§ 3.04.050. Employment procedures.

A.

The human resources administration under this chapter is designated a local merit system except as otherwise provided herein. Appointments and promotions shall be made on the basis of merit and ability. Each officer shall appoint all necessary employees allowed for his or her agency/department by this chapter only from among persons certified to him/her by the human resources director as eligible for the respective positions. The human resources director shall determine the methods of evaluating the qualifications of applicants. The methods shall be practical in nature and may involve any combination of written test; oral test; performance test rating of education, training and experience; and shall take into consideration a system of veterans' preference as may be adopted by the board of supervisors by resolution. The veterans' preference program shall be administered by the human resources director. County officers and classifications identified in Appendix II of this chapter are exempt from the merit system, rather the appropriate county officer(s) may appoint qualified candidates to these classifications.

B.

Employees may participate in county employment selection processes on county time, so long as it does not interfere with the discharge of their duties or agency/department operations.

C.

Request for referral of applicants and appointments shall be made in writing on forms prescribed and furnished by the human resources director. Appointment forms duly executed shall be filed with the human resources director.

D.

In the event of transfer, promotion, demotion, or reclassification of a regular or seasonal employee an appointment shall be filed as for a new employee but no termination of the preceding employment shall be necessary.

E.

When an employee is separated from county employment written termination of employment signed by the employing officer shall be promptly filed with the human resources director, who shall notify or file copies thereof with other appropriate offices. Forms for this purpose shall be provided by the human resources director and shall be completely filled out, giving the date of termination and the reason therefore. A termination of employment shall automatically terminate a separate appointment as a deputy.

F.

The human resources director shall arrange for a background check and physical examination; cause the oath of office or affirmation to be administered as required by the Constitution of California; and cause other necessary records to be completed, executed, and filed with the appropriate offices.

G.

The board of supervisors shall adopt medical standards which shall be applied in determining the physical qualifications for employment. Every person initially employed or re-employed in a regular, seasonal, or temporary position within a designated group I or II medical class under such standards, shall undergo a physical examination at the county's expense prior to the commencement of employment. The human resources director may, when indicated, require that candidates within a designated group III medical class undergo medical history, physical evaluation, and/or a physical examination at the county's expense prior to the commencement of employment. On the basis of the record and report, the human resources director shall determine whether the applicant is physically qualified for the employment, which determination may be conditional, and the agency/department head shall be notified.

H.

The human resources director shall arrange for the candidate for employment to report to such physician as the human resources director may designate, with a written request for physical examination. The physician shall make the examination and promptly submit to the human resources director a detailed written report thereof, together with his or her determination as to whether or not the employee is physically qualified for the position in accordance with the standards adopted by the board of supervisors. To the extent permitted by state and/or federal law the record of such examination may be examined and a copy made by the hiring officer, the county health officer, the district attorney, the county counsel, the employee or his or her representative authorized in writing, and the authorized representative of any insurance carrier of the county, in any matter in which the county's interest is involved. The record shall be retained by the human resources director, who may require a complete or partial re-examination as may be necessary from time to time or upon a change of work assignment of the employee.

I.

Employees to be employed in security or sensitive positions as designated by the human resources director and all prospective employees shall undergo a background check prior to employment. The human resources director shall make the necessary arrangements for conducting the background check. When the results are received, the human resources director shall inform the hiring officer of the contents thereof.

J.

The requirements of this ordinance for a background check or physical examination or both may be waived by the human resources director for any employee in a regular position, the compensation for which is fixed on an hourly or piecework basis, if the employment is intermittent or occasional in character and not on a full time basis.

K.

Any employee, upon the request of the human resources director or a delegate, shall undergo a further physical examination at any time, upon the same conditions as his or her initial examination. Such subsequent examinations shall not be given routinely but only for reasons which in the opinion of the human resources director shall justify the expense thereof to the county.

L.

Any county officer may deputize an employee by separate written appointment as deputy filed with the human resources director, and any county officer may likewise appoint as many unpaid deputies as are necessary or convenient for the performance of his or her duties; provided any employee holding a regular position the title of which describes the position as deputy or assistant to a county officer shall be a deputy without a separate appointment as such. The constitutional oaths and appointments as deputies filed with the human resources director shall be deemed filed with the county clerk, who shall at all times have access thereto. This provision shall not apply as to oaths of office for county officers required by law to be filed with the county clerk.

M.

Records of employees kept by the human resources director are confidential and shall not be open to public inspection, except as may be required by state or federal law. They may be examined by county officials having an interest therein as a matter of official duty, and information therefrom may be released by the human resources director at his or her discretion in accordance with usual and customary procedures.

(Ord. No. 440.1761, § 5, 9-15-2015; Ord. No. 440.1762, § 5, 1-5-2016)