§ 2.48.030. Administration of the compensation plan.

(a)

Except as provided in Sections 2.48.034 and 2.48.060, all officers or employees of the county who by resolution of the board of supervisors are designated as nonmanagement when entering the employ of the county shall be paid at the first step of the salary range established for their classification. Salary step increases, as provided for in this section, are not automatic, but based on satisfactory performance and service. Service shall mean all paid hours in a permanent position. Such employees shall be placed on the step and qualify for increase in compensation or advancement to the next higher step of the pay ranges in the following manner:

(1)

Employees may qualify for advancement to the second step after completion of the equivalent of six months' full-time service upon the recommendation of the department head and approval of the county personnel director. Full-time service means the equivalent of two thousand eighty hours of paid time.

(2)

Employees may qualify for advancement to the third step after the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service in step two upon recommendation of the department head and approval by the county personnel director.

(3)

Employees may qualify for advancement to the fourth step after the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service at the third step upon recommendation of the department head and approval by the county personnel director.

(4)

Employees may qualify for advancement to the fifth step after completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service in step four upon recommendation of the department head and approval by the county personnel director.

(5)

Subject to the provisions contained in subsection (f) of this section, a report verifying satisfactory performance of each employee recommended for advancement shall be submitted to the county personnel director prior to final action on such recommendation.

(b)

For the purpose of determining eligibility for step advancement for nonmanagement employees, the anniversary date shall be as follows:

(1)

For employees entering the county service who are appointed to a permanent position at the first step, the anniversary date shall be the day following the completion of the equivalent of six months of full-time service at such step.

(2)

For employees entering the county service who are appointed to a permanent position at a step other than the first step, the anniversary date shall be the day following the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service at such step.

(3)

For employees who have completed the equivalent of six months' full-time service at the first step and are thereafter compensated at a step other than the first step, the anniversary date shall be the date following the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service at the higher step.

(c)

Any nonmanagement employee who is promoted to a classification with a higher pay range shall be placed on the step of the range allocated to the new classification which would grant such employee an increase in pay nearest to five percent but not less than four percent over the pay previously received by the employee; provided, however, the increase may exceed five percent at the discretion of the department head, if approved by the county administrative officer, and that such increase shall not exceed the top step of the range allocated to the new classification. Such action shall require the county personnel director to establish a new anniversary date in accordance with the following criteria:

(1)

For employees who are promoted to a permanent position and are placed at the first step of the salary range, the anniversary date shall be the date following the completion of the equivalent of six months of full-time service at such step.

(2)

For employees who are promoted to a permanent position and placed at a step other than the first step, the anniversary date shall be the day following the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time service at such step.

(d)

Any nonmanagement employee who is demoted or who voluntarily reduces to a classification with a lower salary range, or who is reemployed, shall be placed upon such step in the new range as may be recommended by his/her department head and approved by the county personnel director. Except for a voluntary reduction to a class which the employee has not held in permanent status, such step shall not be lower than the corresponding step of his/her old salary range.

(e)

When, as a result of a reclassification study, the salary of the new class of nonmanagement employee is lower at the maximum, the incumbent shall continue to receive a salary no less than previously received, and shall be placed on the step in the new class which has a salary closest to but not more than that received in the old class, and shall be eligible for a step increase in compensation after the next anniversary date; provided, however, that the increase shall not exceed the top of the range of the new class. Reclassification shall not change an employee's anniversary date.

(f)

At least thirty days before the anniversary date of each nonmanagement employee, the county personnel director shall transmit to the appropriate department head a notice of the date upon which the affected employee will become eligible for a step increase. Any step increase recommendation shall be submitted by the department head to the county personnel director together with the required performance evaluation report for the affected employee prior to the employee's anniversary date.

(1)

Should the administrative processing of the employee step increase recommendation be delayed through no fault of the employee, the county personnel director, upon request of the department head and/or employee, may authorize the step increase effective the date the employee would otherwise have received the step increase but for the administrative delay. Except as provided in this section, retroactive step increases are prohibited.

(2)

The county personnel director shall prepare a quarterly report identifying all late step increase recommendations pursuant to this section, which shall be transmitted to the county administrative officer for use in department head evaluations. In addition, the county personnel director shall prepare and submit to the county administrative officer an annual report identifying all late employee performance evaluation reports.

(g)

Application of this section to employees in the public services and supervisory units of representation may be controlled by a memorandum of understanding of the board of supervisors, or by board of supervisors' resolution.

(Ord. 3061 § 2 (part), 2005: Ord. 2997 § 1, 2003: Ord. 2814 § 1, 1997; Ord. 2680 § 1 (part), 1994: Ord. 2371 § 1, 1988; Ord. 2104 § 6, 1982; Ord. 2072 § 8, 1981: Ord. 2035 § 4, 1980: Ord. 1967 § 1, 1979: Ord. 1888 § 3, 1978: Ord. 1822 § 1, 1977: Ord. 1720 § 1, 1977: Ord. 1591 § 1 (part), 1976: Ord. 1491 § 3 (part), 1975; Ord. 1282 § 1 (part), 1973: Ord. 1185 § 1 (part), 1971; Ord. 1051 § 1 (part), 1969: Ord. 757 § 1 (part), 1964: prior code § 2-21.1 (part))