A. For reasons of economy or efficiency, reductions or elimination of city services may be required, and it may be necessary to layoff one or more city employees. The layoff procedure is intended to give consideration to both seniority and competency whenever the layoff of employees is necessary.
B. 1. Determination of a need for layoff will be made by the city council. Classifications to be affected and the number of employees included will be determined by the city council.
2. Within the classification, employees will be ranked by seniority and ranked by competency. After six months, an employee carries seniority in the new position with him/her into the new classification. Seniority is computed from the date of probationary appointment to a full-time position.
C. 1. The department head will determine, based upon official personnel records, and/or qualified testing procedures, where applicable, the individual selected for layoff in the classification. The department head will equally consider both the seniority and competency of the individual in making this determination utilizing the following formula:
Seniority Formula:
Seniority + Competency ÷ 2 (Number of Categories) = Average Ranking
Example:
Seniority | Competency | Average Ranking | ||||
Employee A | 1 | + | 2 | ÷ | 2 | = 1-1/2 |
Employee B | 2 | + | 3 | ÷ | 2 | = 2-1/2 |
Employee C | 3 | + | 1 | ÷ | 2 | = 2 |
2. Employee B would be the employee selected to be laid off in this classification. If employee B chooses to bump into a lower classification, he/she would be given a competency factor equal to the average for the new classification. In the event of equal average ranking scores, seniority will be used to determine selection.
3. An individual laid off from a particular classification may "bump" into a classification for which he/she is qualified (qualification is presumed where the person has held the position previously with the city or where a lower position is in a normal line of promotion). After an employee is informed of an impending layoff or "bump down," he/she must inform the personnel officer within five working days of his/her intent to take the option of the layoff or the "bump down." The process will be repeated at the next classification level where an employee bumps in and creates an overage in that classification.
4. The names of probationary and regular employees who have been laid off shall be placed on appropriate reemployment lists in the order of their competency, from highest to lowest. Such names shall remain thereon for a period of one year unless such persons are sooner reemployed.
5. When a reemployment list is to be used to fill vacancies, the personnel officer shall certify from the top of such lists the number of names equal to the number of vacancies. An employee who is reemployed shall receive credit for former service for purposes of seniority, benefit compensation, and salary advancement.
(Ord. 86-03-970 § 1 (part), 1986)