Within six months of the effective date of this Charter and as a part of the Reading City Code, City Council shall enact and from time to time may amend a Personnel Code for all City employees.9 It shall be the goal of the Personnel Code to provide for merit selection for all applicable positions; establish well-defined job descriptions with salaries to be reviewed on a regular basis; provide for fair and objective annual employee evaluations; provide equal access to employee training; promotion from within the career service; and ensure payment on an equal worth basis. The Personnel Code shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) Classification of all City positions based on the duties, authority and responsibility of each position with adequate provisions for reclassification of any position when needed;
(b) Well-defined job descriptions for all City positions;
(c) Well-defined provisions for salary, fringe benefits such as sick and vacation leave, holidays, overtime and salary administration, including a uniform pay plan for all City positions;
(d) Procedures concerning the substance, procedure, and enforcement of a merit personnel system, including fair and objective annual employee evaluations;
(e) Procedures for the recruitment, selection, training, and development of personnel, based solely on merit and qualifications;
(f) Procedures for advancement based on merit and qualifications with emphasis on promotion from within the career service;
(g) Procedures concerning the discipline and discharge of personnel, including reduction in force;
(h) Procedures providing for in-house training programs for personnel;
(i) Procedures for those holding provisional appointments;
(j) Procedures establishing grievance procedures, with final hearings on such grievance to be held by the Mayor or Managing Director;
(k) Procedures governing relationship with employee organizations; and
(l) Any other procedures necessary for the administration of personnel.
9. Editor's Note: See Ch. 70, Personnel.