
(a) it is required by applicable law or
regulation;
(b) to determine whether individuals in safety
sensitive and physically demanding jobs
continue to be fit for duty;
(c) when an employee is having difficulty
performing his or her job effectively and the
examination is necessary to determine if the
employee can perform the essential functions
of the job with or without an accommodation;
(d) when an'employee wishes to return to work
after an injury or illness, a medical
examination may be required to:
a. determine if the individual meets the
Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA")
definition of an "individual with a
disability," if an accommodation has
been requested, and if so, identify an
effective accommodation,
"
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b.
determine if the person can perform the
essential functions of the job currently
held (or held before the injury or
illness), with or without reasonable
accommodation, and without posing a
"direct threat" to health or safety that
cannot be reduced or eliminated by
reasonable accommodation, or
c. identify an effective accommodation that
would enable the person to perform
essential job functions in the current
or previous job, or in a vacant job for
which the person is otherwise qualified;
In any event, the scope of the medical examination
and/or inquiry shall be job related and consistent
with business necessity.
An otherwise qualified individual with a
disability within the meaning of the ADA shall be
afforded the reasonable accommodation(s) necessary
to allow the employee to perform the essential
functions of the employee's position.
5 .
Loss of Job Requirements Any employee who is
unable to do his or her job adequately because of
loss of a necessary license, certification or
other requirement shall be placed on leave without
pay. An employee may elect to use accrued
vacation before being placed on leave without pay
pursuant to this section. The license,
certification or requirement should be reacquired
within 60 days or the employee will be discharged.
Employees losing job requirements are ~equired to
report such loss to their department director .
within 72 hours .of such loss.
Provisions relating to loss of certification or
other job requirements for Firefighters are
contained in the Manual section titled
"Firefighter's Certification." Under O.C.G.A.
sec. 25-4-8, the conviction of certain drug-
related offenses may cause a Firefighter to lose
certification. Firefighters should reacquire
"certification within 60 days or the Firefighter
will be discharged. Firefighters losing
certification are required to report the loss of
certification to the Fire Chief within 72 hours of
the loss.
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6.
Dismissals Dismissals shall constitute discharges
or separations from employment and shall be
governed by the provisions of Section 11 of these
policies and procedures as hereinafter set forth.
"
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7. Retirement The retirement of an employee shall
consist of the voluntary separation of an employee
who has met the requirements of age and length of
service under the laws governing any applicable
pension fund of which such employee may be a
member.
8. Death. Separation shall be effective as of the
date of the death of the employee. All
compensation, including vacation, due to such
employee as of the effective date of separation
shall be paid to the beneficiary of the employee,
the surviving spouse of such employee, or to the
estate of such employee, as may be determined by
law or by the applicable executed documents in the
personnel folder of such employee.
B. Return of Auausta-Richmond County Property Any and all
property of Augusta-Richmond County or any of its
agencies which is in the possession of an employee who
is separated from employment shall be immediately
returned to the appropriate department by that
employee. The department director of such employee is
responsible for collecting said property from said
employee.
C. Exit Interviews All employees separating from Augusta-
Richmond County employment (other than employees of
Elected Officials) shall be interviewed by the Director
of Human Resources or a designated Human Resources
staff member.
D. Final Paychecks for Terminated Employees All final-
paychecks will be distributed by the Human Resources
Department, whereas an employee who has direct deposit,
their final paycheck will not be direct deposited and
will be available in the Human Resources Department.
Section 11. Disci~linarv Actions
A. Intent Effective supervision and good employee
relations should reduce to a minimum those instances
necessitating disciplinary action. The establishment
of rules and re~llations and the imposition of
disciplinary action for a violation thereof are not
intended to restrict the rights of any employee, but
24
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B.
are for the "pti~ose of insuring' fhe rights of all and
for securing cooperation and orderliness throughout the
classified service. The severity of the disciplinary
action imposed should be related to the gravity of the
offense, the employee's record of disciplinary action,
and the disciplinary action imposed in similar cases.
Any disciplinary action imposed shall be for just
cause. The Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council
will not allow discrimination against any employee
because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national
origin, disability/handicap, or political affiliation.
Conduct Subiect to Disciolinarv Action The following
actions shall constitute just cause for disciplinary
action but the imposition of disciplinary action shall
not be limited to the offenses set forth:
1. The arrest or conviction of a felony, or of a
misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
2. Excessive absenteeism (6 occurrences within 6
months, unless justified under Augusta-Richmond
County policies). Does not apply to Fire
Suppression- Personnel.
3.
Absence without leave, or failure to report after
the expiration of a leave of absence.
4. Excessive tardiness (4 occurrences within 30 days,
unless justified under Augusta-Richmond County
policies). Does not apply to Fire Suppression
Personnel.
5. Abuse of sick leave (6 occurrences within 6
months, unless justified ~nder Augusta-Richmond
County policies). Does not apply to Fire '
Suppression Personnel.
6. Insubordination or serious breach of proper
discipline.
7. Inefficiency 'or incompetency.
8. Abuse or theft of Augusta-Richmond County
property.
9. The borrowing of government equipment for personal
use without prior official permission.
10. The loss of job requirements: such as the loss of
a necessary license, which prevents the adequate
performance of assigned duties.
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11. The making of false statements to supervisors,
officials, the public, boards, commissions, or
agencies.
.;;
12. The violation of Augusta-Richmond County
ordinances, administrative regulations,
departmental rules, or these policies and
procedures.
13. The consumption, sale, or possession of alcoholic
beverages and/or illegal substances while at work~
or being intoxicated on the job, or being
otherwise affected on the job because of the prior
use of some illegal substance.
14. The discovery of a false statement in an
application or other records.
15. Acceptance of gratuities in conflict with state
law or Augusta-Richmond County ordinances.
16. The refusal, when so directed, to be examined by a
licensed physician designated by Augusta-Richmond
County.
17. Political activity in conflict with Section 23 of
these policies and Procedures.
18. Engaging in offensive conduct or using offensive
language toward the public, superVisory personnel,
or fellow employees.
19. Sexual harassment and other harassment as
explained in the Policy and Procedures on
Harassment (Section 21F) .
20. Solicitation and Distribution Solicitation by
Augusta-Richmond County employees is prohibited
when the person soliciting or the person being
solicited is on working time. Working time is the
time an employee is expected to be working.
Distribution of literature by employees in working
areas is prohibited.
Distribution of literature by employees in
nonworking areas during their working time, as
defined above, is prohibited.
21. Gross misconduct, other than specifically listed
above.
26
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22. Violation of the rules and/or provisions set forth
in the Augusta-Richmond County Safety/Risk
Management Manual.
C. Tvoes of Disciolinarv Action A department director,
. subject to the employee's right of appeal as provided
in Section 12, shall have the following alternatives
when disciplining an employee.
