Civil Service Commission. | |
General Powers and Duties. | |
Department of Human Resources. | |
Human Resources Director. | |
Exclusions from Civil Service Appointment. | |
Provisional Appointments. |
There is hereby established a Civil Service Commission which is charged with the duty of providing qualified persons for appointment to the service of the City and County.
The Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the Mayor, pursuant to Section 3.100, for six-year terms. Not less than two members of the Commission shall be women.
The persons so appointed shall, before taking office, make under oath and file in the office of the County Clerk the following declaration: "I am opposed to appointments to the public service as a reward for political activity and will execute the office of Civil Service Commissioner in the spirit of this declaration."
A commissioner may be removed only upon charges preferred in the same manner as in this Charter provided for elective officers.
The regular meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public and held at such a time as will give the general public and employees of the City and County adequate time within which to appear before the Commission after the regular daily working hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Such person or persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard by the Commission before final action is taken in any case involving such person or persons.
The Civil Service Commission shall adopt rules, policies and procedures to carry out the civil service merit system provisions of this charter and, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, such rules shall govern applications; examinations; eligibility; duration of eligible lists; certification of eligibles; leaves of absence for employees and officers; appointments; promotions; transfers; resignations; lay-offs or reduction in force, both permanent and temporary, due to lack of work or funds, retrenchment or completion of work; the designation and filling of positions, as exempt, temporary, provisional, part-time, seasonal or permanent; status and status rights; probationary status and the administration of probationary periods, except duration; pre-employment and fitness for duty medical examinations, except for the conditions under which referrals for fitness for duty examinations will be made, and the imposition of new requirements; classification; conflict of interest; and such other matters as are not in conflict with this Charter; provided, however, that the minimum rule for the certification of eligibles shall be the Rule of Three Scores, and provided further that rules for leave due to illness or disability shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors. Changes to the rules may be proposed by members of the Commission, the Executive Assistant or the Human Resources Director and approved or rejected by the Commission. The Commission may, upon ten days' notice, make changes in the rules, which changes shall thereupon be printed and be in force; provided that no such changes in rules shall affect a case pending before the Commission.
The Commission shall have power to institute and prosecute legal proceedings for violations of any civil service merit system or Department of Human Resources provisions of this Charter.
The Commission shall establish an inspection service for the purpose of investigating the conduct or an action of appointees in all positions and of securing records of service for promotion and other purposes. All departments shall cooperate with the Commission in making its investigations and any person hindering the Commission or its agents shall be subject to suspension.
The Commission shall by rule establish procedures to review and resolve allegations of discrimination as defined in Article XVII of this Charter or otherwise prohibited nepotism or favoritism appealed to it pursuant to this section. The determination reached under Commission procedures shall be final and shall forthwith be enforced by every employee and officer.
The Commission shall have the power to inquire into the operation of the civil service merit system to ensure compliance with merit principles and rules established by the Commission. After such inquiry, the Commission may direct the Human Resources Director to take such action as the Commission believes necessary to carry out the civil service provisions of this Charter. In any hearing conducted by the Commission or by any hearing officer it appoints pursuant to this section, the Commission or the hearing officer shall have the power to subpoena and require the attendance of witnesses and the production of records.
The Commission may require periodic reports from the Human Resources Director in a manner and form which it shall prescribe.
The Commission may hear appeals from an action of the Human Resources Director in accordance with its rules, including but not limited to:
1. Allegations of discrimination as defined in Article XVII of this Charter. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter except the fiscal provisions hereof, the decision of the Commission regarding allegations of discrimination shall forthwith be enforced by every officer and employee;
2. Allegations of fraud; and
3. Allegations of conflict of interest.
No action by the Human Resources Director which is the subject of any appeal shall be stayed during the appeal process except by a majority vote of the Civil Service Commission.
The Commission shall have the power and it shall be its duty to appoint an executive assistant to be the administrative head of the affairs under its control who shall serve at its pleasure; provided, however, that any person who has Civil Service status in the position of executive assistant to the Commission on the effective date of this section as amended shall continue to have Civil Service status in the position of executive assistant under the Civil Service provisions of this Charter. The executive assistant shall periodically report to the Commission on operation of the civil service merit system and may make recommendations to the Civil Service Commission regarding its rules, policies and procedures.
