23-2541. Personnel rules and regulations; adoption; contents.

The personnel policy board, if created, shall, with the assistance of two advisory groups, one of classified employees and one of department heads, adopt proposed personnel rules and regulations for the classified service and provide reasonable notice of proposed rules and regulations to the heads of all agencies, departments, county employee associations, and institutions affected thereby. Any person affected by such rules and regulations shall be given an opportunity, upon request, to appear before the personnel policy board and present his or her views on the rules and regulations. The personnel policy board shall submit proposed rules and regulations or amendments for adoption by the county board. The county board may consider and adopt only personnel rules and regulations or amendments proposed by the personnel policy board and may not repeal or revoke a rule or regulation except upon the recommendation of the personnel policy board.

The rules and regulations or amendments may provide:

(1) For a single integrated classification plan covering all positions in the county service except those expressly exempt from sections 23-2534 to 23-2544, which shall (a) group all positions into defined classes containing a descriptive class title and a code identifying each class and (b) be based on similarity of duties performed and responsibilities assumed, so that the same qualifications may reasonably be required and the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied to all positions in the same class. After the classification plan has been approved by the personnel policy board, the county personnel officer shall be responsible for the administration and maintenance of the plan and for the allocation of each classified position. Any employee affected by the allocation of a position to a class shall, upon request, be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on such allocation by the personnel policy board which shall issue an advisory opinion to the county personnel officer;

(2) For a compensation plan for all employees in the classified service, comprising salary schedules, attendance regulations, premium payments, special allowances, and fringe benefits, considering the amount of money available, the prevailing rates of pay in government and private employment, the cost of living, the level of each class of position in the classification plan, and other relevant factors. The compensation plan and amendments to such plan shall be adopted in the manner prescribed for rules and regulations and shall in no way limit the authority of the county board relative to appropriations for salary and wage expenditures;

(3) For open competitive examinations to test the relative fitness of applicants for the respective positions. The rules and regulations shall provide for the public announcement of the holding of examinations and shall authorize the county personnel officer to prescribe examination procedures and to place the names of successful candidates on eligible lists in accordance with their respective ratings. Examinations may be assembled or unassembled and may include various job-related examining techniques, such as rating training and experience, written tests, oral interviews, recognition of professional licensing, performance tests, investigations, and any other measures of ability to perform the duties of the position. Examinations shall be scored objectively and employment registers shall be established in the order of final score. Certification of eligibility for appointment to vacancies shall be in accordance with a formula which limits selection by the hiring department from among the highest ranking available and eligible candidates, but which also permits selective certification under appropriate conditions as prescribed in the rules and regulations;

(4) For promotions which shall give appropriate consideration to examinations and to record of performance, seniority, and conduct. Vacancies shall be filled by promotion whenever practicable and in the best interest of the service and preference may be given to employees within the department in which the vacancy occurs;

(5) For the rejection of candidates who fail to comply with reasonable requirements of the county personnel officer in regard to such factors as physical conditions, training, and experience, who have been guilty of infamous or disgraceful conduct, who are currently abusing alcohol or narcotics, or who have attempted any deception or fraud in connection with an examination;

(6) For prohibiting disqualification of any person from (a) taking an examination, (b) promotion, or (c) holding a position, solely because of race, sex, national origin, physical disabilities, age, political or religious opinions or affiliations, or other factors which have no bearing upon the individual's fitness to hold the position;

(7) For a period of probation, not to exceed one year, before appointment or promotion may be made complete and during which period a probationer may be separated from his or her position without the right of appeal or hearing. After a probationer has been separated, he or she may again be placed on the eligible list at the discretion of the county personnel officer. The rules and regulations shall provide that a probationer shall be dropped from the payroll at the expiration of his or her probationary period if, within ten days prior thereto, the appointing authority has notified the county personnel officer in writing that the services of the employee have been unsatisfactory;

(8) For temporary or seasonal appointments of limited terms of not to exceed one year;

(9) For part-time appointment in which the employee accrues benefits of full-time employment on a basis proportional to the time worked;

(10) For emergency employment for not more than thirty days with or without examination with the consent of the county personnel officer and department head;

(11) For provisional employment without competitive examination when there is no appropriate eligible list available. Provisional employment shall not continue longer than six months and successive provisional appointments shall not be allowed;

(12) For transfer from a position in one department to a similar position in another department involving similar qualifications, duties, responsibilities, and salary ranges;

(13) For layoff by reason of lack of funds or work, abolition of the position, or material change in duties or organization, for the layoff of nontenured employees first, and for reemployment of permanent employees so laid off, giving consideration in both layoff and reemployment to performance record and seniority in service;

(14) For establishment of a plan for resolving employee grievances and complaints;

(15) For holidays, for attendance regulations in the various classes of positions in the classified service, and for annual, sick, and special leaves of absence, with or without pay or at reduced pay;

(16) For the development of employee morale, safety, and training programs;

(17) For a procedure whereby an appointing authority may suspend, reduce, demote, or dismiss an employee for misconduct, inefficiency, incompetence, insubordination, malfeasance, or other unfitness to render effective service and for the investigation and public hearing of appeals of such suspended, reduced, demoted, or dismissed employee;

(18) For granting of leave without pay to a permanent employee to accept a position in the unclassified service and for his or her return to a position comparable to that formerly held in the classified service at the conclusion of such service;

(19) For regulation covering political activity of employees in the classified service; and

(20) For other rules and regulations not inconsistent with sections 23-2534 to 23-2544 and the implementation of personnel policy in the county.

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