1. . Reorimands
a. Oral Reorimand An oral reprimand is a
progressive discipline measure which may be
issued for an incident, action, or behavior
which does not warrant more severe '
disciplinary action. In the oral reprimand,
the supervisor will verbally and privately
explain to the employee that he or she is
being reprimanded, describe the problem, and
indicate what must be done to correct the
problem.
b. Written Reorimand Where the incident, '
action, or behavior of the employee is such
as not to initially warrant a more severe
type of disciplinary action, a written
reprimand may be issued for first or second
offenses including but not limited to
unauthorized absence from duty (for less than
three (3) days), abuse of sick leave
privileges, frequent unexcused and excessive
tardiness, inattention to duty,
insubordination, improper conduct or loss or
destruction of property. Writte~ reprimands
shall be issued by' the department director to
the affected employee, and a copy of same
shall be forwarded to the Director of 'Human
Resources and filed in the personnel folder
'of such employee.
2. Susoension
a.A department director may suspend without pay
any employee under his or her supervision for
a period of not less than 7.5 hours nor more
than ten (10) working days.
b. A written statement specifically setting
forth the reasons for such action and the
length of time of such suspension shall be
furnished by the department director to the
27
affected employee, and a copy of same shall
be sent to the Director of Human Resources
and filed in the personnel folder of such
employee within one (1) working day of the
effective date of the action.
:.;
c. An employee may be suspended for a period
longer than ten (10) working days upon the
express approval of the Administrator,
pending the investigation or trial of any
charges against such employee.
d. Any employee arrested on felony charges or
charges of misdemeanor involving moral
turpitude is required to notify their
Department Director of such arrest within 72
hours of such arrest. An arrest for a felony
or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude as
defined under Georgia law shall constitute
the basis for immediate suspension with pay
for a period of five (5) days during which
the Director of Human Resources will conduct
an investigation to determine whether the
pending charges will affect the employee's
job performance or whether the conduct which
resulted in the arrest is the basis for
disciplinary action. A hearing shall be held
after the five (5) day investigation period
and, in the discretion of the Administrator,
the ~mployee may be placed on leave without
pay until final disposition of the charges.
If he/she elects, such employee may exhaust
any accrued vacation and/or compensatory time
off before being placed on leave without pay
under this section.
3. Dismissal
a.
When a regular employee is charged with
misconduct that serves as just cause for
dismissal, the department director shall
place the employee on a three (3) day, paid,
administrative suspension with a
recommendation for dismissal.
b. A written statement specifically setting
forth the reasons for suspension with
recommendation for dismissal shall be
forwarded to the Director of Human Resources
for approval. The Director of Human
Resources will then arrange to provide the
approved statement to the affected employee,
28
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ahd ~ copy of the same shall be furnished to
the Administrator within one (1) working day
of the effective date of the action.
c. The Administrator shall ensure that a written
notice of the charges has been furnished to
the affected employee and shall conduct an
investigation to assure that the charges are
substantiated and that no errors relevant to
the charges were made by the person proposing
the dismissal.
d. Within three (3) working days of the affected
employee being notified of the charges, the
Administrator shall hold a conference at
which the employee shall be authorized to
present information which is pertinent to the
charges on his/her behalf.
e. The Administrator shall render a decision on
the proposal for dismissal based on all of
the relevant information.
f. The Administrator shall advise the employee
of his/her right to appeal the decision under
the grievance procedure.
g. A probationary, temporary and/or part-time
employee may be dismissed at any time, for
any or no reason, and is not entitled to the
grievance and appeal provisions set forth in
these policies and procedures.
4. Notification of Riqht of Appeal Any written
notification submitted to a regular employee who
is being subjected to disciplinary action shall
set forth the right of the employee to appeal such
action to the Personnel Board in the manner set
forth in Section 12. Oral and written reprimands
are not grievable actions.
5. Riqht of Appeal
a. Classified employees subjected to the
following actions have a right to appeal such
action. Formal appeals should be submitted
to the Director of Human Resources as set
forth in Section 12.
1. Any regular employee in the Classified
Service subjected to suspension,
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29
dismissal or other disciplinary action
(except for oral and/or written
reprimands) .
2.
Any regular employee in the Classified
Service who is subjected to action
(except for an oral or written
reprimand) as a result of the
application and interpretation of these
policies and procedures, and is
aggrieved thereby.
.
b. Any applicant for a position in the
Classified Service can appeal to the Director
of Human Resources for non-acceptance of an
employment application or an alleged error in
rating a test or examination procedure.
c. Any applicant or employee may appeal to the
Director of Human Resources if the applicant
or employee believes that employment
discrimination or sexual harassment occurred
against said applicant or employee.
d. Initial probationary employees may only
appeal alleged employment discrimination or
sexual harassment.
Section 12. Grievance and Appeal Procedures
A. Intent
1. In order to perform efficiently, employee
grievances should receive prompt consideration and
equitable resolution. Whenever possible',
grievances should be resolved or adjusted
informally, and both supervisors and employees
shall be expected to make every effort to do so.
With respect to those grievances which cannot be
so resolved, employees shall be entitled to
process the grievances as hereinafter provided.
2. These procedures governing the processing of
grievances and providing the right of appeal are
established for the purpose of eliminating or
correcting justifiable complaints or
dissatisfaction of regular employees or certain
complaints of probationary employees; insuring
that all emplcyees shall be afforded fair,
equitable and expeditious review of their
grievances without fear, coercion or
30
.
discrimi~~tioni and providing a systematic and
orderly method for resolving complaints and
differences between employees and supervisory or
management personnel.
B. Personnel Board
There is established a Personnel Board of which the
composition, appointments, terms of office, selection
of chairman, filling of vacancies, removal from office,
compensation, powers and duties are set forth in the
Augusta-Richmond County Code.
C. procedure'for Grievance Resolution Any regular
employee in the classified service who has been
suspended, dismissed, or subjected to any other type of
disciplinary action (except oral or written reprimand) ,
or who is aggrieved as a result of the interpretation
and application of these policies and procedures, and
any employee (regular or probationary) who has been
subjected to any alleged harassment or discriminatory
action that is prohibited by federal or state law,
shall h~ve the right to utilize the grievance and
appeal procedure hereinafter set forth.
1. A formal grievance shall not be initiated unless
and until the employee has discussed the grievance
with their immediate supervisor and department
director.
2. Within five (5) working days of the disciplinary
action, a regular employee must submit his written
grievance to the Director of Human Resources.
3. Within five (5) working days of the receipt of the
written grievance, the Director of Human Resources
will arrange 'an appointment with the employee,
Department Director, Administrator, and
himself/herself to discuss the problem and,
hopefully, reach a solution.
If a settlement is not reached within three (3)
working days of the initial meeting, the grievance
is carried to step 4.
31
4 .