The Department of Human Resources shall consist of a Human Resources Director and such employees as may be necessary to carry out its functions and duties.
Pursuant to and in accordance with policies, rules and procedures of the Civil Services Commission governing the merit system, the Department of Human Resources shall be the personnel department for the City and County and shall determine appointments on the basis of merit and fitness as shown by appropriate test and, except as specifically set forth in this Charter, shall perform all tests, duties and functions previously performed by the Civil Service Commission, including but not limited to authority to recruit, select, certify, appoint, train, evaluate, promote career development, classify positions, administer salaries, administer employee discipline, discharge and other related personnel activities in order to maintain an effective and responsive work force.
The Department of Human Resources shall be responsible for coordination of all state, local and federal health and safety mandates, programs and requirements relating to employees including but not limited to industrial hygiene programs, health and safety programs, OSHA compliance and return to work programs. Department heads shall coordinate such activities of employees under their jurisdiction with the Human Resources Director.
The Department of Human Resources shall be responsible for policy, management and administration of the worker's compensation program and shall review and determine all applications for disability leave.
Subject to Section 11.100 hereof, the Department of Human Resources shall be responsible for management and administration of all labor relations of the City and County.
Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Mayor shall deal with the administration of the civil service merit system solely through the Human Resources Director and the Civil Service Commission or their designees. The Mayor shall not dictate, suggest or interfere with the merit system activities of the Civil Service Commission or Human Resources Department. Administrative matters shall be dealt with only in the manner provided by this Charter, and any dictation, suggestion or interference herein prohibited shall constitute official misconduct; provided that nothing herein contained shall restrict the power of hearing and inquiry as provided in this Charter.
(Amended November 2004)
A Human Resources Director shall be selected by the Mayor from candidates nominated by the Civil Service Commission and confirmed by vote of the Board of Supervisors. The Human Resources Director shall possess not less than ten years professional experience in personnel, human resources management, labor or employee relations at least five years of which must be in federal, state or local governmental personnel management and such other qualifications as determined by the Commission. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter, the Human Resources Director shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, provided that the Mayor's removal of the Human Resources Director may be rejected by a four-fifths vote of the Commission. Failure of the Commission to act within 30 days shall be deemed approval of the Mayor's action. The nominee of the Mayor may be appointed acting Human Resources Director pending confirmation. The person so appointed shall, before taking office, make under oath and file in the Office of the County Clerk the following declaration: "I am opposed to appointments to the public service as a reward for political activity and will execute the Office of Human Resources Director in the spirit of this declaration."
The appointment of the Director of the Human Resources Department as of the effective date of this Charter shall be effective until July 1, 1996, after which time he may be reappointed to the position in accordance with the appointment method provided herein.
The Human Resources Director shall have full power to administer the affairs of the Department. He or she shall have all powers of a department head and may appoint a Director of Employee Relations, an executive assistant and one confidential secretary, each of whom shall be exempt from the civil service provisions of this Charter, to assist in the administration and management of the functions of the department.
The Human Resources Director shall review and resolve allegations of discrimination as defined in Article XVII of this Charter against employees or applicants, or otherwise prohibited nepotism or favoritism. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter except the fiscal provisions hereof, the decision of the Human Resources Director shall forthwith be enforced by every employee and officer, unless the decision is appealed to the Commission in accordance with Section 10.101.
The Human Resources Director shall investigate all employee complaints concerning job-related conduct of City and County employees and shall promptly report to the source of the complaint.
The Human Resources Director shall promote effective and efficient management through personnel programs that encourage productivity, job satisfaction and exemplary performance.
The Human Resources Director shall provide a procedure for resolution of employee disputes which shall be consistent with other provisions of this Charter and shall be utilized by all department heads and appointing officers in the absence of an applicable grievance procedure in a binding labor agreement.
The Human Resources Director shall verify that all persons whose names appear on City and County payrolls have been legally appointed to or employed in positions legally established under this Charter. The Controller shall not draw his or her warrant for any claim for salary, wages or compensation which has been disapproved by the Human Resources Director.
Consistent with the foregoing and other applicable provisions of this Charter, the Human Resources Director may delegate to the various appointing officers appropriate personnel responsibilities, and shall consult with appointing officers with respect to Civil Service Commission rules affecting their operations.