Within five (5) working days following the three
(3) working day settlement period, the Director of
Human Resources will submit all documentation, to
include a statement of charges, to the Personnel
Board. The board will then conduct a general
investigation into the charges according to the
following procedure:
~
a. At its next scheduled meeting, the Personnel
Board will hold an open hearing and receive
the evidence in relation to the matter.
b. Within five (5) working d~ys of the hearing,
a decision will be rendered by the majority
of the voting members of the Personnel Board.
The Human Resources Director will notify the
employee in writing of the decision of the
Personnel Board.
5. No punitive, discriminatory, or adverse action
shall be taken against any employee on account of
the filing of a grievance or an appeal.
Section 13. Emplovee Development
A. In-Service Traininq
The Director of Human Resources shall be responsible
for fostering and promoting in-service training of
employees for the purpose of improving the quality of
service and assisting employees in preparing themselves
for advancement.
Section 14. Records and Reports
A. Personnel Transactions All appointments, separations,
and other personnel transactions shall be recorded on
forms provided by the Human Resources Department. A
separate file folder shall be prepared and maintained
for each employee and shall contain the original or a
copy of all pertinent documents. All medical
information shall be maintained separately from the
employee personnel files and kept confidential. The
official personnel record for each employee shall be
maintained at the Human Resources Department.
32
B.
Public Insoectlon The following information relative
to employees and former employees shall be available
for public inspection at reasonable times and in
accordance with such procedures as the Administrator
may prescribe: name, class title, and salary range.
Selection records and performance rating reports shall
be accessible only to the Administrator, the department
director concerned, the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council, and the employee involved. Other
personnel information may be made available for
official.purposes at the discretion of the
Administrator and as required by law or legal process.
,
C. Confidentiality All personnel records of employees
covered under these regulations and all other records
and materials relating to the administration of the
personnel system shall be considered confidential and
the property of Augusta-Richmond County Commission-
Council. Information which is obtained in the course
of official duties shall not be released by an employee
charged with this responsibility as part of official
duties.
D. Destruction of Records Employee service records shall
be kept in accordance with state and federal
regulations after termination of employment. Such
records may be kept in their original form or in any
other duplicate form the Director of Human Resources
deems appropriate. All other records, including
correspondence, applications, and examinations may be
destroyed in accordance with federal or state laws.
E. Attendance Records Regular attendance reports shall be
prepared and submitted by each department director as
requested by the Director of Human Resources and in the
form designated by the Director of Human Resources.
F. Personnel Record Chanaes Employees are responsible for
immediately informing their immediate supervisor of any
change in their name, address, telephone number and/or
social security number. Supervisors receiving
personnel record changes are responsible for
immediately forwarding a copy of said changes to the
Director of Human Resources.
33
;
<<
Section 15. Payroll
A.
Initial Aooointment Upon the appointment of any
employee to .the classified service, the Department
Director shall submit to the Human Resources Department
such information as is necessary.to certify the
employment status, title or position~ and salary or
wage of such employee.
B. Payroll Adiustments
;
1. Each department director shall be responsible for
immediately notifying the Human Resources
Department of any occurrences or actions taken
which require an adjustment in the salary or wage
of any employee or employees under the supervision
of such department director.
2. Upon the receipt of such notice, or upon the
taking of any action by the Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council which requires an
adjustment in the salary or wage of any employee
or employees, the Human Resources Department shall
make such payroll adjustments for such employee or
employees as may be required.
C. Time Cards
Any employee required to complete a time card for hours
worked during a particular pay period is required to
complete such time card completely and accurately. Any
failure to do so will result in the withholding of that
employee's payroll check until such time as a complete
and accurate time card for that pay period is presented
to the Human Resources Department. It is the
responsibility of all immediate supervisors to oversee
the completion and signing of time cards by employees
other than in the Fire Department. All time card
records for the Fire Department will be centralized at
the Fire Department Headquarters and are available for
review by any Firefighter upon request.
D. RecovervofSalaries Imorooerlv Paid Officers and
employees may be held liable for the return of salaries
. improperly, accidentally, or illegally paid to
employees.
34
"
,
E.
, . . .
Voluntary Dedu~tion Upon the fe~est in writing of any
employee, which request must specify the reasons
therefore, Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council
shall be authorized to provide for automatic payroll
deductions for such employee, in such amount as the
employee shall specify, for the 'purpose of contributing
to personal savings plans, pensions or other personal
financial' investment plans. Firefighters may authorize
Augusta-Richmond County Commission-Council to make
automatic payroll deductions for payment of Police and
Fireman's Insurance premium payments. No deductions
shall be allowed where prohibited by State law. All
voluntary deductions must be approved by the Director
of Human Resources.
Section 16. Attendance and Leave
=
A. Hours of Work The established work week or work period
and the hours of work shall, insofar as practicable, be
uniform within occupational groups and shall be
determined in accordance with the needs of Augusta-
Richmond County and the reasonable needs of the public
who may be required to do business with various
Augusta-Richmond County departments. The work schedule
for each department shall be established by the
department director with the advice and approval of the
Director of Human Resources.
B. Attendance Each department director shall be
responsible for the attendance of all persons in his or
her department. Each department shall maintain
complete attendance records on each employee. The
Human Resources Department will maintain vacation, sick
leave, overtime,. and others, as provided in Section 14.
C. Break Time Employees other than Fireftghters are
allowed two (2) fifteen-minute breaks per work day.
One break will be taken in the morning and one in the
afternoon, at times established by the Department
Director." Unused break time may not be counted toward
overtime and/or compensatory time, and may not be
accrued or carried over. Each department director is
responsible for administering break schedules and
monitoring break time for their department employees.
D.
Use of AccruedComoensatorv Time Off Employees may use
any accrued compensatory time off in order to extend
any period of leave allowed under these policies and
procedures, so long as the extension is approved by the
'35
employee's department director and the total amount of
leave time taken does not extend the six-month ;"
limitation in Section 16.H.7.C.10 herein.
E. Holidavs All full-time employees (except Fire
Suppression personnel) shall be eligible for holiday
leave for the following days and other days as
designated by specific action of the Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council:
New Year's Day
Martin L. King, Jr. Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Holiday schedules in certain departments may vary as
directed by the Augusta-Richmond County Commission-
Council.
1. Whenever a holiday falls on a Saturday, the
preceding Friday shall be designated a substitute
holiday and observed as the official holiday for
that year. When the holiday falls on a Sunday,
the following Monday shall be designated as the
official holiday for that year. An employee who
is not on approved leave such as being suspended
for disciplinary reasons and fails to report on
his/her scheduled work day, before or after a
holiday, will not be paid for the holiday.
2. Holidays which occur during vacation or sick leave
shall not be charged against vacation or sick
leave. Full-time employees shall be paid for
holidays based on the. number of hours they
normally work each day, exclusive of overtime.
Temporary and part-time employee~ will not be paid
for holidays not worked.
3.
Employees other than Firefighters scheduled to
work on an official Augusta-Richmond County
holiday shall be paid at one and one-half times
the regular rate for each hour worked during the
actual holiday or may take a subsequent day off in
lieu of the holiday worked.
Fire Suppression Holidav Schedule Fire
Suppression personnel will be provided five (5)
holidays per year.
36
F. Vacation
. .
1.
~
2
General Vacations are for the purpose of
rejuvenating both physical and mental faculties
and all employees are urged to avail themselves of
vacation periods.
Eliqibility All regular employees in the
classified service shall be entitled to earn and
accrue vacation. Temporary and part-time
'employees shall not be eligible for vacation.
3. Vacation Accrual
~
a. No vacation accrual is allowed while on leave
of absence without pay, while suspended or
while on workers compensation or salary
continuation in lieu of workers compensation.
b. Reaular and Probationary Employees Other Than
Firefiqhters Regular and Probationary
employees begin to accrue vacation
immediately upon employment and will be
entitled to take vacation upon completion of
twelve (12) months employment. Vacation may
be taken as earned or allowed to accumulate
not to exceed twenty-six (26) days. Vacation
shall be accrued as follows for all regular
and probationary employees other than
Firefighters:
MONTHLY
EMPLOYED ACCRUAL (from DOE*)
0 - 1 year 1/2 -day
1 - 3 years 1 ~ay
3 - 5 years 1 1/4 days
5 - 10 years 1 1/2 days
10 - 12 years 1 3/4 days
12 years and on 2 days
*Date of employment
c. Firefiqhters (Fire Suppression Personnel)
Firefighters begin to accrue vacation
immediately upon employment and will be
entitled to take vacation upon completion of
37
twelve (12) months employment. Vacation may
be taken as earned or allowed to accumulate
not to exceed 288 hours per year.
ACCRUAL SCHEDULE DAYS ACCRUED
0 - 12 months = 3.69 hrs/pay period = 96 hrs. 4
13 - 6'0 months = 4.62 hrs/pay period = 120 hrs. 5
61 - 120 months = 5.54 hrs/pay period = 144 hrs. 6
121 - 180 months = 6'.46 hrs/pay period = 168 hrs. 7
181 - 240 months = 8.31 hrs/pay period = 216 hrs. 9
240 - +++ months = 11. 08 hrs/pay period = 288 hrs. 12
**** Fire Suppression Personnel will be allowed to carry over
vacation accrual from year to year, but no more than seven
(7) days.
**** All vacations will betaken between January 1 - December 20
of each year.
**** All vacations for the next year will be scheduled prior to
December 31 of the previous year.
**** Maximum accrual 12 days or 288 hours.
4. Schedulinq of Vacation
a. Vacation will first be scheduled. in the best
interest of the department, and secondly, at
the employee's convenience. Vacation must be
approved by the Department Director.
Generally, employees' requests for vacation
shall be submitted to the department director
two (2) weeks in advance of 'the beginning
date of the vacation.
b. Any employee assigned to a position that
necessitates handling money and/or accounting
records must take a regular vacation. The
positions involved will be designated by the
Internal Auditor and approved by the
Administrator.
5. Exceptions Exceptions to this section must be
approved by the Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council.
6. Notice of Vacation A request for vacation by an
employee other than a Firefighter shall be
submitted to the employee's immediate supervisor
at least two (2) weeks in advance of the beginning
date of the vacation. Firefighter must schedule
38
their vacation according to Section 16.F. above.
Vacation may be taken only after approval by the
appropriate department director so that, insofar
as practi~able, the depa~tm~nt can function
without the hiring of additional temporary help.
Vacation shall be authorized in units of days or
hours only. Fire Suppression personnel must take
vacation in increments of 24-hour shifts.
7.
Maximum Allowable Vacation Carryover Unused
vacation not exceeding 26 days may be carried into
the next calendar year, other than for
Firefighters. It is the intent of these rules to
have employees take their vacation during the
calendar year. Therefore, no payment shall be
made for non-use of vacation except as provided in
paragraph 9 below unless approved by the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council.
8 .
Payment for Unused Vacation When an employee is
separated from the service, such employee shall be
paid for all accrued unused vacation (up to 26
days, or 168 hours for Firefighters) unless he/she
fails to give proper notice of resignation as
provided in Section 10 or has failed to complete
twelve (12) months service.
G. Sick Leave
1. General Unlike ,vacation, sick leave is a
privilege given to employees by the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council; except as
required by the Family and Medic~l Leave Act of
1993 (IIFMLA"), it is not a right. See Section
16.H.6 below, for a description of FM~ leave.
Sick leave shall be allowed to an eligible
employee:
;
(a) in the case of actual sickness or disability
of the employee or for medical, dental, or
eye examination or treatment for which
arrangements cannot be made outside of
working hours; and
(b) when the employee is required to care for a
sick or injured spouse, child, or parent.
Except as required by FMLA, it is
inappropriate for the employee to remain
absent from work if the adult or child could
care for ~hemselves. A physician's
certificate can be requested to verify
illness for individuals under the employee's
39
care for whom sick leave is taken.
Employees shall report illness prior to his/her
scheduled work time if possible. If not, the
employee shall see that illness is reported within
30 minutes after the time he/she is scheduled to
have reported for work. Those employees working
shifts 'and who relieve other employees shall be
required to report illness in advance of their
reporting.time.
Any sick leave for a serious health condition of
the employee or the employee's family member will
be treated as FMLA leave.
2. Eliqibility Those employees entitled to earn
vacation shall also be eligible to earn sick
leave.
3. Rate of Leave Accrual Full-time regular and
prob~tionary employees other than Firefighters
begin to accrue sick leave immediately upon
employment at the rate of one day per month.
Firefighters begin to accrue sick leave
immediately upon employment at the rate of 11.5
hours per month. No sick leave accrual is allowed
while on leave of absence without pay, while
suspended or while on workers compensation or on
salary continuation in lieu of workers
compensation.
4. Certification by Physician A medical certificate
signed 'by a licensed physician may be required by
a department director to substantiate a request
for sick leave. If an employee has claimed sick
leave for a period of three (3) consecutive
working days, or two consecutive scheduled shifts
for Firefighters, a physician's statement must be
furnished to permit payment for sick leave. If'it
is determined that an employee is abusing sick
leave, he/she may be required to present a
physician's statement for any period,of time for
which additional sick leave is being requested.
5. Maximum Allowable' Accumulation A maximum of 132
days of sick leave may be accumulated for all
regular,. full-time employees other than Fire
Suppression personnel. Fire Suppression personnel
may accumulate a maximum of 1,518 hours of sick
leave.
40
.,
6.
i't'
No Pavrnent of Unused Sick Leave When an employee
is separated from employment with Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council, no payment shall be
made for any unused sick leave.
7. Six-Month Limit No employee shall be entitled to
take sick leave for a period of time exceeding six
(6) months.
. H , . . Other TYnes of Leave
1. Military Leave
-;:
a.