The Human Resources Director shall establish a system of job classification. The decision of the Human Resources Director regarding classification matters shall be final unless appealed to the Commission; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed to alter the scope of bargaining set forth in the following sections of the 1932 Charter: 8.400, 8.403, 8.404, 8.405, 8.407-1, 8.409 et seq. and 8.590-1 et seq.
The allocation or reallocation of a position shall not adversely affect the civil service rights of an occupant regularly holding such position. No person shall hold a position outside of the classification to which the person has been appointed, provided that every employee of any department or office shall discharge any of the duties pertaining to such department or office to which the employee's department head may temporarily assign the employee.
(Amended November 2004)
All employees of the City and County shall be appointed through competitive examination unless exempted by this Charter. The following positions shall be exempt from competitive civil service selection, appointment, and removal procedures, and the person serving in the position shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority:
1. All supervisory and policy-level positions within the office of the Mayor and the office of the City Administrator;
2. All elected officers of the City and County and their chief deputies or chief assistants;
3. All members of commissions, boards and advisory committees;
4. Not more than one commission secretary for each commission or board;
5. All heads of agencies and departments, unless otherwise provided for herein;
6. All non-uniformed deputy heads of departments;
7. All uniformed deputy heads of departments, police commanders and Fire Chiefs aides;
8. Not more than one confidential secretary and executive assistant in each department and agency;
9. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, legislative analyst and assistants to the members of the Board of Supervisors.
10. All paraprofessional aides of the Unified School District and teaching instructional aides of the Community College District;
11. Persons employed in positions outside the City and County upon construction work being performed by the City and County when such positions are exempted from the classified civil service by an order of the civil service commission;
12. Persons employed in positions in any department for expert professional temporary services, when such positions are exempted from said classified civil service for a specified period of said temporary service by order of the civil service commission.
The proportion of full-time employees in the above exempt categories to the total number of civil service employees of the City and County shall not be greater than such proportion as existed on July 1, 1994, unless modified by Civil Service Commission rule, approved by the Board of Supervisors.
13. All attorneys, including an attorney to the Sheriff and an attorney for the Tax Collector, City Attorney's and District Attorney's investigators, hospital chief administrators, physicians and dentists serving in their professional capacity (except those physicians and dentists whose duties are significantly administrative or supervisory);
14. The law librarian, assistant law librarians, bookbinder of the Law Library, purchaser, curators, Assistant Sheriff, Deputy Port Director, Chief of the Bureau of Maritime Affairs, Director of Administration and Finance of the Port, Port Sales Manager, Port Traffic Manager, Chief Wharfinger, Port Commercial Property Manager, Actuary of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System, Director of the Zoo, Chief Veterinarian of the Zoo, Director of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Director of Employee Relations, Health Service Administrator, Executive Assistant to the Human Services Director, Inspector General in the Controller’s Office, and any other positions designated as exempt under the 1932 Charter, as amended;
15. Positions determined by the Controller and approved annually by the Board of Supervisors to be positions where the work or services can be practically performed under private contract at a lesser cost than similar work performed by employees of the City and County, except where such work or services are required to be performed by officers or employees of the City and County under the provisions of this Charter or other applicable law.
In addition, with the approval of the Civil Service Commission, exempt employees shall include:
16. Temporary and seasonal appointments not to exceed the equivalent of half-time during any fiscal year, except that such positions may be filled through regular civil service procedures;
17. Appointments, which shall not exceed two years and shall not be renewable, as substitutes for civil service employees on leave, except that such positions may be filled through regular Civil Service procedures;
18. Appointments, which shall not exceed three years and shall not be renewable, for special projects and professional services with limited term funding, except that such positions may be filled through regular civil service procedures; and
19. Entry level positions designated by an appointing officer with approval of the Civil Service Commission for persons who met minimum qualifications and are certified as blind or severely disabled; persons so appointed whose job performance is rated satisfactory by their appointing officer shall after one year of continuous service acquire Civil Service status.
(Amended by Proposition C, Approved 11/5/2024)
Provisional appointments for classified positions for which no eligible list exists shall not exceed three years. Provisional appointments may only be renewed with the approval of the Board of Supervisors and upon certification by the Human Resources Director that for reasons beyond his or her control the Department has been unable to conduct examinations for these positions.