Any regular employee who leaves the
classified service to join the military
forces of the United States during time of
war or other national emergency, or is
inducted by Selective Service, may, upon
written request, prior to induction into the
military, be placed on military leave without
pay, such leave to extend through a date 90
days after which such service terminates.
Such employee shall be entitled to be
restored to the vacated position, or a
comparable position, provided the employee
makes application to the Human Resources
Department within 90 days of the date of
discharge under honorable conditions, and is
physically and mentally capable of performing
the work of the position.
b. The returning employee shall be entitled to
any increases in salary (including cost-of-
living increases) or any advancement in grade
which would normally be accorded to the
incumbent of the position, ~ith the exception
of any increases or advancement in.grade
which would normally be dependent on
meritorious performance of the duties of the
position.
c.
In the event a position vacated by a person
entering the military service as stated above
no longer exists at the time he/she qualifies
'to return to work, such person shall be
entitled to be re-employed in another
position of the same status, class and pay in
the classified service, provided such re-
employment does not necessitate the laying
off of another employee.
41
d.
Any regular employee who is a member of the
National Guard or an organized military
reserve of the United States will be allowed
leave of absence with pay. as provided under
Georgia law, to comply with military orders.
Any employee taking'such leave will be
required to provide the Human Resources
Department with a copy of said orders before
the leave period begins. Such leave shall
not be charged to vacation.
.;;.,
."
2. Funeral Leave Funeral leave with pay for up to
three (3) working days (one twenty-four hour shift
f9r Fire Suppression personnel) per occurrence
for funerals of immediate family members will be
provided. Immediate family is defined as:
spouse, mother, father, children, sister, brother,
father-in~law, mother~in-law, daughter-in-law,
son-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
grandparents, and grandchildren. Notice of intent
to utilize-funeral leave should be provided to the
employee's immediate supervisor as soon as
possible.
In the event of unusual circumstances, such as
distance to be traveled by the employee,
additional funeral leave without pay may be
authorized. A request for such additional leave
must be submitted, in writing, along with an
explanation of the circumstances,' to the Human
Resources Director who will review the request and
make a recommendation to the Administrator, who
will either approve or deny the request.
3. Workers' Compensation, An employee who is
temporarily disabled because of an injurY or
illness sustained directly in the performance of
his/her work may be covered by the provisions of
the State Workers' Compensation Act. Any leave on
account. of the employee's serious health
condition, whether or,not work related, will be
treated as Family and Medical Leave.
Firefighters who are injured in the line of duty
will 'be salary-continued in lieu of receiving
workers' compensation benefits. "In the line of
duty" means while on duty and while responding to
or returning from a fire or other emergency or
performing duties intended to protect life and
property.
42
4.
Temporary Disabilities Not Covered bv Workers'
Compensation An employee "who becomes temporarily
disabled shall be allowed to exhaust his or her
accrued sick leave, vacation, and compensatory
time off. After such time has been used, further
extension of leave without pay may be available
under Family and Medical Leave or, if Family and
Medical Leave is not available, must be
specifically authorized by the Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council upon recommendation of
the department director and approval of the
Personnel Board. Any leave on account of the
employee's serious health condition will be
treated as Family and Medical Leave.
S. Maternitv Leave
a. Maternity leave is a period of approved
absence for incapacitation related to
pregnancy and confinement. Maternity leave
may be charged to sick leave or any
combination of sick leave, vacation, and
leave without pay. Maternity leave will be
treated as Family and Medical Leave.
b.
The employee desiring maternity leave should
report the pregnancy to the department
director. Such notification shall include a
written statement from the attending
physician specifying the approximate date of
birth.
d.
c. An employee may be permitted to continue work
so long as the conditions of the pregnancy do
not adversely impair work performance or
health. In consultation, the employee
desiring maternity leave and the department
director will determine the day maternity
leave begins. The decision shall take into
consideration the written medical opinion of
the employee's physician, the nature of the
job in terms of physical stress, and the
employee's ability to perform normal job
duties with full efficiency.
An employee shall be granted leave without
pay for maternity purposes in accordance with
Section 16-G-6. Upon return to work
following a maternity leave, the employee
must present to the department director a
"
43
medical statement from a certified physician
stating that the employee has been released i
from the physician's care.
6 .
Familv and Medical Leave
..
a. General Leaves of absence will be granted as
required under the Family and Medical Leave
Act of 1993 ("FMLA") for the following
reasons:
(1) because of a serious health condition
that makes the employee unable to
perform the functions of the employee's
job;
(2) for birth of a son or daughter, and to
care for the newborn child;
(3) for placement with the employee of a son
or daughter for adoption or foster care; ,
and .
(4) to care for the employee's spouse, .son,
daughter, or parent with a serious
health condition.
A serious health condition entitling an employee
to FMLA Leave means, generally, an illness,
injury, . impairment or physical or mental condition
that involves "inpatient care" and/or "continuing
treatment by a health care provider" as those
terms are defined in the FMLA. Copies of the FMLA
and regulations to it are available for inspection
in the Human Resources Department. 'Employees who
are unsure whether a leave would qualify as FMLA
leave are urged to seek assistance from the Human
Resources Department.
Each FMLA Leave request will be reviewed by the
Department Director and the Director of Human
Resouces to assure. that requests meet the
guidelines as set forth in the Family Medical
Leave Act. FMLA leave taken in connection with
the birth or placement of a child may not be taken
after the end of the 12-month period beginning on
the d~te of the birth or placement.
b. Eliqibilitv Only employees who have been
employed for at least 12 months and have
worked at least 1250 hours over the previous
12 months will be eligible for FMLA leave.
44
~
However, exempt employees (for purposes of
the Fair Labor Standards Act) who have been
employed for at least 12 months will be
deemed to have satisfied the 1250 hour
requirement.
c.
Notice of Leave Employees must give at least
two weeks advance written notice to the
employee's immediate supervisor of the need
for FMLA leave when the need for the leave is
foreseeable. If the need for FMLA leave is
not foreseeable, for example, is the result
of an accidental injury, the employee must
notify the employee's immediate supervisor of
the need for leave as soon as practicable and
generally, no later than 2 business days,
after the employee first learns of the need
for the leave. The Human Resources
Department reserves the right to delay FMLA
leave if notice is not timely provided, but
the delay will not extend beyond two (2)
weeks from the date written notice is
provided to the employee's immediate
supervisor.
d. Certification by Physician If FMLA leave is
requested for the employee's serious health
condition or to care for a spouse, parent or
child with a serious health condition, the
employee must furnish the Human Resources
Department with a completed medical
certificate from a doctor or other health
care provider. If the leave is forseeable,
the certification must be delivered to the
employee's immediate supervisor before the
leave begins. The certificate must be
furnished within 15 days of the date the
employer.~equests the certificate. An
employee requesting an extension of leave for
a serious health condition or to care for a
family member with a serious health condition
must give notice of the need for an extension
prior to the expiration of the original leave
. if the need for the extension is foreseeable,
and must provide another medical certificate
. to support the extension. The Human
Resources Department may require a second and
third medical opinion at Augusta-Richmond
. County's expense and may request periodic
certification of the medical necessity of a
leave at reasonable intervals during a leave.
45
An employee who is out onFMLA leave will be
required to report periodically on his/her
status and intent to return to work.
'.
An employee who r~turns to work following
FMLA leave for his/her.own serious health
condition must present a doctor's statement
of clearance for work to the Director of
Personnel in order to return to work.
e. Benefits During FMLA leave, an employee will
be eligible to retain health insurance
c9verage and other group insurance benefits
on the same conditions as would have been
available to the employee if the employee had
been actively at work during the leave,
provided the employee timely pays the
applicable premium to continue such coverage.
An employee on unpaid FMLA leave should make
arrangements with the Benefits Coordinator in
the Human Resources Department if the em-
ployee desires continued group coverage.
f. Maximum Allowable Accumulation The total
time taken for FMLA leave cannot exceed 12
weeks in any calendar year. The 12-month
period is a rolling period. Each time an
employee takes FMLA leave, the remaining
leave entitlement will be the balance of the
12 weeks which has not been used during the
immediately preceding 12 months.
g. Relationship to Other Leaves An employee
will be required to use any accrued sick
leave and vacation as FMLA leave before being
entitled to additional FMLA leave. Any leave
for an FMLA reason, including sick leave,
maternity leave, leave for work-related
injuries and leave for temporary disabilities
will be counted against an employee's FMLA
entitlement. An employee's entitlement to
sick 'leave, maternity leave, workers'
compensation leave or leave for temporary
disability will run concurrently with the
employee's entitlement to FMLA leave.
FMLA leave generally will be unpaid leave
except to the extent an employee uses paid
sick leave or vacation for FMLA leave.
~
46
.'
h. Intermittent or Reduced Leaves If it is
medically necessary, an employee may take
leave for the employee's own serious health
condition or to care for a spouse, parent or.
child with a serious health condition on an
intermittent basis (for periods of time less
than a full day or a full week; *NOTE: Fire
Suppression personnel are not allowed to take
periods of time off in less than 24-hour
schedules) or on a reduced leave basis (the
~employee reduces his/her usual number of
hours worked each week). Intermittent or
reduced leave must be approved by the Human
Resources Department and the employee may be
required to transfer temporarily to an
available alternative position for which the
employee is qualified and which better
accommodates recurring periods of leave. An
employee may take family leave in connection
with the birth or placement of a child for
adoption or foster care on an intermittent or
reduced basis only with the prior approval of
the Human Resources 'Department.
i. Job Restoration An employee who returns to
work on or before the end of the allowable
FMLA leave period will return to the same or
an equivalent job and shift the employee left
. with the same or equivalent benefits as
required under FMLA.
7. Leave of Absence Without Pay
~
A.
~,
Reauested Upon receipt of a written request from
a regular employee accompanied by pertinent
supportingdocument(s), a department director,
after approving the request, will, forward same to
the Human Resources Department, who will submit
same to the Administrator for approval. Leaves
without pay may be granted for an initial 3D-day
period. If additional 3D-day periods are
requested, a review and decision as to such
request will be made by the Human Resources
Department.
Leaves of absence without pay may be granted for
the following reasons:
1. . Military Duty
2. Illness (physician's statement required and
subject to section 16.H.7.C.2., below)
47
3.
Illness in immediate family (spouse, child,
or parent) (supported by physician's statement
stating need and subject to section
16.H.7.C.2., below)
~
4. Advanced training to upgrade the individual
for the position held or promotional
opportunities.
B. Reauired At the discretion of the Administrator,
an employee arrested on felony charges or charges
of misdemeanor involving moral turpitude may be
placed on a leave of absence without pay until
final disposition of the charges. See Section
li.c.2.d. of these policies and procedures.
C. Requlations All departments are required to
adhere to the following regulations:
1. Leave without pay shall be granted only when
it will not adversely affect the interests of
Augusta-Richmond County service.
2. Leave without pay under this Section 16.G.7
in the case of illness maybe granted only
after an employee's accrued sick leave and
Family and Medical Leave has been exhausted.
3. Failure of an employee. to return to work at
the expiration of approved leave shall be
considered as absence without leave and
grounds for disciplinary action.
4. Any employee who has been granted leave of
absence other than FMLA leave and who wishes
to return before the leave period has expired
shall be required to give hi~/her department
director at least a one week notice. Upon
receipt of such written notice, the employee
shall be permitted to return to work.
5. No sick leave or vacation will be earned by
an employee for the time that such employee
is on leave without pay.
6 .
Except to the extent more is required under
FMLA, an employee shall return from leave
without pay to the same salary grade as at
the time of commencement of leave.
.
~
48
~.
"-
8.
..
7.
Except to the extent.,' more is required under
FMLA, an employee returning from a leave of
absence without pay shall be entitled to
employment in the same department in the same
or equivalent class wherein employed when
said leave commenced.
8. Before beginning a leave of absence without
pay, an employee must make arrangements with
the Benefits Coordinator in the Human
Resources Department if continued coverage
under Augusta-Richmond County group insurance
is desired.
9. Ariy vacancy created ,by the proper approval of
such leave of absence shall not be filled
unless the person concerned is notified that
a permanent replacement for the position is
required and the employee is given the
opportunity to resume his/her position. If
this requirement is met and the position
filled, the replaced employee shall not have
the right or privilege to cause the
separation of the new employee. However,. he
will be considered and given priority for
vacancies that occur, provided he is
qualified. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
nothing shall prevent an employee who timely
returns from FMLA leave from being restored
to the same or equivalent job and shift with
the same or equivalent benefits.
10. No leave of absence without pay may be
granted or required for a period exceeding
six (6) months, except as authorized by t~e
Administrator. .
11. Any and all Augusta-Richmond County property
in the possession of an employee who is '
, placed on a leave of absence for more than
one (1) month shall be immediately returned
to the appropriate department by that
employee.
Absence Without Leave The absence of an employee from
duty; including absence for a single day or part of a
day, that is not authorized by a specific grant of
leave of absence under the provisions of these
regulations shall be deemed to be an absence without
leave. Any such abEence shall be without pay and may
be cause for disciplinary action.
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9.
Administrative Leave An employee may be placed on
administrative leave with pay at the discretion of the
department'director and with the approval of the
Director of.Human Resources and/or Administrator when
such action is deemed to be in the best interest of
Augusta-Richmond County.
10. JUry Dutv Leave An employee who is called for jury
duty will receive his/her full salary. A copy of the
summons for jury duty which is received by the employee
must be furnished-to the Human Resources Department
before jury duty leave begins. Employees called for
jury duty are excused from reporting for work only for
the time required to travel to. and from the Courthouse
and the time actually on jury ~uty. If an employee
(other than a Firefighter) is released from jury duty
by the Court during normal work hours, he/she must
return to their department as soon as possible. Any
compensation paid by the court will be retained by the
employee.
Section 17. Nepotism
It is hereby declared to be the policy of Augusta-Richmond
County that there shall be no selection for employment
within a department of any immediate family members of
existing personnel such that a subordinate/supervisory
relationship between the emplQyees would result. For
purposes of this section, "Immediate Family Members"
includes: spouse, child, father/mother, brother/sister,
son-in-Iaw/daughter-in-Iaw, father-in-Iaw/mother-in-Iaw,
brother-in-Iaw/sister-in-Iaw, grandparents, and
grandchildren.
A. Emplovees Who Marry Employees who_marry during the
course of employment such that a
subordinate/supervisory relationship between the'
employees results, the employee shall notify their
department director, who shall then notify the Human
Resources Department. The Human Resources Department
will arrange for a transfer of the employee who was
last hired to a position comparable to their current
position in another department. If the transfer is
offered and declined by the employee, all continued
rights of employment shall cease and such employee will
be separated. Such a transfer of employment must occur
within 90 days of the date the two employees marry.
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Section 18. Polvqrapn,
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This policy is to be followed in the-utilization of
polygraph examinations whenever they are used as part of an
investigation of alleged impropriety or misconduct by
officers, employees, or agents of Augusta-Richmond County.
All Augusta-Richmond County employees or agents are required
to cooperate with supervisors and investigators in the
process of conducting investigations of, incidents of, and
reports alleging impropriety or misconduct on the part of
any officer, employee~ or'agent including, but not limited
to, the providing of written or oral testimony under oath
and submission to an examination by polygraph.
Supervisory personnel investigating impropriety or
misconduct by employees, investigators employed by Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council, or investigative agents
of other organizations and agencies specifically approved
and commissioned to undertake an internal investigation of
any Augusta-Richmond County operated or funded activity, are
authorized to employ polygraph examinations.. Polygraph
examinations may be administered to as few or as many
employees as deemed necessary by the investigating
personnel.
'T~
~iPolygraph examinations may be administered only by persons
:employed as polygraph examiners by a law enforcement agency
~or by persons licensed by the Georgia Board of Polygraph
:Examiners or licensed in some other state to conduct such
:examinations. The questions asked in any polygraph
examination must relate narrowly and directly to the
subject's participation in the alleged impropriety or
misconduct under investigation or to his/her knowledge of
information pertaining to such impropriety or misconduct.
Refusal of an order to submit to a polygraph examination
under the circumstances covered in this policy shall be.
considered to be refusal to follow a direct order and'shall
constitute cause for initiation of adverse action based upon
insubordination.
Section 19. Smokinq Policy
It is the policy of the Augusta-Richmond County to provide
employees with a work environment that is both safe and
healthy.
The Restricted Smoking Policy of Augusta-Richmond County
will, when feasible, ensure the protecticn of the health of
all individual employees involved.
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Every prominent health study conducted during the past two
decades has linked smoking with a variety of major health
complaints. Whether the smoker is active or passive,
smoking has become a concern of most adult Americans.
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By the simple acknowledgment that smoking is both a
recognized health hazard and is controllable, the adoption
of a restricted smoking policy is a demonstration by .
Augusta-Richmond cCounty of a commitment to the well being of
the employee.
Therefore, in an effort to provide a more healthful work
environment, Augusta-Richmond County has implemented the
following policy regarding restricted smoking in the work
place of all Augusta-Richmond County employees: '
o No smoking is permitted in any Augusta-Richmond County
building or facility. Smoking outside of the building
in designated areas will be allowed as long as trash
receptacles are consistently used and areas are kept
thoroughly clean.
o It is the responsibility of all employees of Augusta-
Richmond County to adhere to strict enforcement of this
restricted smoking policy. All supervisors are
responsible for enforcing this policy in their areas of
responsibility.
o Employees are encouraged to assist in the
implementation of this policy by informing the visiting
public of smoking restrictions and providing directions
to designated smoking-permitted areas outside your
building.
o Any noncompliance with this smoking policy by employees
may be grounds for disciplinary action.
Section 20. Substance Abuse Policy
It is the policy of Augusta-Richmond County in recognition
of the continued and growing problem of substance abuse,
that the Augusta-Richmond County government shall take all
reasonable measures to assure that drug and/or alcohol use
by employees does not jeopardize the safety of our
operations or otherwise adversely affect Augusta-Richmond
County employees, the community, or the public's trust in
our ability to carry out our responsibilities. Augusta-
Richmond County-cannot and will not tolerate lapses in
employee control of their abilities to o~erate safely and
productively. It is the policy of Augusta-Richmond County
that if an employee required under the Substance Abuse
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Policy to be tested for substance abuse either refuses or
fails such test, .~h.ey will be subje,ct."to disciplinary
measures up to and including discharge.
The Substance Abuse Policy adopted by the Augusta-Richmond
County Commission-Council is made a part of these policies
and procedures. A copy of the Substance Abuse Policy is
available for review in the Human Resources Department.
At times, state or federal law may require that additional
:Augusta-Richmond County employees be tested, or that
additional or different testing mechanisms and procedures be
implemented. Said state or federal law requirements will
supersede the relevant provisions of the Substance Abuse
Policy and that Policy mayor may not be amended to reflect
those changes prior to their effective date. Affected
employees will be notified in advance of any changes as a
result of state or federal law requirements.
Section 21. Eaual Opportunitv and Non-Discrimination
A.
B.
c.
D.
E.
.
PolicvAl1 applicants for positions and all employees
of Augusta-Richmond County shall be assured of fair and
equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel
administration, including hiring, working conditions,
training, promotion, and disciplinary action, without
regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, age, or disability and with
proper regard for their privacy and constitutional
rights as citizens.
Publicity The Director of Human Resources shall see
that information about job opportunities and the equal
employment policy of Augusta-Richmond County is readily
available to all citizens of Augusta-Richmond County
and especially to all potential job applicants.
, .
Appeals Based on Alleqed Discrimination Any applicant
or employee who believes that he/she has been
discriminated against shall have the right to appeal
through the Director of Human Resources.
Affirmative Action Plan The Augusta-Richmond County
Commission-Council may adopt an affirmative action plan
to formulate actions to correct employment practices
which have, or potentially could have, a negative
impact upon minority groups or females.
Elected Officials .and their Emplovees While applicants
to positions under the jurisdiction of Augusta-Richmond
County elected officials and employees of Augusta-
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Richmond County elected officials are not specifically
covered under this section, they are covered by any
applicable state or federal laws governing equal
opportunity and non-discrimination.
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F. Statement of Policy and Procedure on Harassment
Augusta-Richmond County remains committed to
maintaining .a work environment that is- free of
harassment or intimidation. In keeping with this
strong commitment, Augusta-Ric~mond County will not
tolerate harassment of employees by anyone, including
any supervisor, coworker, vendor, client, customer, or
visitor.
Harassment consists of unwelcome conduct, whether
verbal, physical, or visual that is based upon an
individual's sex, race, religion, national origin, age,
disability, or other classification protected by law.
Augusta-Richmond County will not tolerate harassing
conduct that affects payor benefits, that interferes
with an individual's work performance, or that creates
an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working
environment.
While all the referenced types of harassment are
prohibited, sexual harassment deserves special
reference. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other physical, verbal, or visual
conduct based on sex constitute sexual harassment when:
(1) submission to such conduct is made either an
explicit or implicit term or condition of an
individual's employment;
(2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by
an individual is used as a basis for an
employment decision affecting such
individual; or
(3) such conduct has -the purpose or effect of
unreasonably interfering with an individual's
work performance or creating an intimidating,
hostile or offensive working environment.
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'Any individual either experiencing or observing a
suspected incident of harassment should report the
incident to their supervisor, or to anyone else in
management.
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All complaints of sexual harassment will receive
immediate attention. Augusta~Richmond County's policy
is to investigate all such complaints thoroughly,
promptly, and in an impartial manner. If such an
investigation reveals that the complaint is valid,
Augusta-Richmond County will administer disciplinary
and other corrective action as appropriate to stop the
harassment and prevent its recurrence. Such
disciplinary action shall include any corrective action
deemed necessary, up to and including immediate
termination of employment. Discipline will be based on
the seriousness of the offense. To the fullest extent
practicable, Augusta-Richmond County will keep
complaints, related investigations and the terms of
their resolution confidential. Retaliation against
victims or witnesses is strictly prohibited.
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The above procedures as outlined with regard to claims
of sexual harassment shall apply equally and in full
force to complaints alleging other forms of harassment
besides sexual harassment.
All Augusta-Richmond County employees are responsible
for helping to assure that we successfully avoid
harassment and its effects.
Section 22. OUtside Emplovment
A.
Requlations Outside employment shall mean any paid
employment performed by any employee in addition to his
or her employment with Augusta-Richmond County. Such
employment shall be governed by the following
regulations:
1. All outside employment must be approved in advance
by the requesting employee's Department Director.
The .request must include a description of the
business for which the employee plans to work and
the hours and/or schedule he/she plans to work.
2 .
Outside employment shall not interfere with the
efficient performance of the employee's duties.
If at any time such interference is found, the
employee will be subject to disciplinary action up
to and including discharge from Augusta-Richmond
County employment.
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3. Outside employment shall not involve a conflict of
interest or conflict with the employee's duties to
Augusta-Richmond County.
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4.
Outside-employment shall not involve the
performance of duties which the employee should
perform as part of his/her employment with
Augusta-Richmond County.
5. Outside employment shall not. occur during the
employee's regular or assigned working hours
unless the employee is on either vacation or
compensatory leave.
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6. No employee granted permission to engage in
outside employment shall work at said outside
employment for a longer period of time than stated
in his/her request for permission to engage in
such employment.
7. Any employee accepting outside employment under
the terms of these regulations shall make
arrangements with the outside employer to be
relieved of his/her outside duties if and when
called upon for emergency service by Augusta-
Richmond County.
B. Procedure
1. Any employee desiring to perform outside
employment shall first file a request in writing
with his/her department director for permission to
engage in same. Such request shall state the type
of employment and the hours of work, the name of
the prospective employer, and the place of
employment.
2. The department director may either disapprove or
recommend approval of the request. . If the
department director recommenda approval, the
request shall be granted by the Director of Human
Resources if the regulations outlined above are
satisfied.
Section 23. Political Activities
No employee in the classified service shall engage in
political activities at the work place or during business
hours, whether at the request of another employee or an
elected official or upon the employee's own initiative.
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No classified employee of Augusta-Richmond County may take
an active part favoring or opposing any c2ndidate for
nomination or election to Elective Office at the work place
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or during business hours. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
affected employees have the right to express their opinions
on all political subjects and candidates.
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While employees may make voluntary contributions at any
time, so long as they are not made to another Augusta-
Richmond County Officer or Employee, they may not solicit,
collect, receive, disburse, or otherwise handle
contributions made for political purposes in a partisan
election at the work place or during business hours.
Employees may not be concerned, directly or indirectly in the
sale of dinner tickets of a political party or candidate, or
in the distribution of pledge cards soliciting subscriptions
to such dinners at the work place or during business hours.
Employees may not distribute campaign literature, badges, or
buttons for an election at the work place or during business
hours. They are not prohibited from wearing political
badges or buttons outside the work place and outside
business hours, and may display political material in the
yard or windows of their residence. Employees may display
political stickers on bumpers of privately owned vehicles
not used for Augusta-Richmond County business.
An employee may attend a Primary Meeting, Mass Convention,
Caucus and the like, and may cast his/her vote on any
question presented, so long as such attendance and voting
does not interfere with the employee'.s duties of employment
with Augusta-Richmond County.
Employees may be members of political clubs, but they may
not be active in organizing such a club, be officers of the
club or members or officers of any of its committees, or act
as such, or address a political club on any political
matter, if such activities would interfere with the
employee's duties of employment with Augusta-Richmond
County.' . .
An employee is permitted to sign a nominating or recall
petition on behalf of or against a candidate, so long as
such signing takes place off the work place and outside of
business hours. He may not initiate such petitions or
canvass for signatures of others at the work place or during
business hours.
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No employee will use any Augusta-Richmond County supplies or
equipment for the purpose of favoring or opposing any
candidate for nomination or election to Elective Office.
An employee failing to comply with this section is.. subject
to disciplinary action including dismissal.
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Any Augusta-Richmond County employee who qualifies to run
for public office. in a party primary or nonpartisan election ~.
must take a leave of absence without pay on the day he'
qualifies for public office and continue on leave until the
day following the primary or nonpartisan election. In the ~
event the employee wins the primary and has no opposition in
the general election, or wins the nonpartisan election, he
may return to work until the date he assumes his elected
office. In the event the employee has opposition in the
election, he must continue on the leave until the day
following the election date. In the event the employee
qualifies to run for public office when there is no primary
but only an election, he must take a leave of absence
without pay and continue on such leave until the day
following the election.
Opposition herein shall mean a nominee of a political party,
or qualified independent candidate, or qualified write-in
candidate.
This section applies to Augusta-Richmond County employees
seeking public offices where the duties of such elected
offices conflict with Augusta-Richmond County's interest in
maintaining efficiency, integrity, and public confidence in
Augusta-Richmond County government.
Section 24; Policy Chanaes
These policies may be modified at any time by the Augusta-
Richmond County Commission-Council and shall reflect, and be
superseded by, any changes mandated by state or federal
legislation.
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