The probationary period shall be an intrinsic part of the examining process and shall be utilized for closely observing and appraising the conduct, performance, attitude, adaptability and job knowledge of such employees and determine whether the employee is qualified for permanent status.
(Prior code § 14.2000; Ord. 5478-B (Attach. A), 2007)
A. 
All permanent appointments from open eligible lists to positions in the classified service shall serve a probationary period of 12 calendar months or 2,080 hours, whichever is more, with the exception of those classifications identified below. Where changes to the probationary period for a classification are made herein, employees will serve the probationary period in effect when they began their probation. Time spent on leave of absence will not count toward the completion of the probationary period.
1. 
PPEO, PPOA, PCLEMA, DDAA, Confidential, and Classified Management Employees. All appointments to permanent full time and permanent part time positions in the classified service shall serve a probationary period of 12 months or 2,080 hours, whichever is more, at the time of their initial hire or promotion with the exception of those classifications listed below. Where changes to the probationary period for a classification are made herein, employees will serve the probationary period in effect when they began their probation. Time spent on leave of absence will not count towards the completion of the probationary period, subject to any state or federal law.
2. 
Sheriff's Office—PPEO Represented.
Period
Initial Hiring Classification
Public Safety Dispatcher I
18 months
Promotion to
Public Safety Dispatcher I
18 months
3. 
Sheriff's Office—Non PPEO Represented.
Period
Initial Hiring Classification
Deputy Sheriff I
18 months
Promotion to
Deputy Sheriff I
18 months
Deputy Sheriff II
6 months
Sheriff's Sergeant
6 months
Deputy Sheriff — Trainee. Incumbency in this class is limited to a period not to exceed 12 months and to individuals who have not yet completed the basic P.O.S.T. academy. Failure to satisfactorily complete and graduate from P.O.S.T. academy while in this class shall result in termination from this class.
Upon satisfactory completion of the basic P.O.S.T. academy, it will be permissible to appoint the incumbent to deputy sheriff I. Upon appointment to deputy sheriff I, the incumbent shall serve a probationary period of 18 months.
4. 
District Attorney's Office.
Period
Initial Hiring Classification
Investigator
12 months
Promotion to
Investigator
6 months
B. 
 
1. 
PPEO, PPOA, DDAA, Classified Management and Confidential Employees—Extension of Probation. Probationary periods may be extended when good cause exists. Good cause includes, but is not limited to, an extended absence or similar circumstance that removes the probationary employee from direct observation of job performance and/or there have been changes in the probationary employee's status, i.e., a transfer from one class to another, a transfer from one department to another, change in work location, major change in assignment, the installation of new processes or technology; or when the appointing authority has failed to complete interim performance appraisals and has been directed to request such an extension of the probationary period under Section 3.08.1060(B). In such situations, the appointing authority may, with the consent of the director of human resources, extend an employee's probationary period for up to 90 days (520 hours).
2. 
Deputy Sheriff Unit—Extension of Probation. If during the probationary period there have been changes in an employee's status, i.e., a change in work location, major change in assignment, the installation of new processes or technology, or in the event of authorized light duty because of illness/injury where the assignment prevents the completion of field training and/or jail operations training (this field training and jail operations training requires successful completion prior to completing probation), the appointing authority may, with the consent of the director of human resources, extend an employee's probationary period for up to one year. The appointing authority must present evidence to the director of human resources documenting the reason for requesting an extension of the probationary period.
C. 
Re-Employment List Appointment Probationary Period. Any employee who is appointed from a re-employment list shall serve a probationary period of six months or 1,040 hours, whichever is greater. The only exceptions to this are:
1. 
An employee who did not complete their full initial probationary period prior to being placed on the list will be required to repeat the full initial hire probationary period required of their classification.
2. 
An employee who is appointed into the same or lower classification (within the same classification series) and same department they were working in at the time of layoff shall not be required to complete a new probationary period.
D. 
For purposes of this section, a calendar month shall be from a given date in a month through the next preceding date in the following month (e.g., July 10th through August 9th).
E. 
An employee who is released from a probationary status after being re-employed from a re-employment list pursuant to these provisions will be given 14 calendar days advance notice of the release and advised of their return to the re-employment list with the total county service they had obtained upon original placement on the list.
F. 
An employee who is released from probation after having been re-employed from a re-employment list shall NOT be certified again to the same department unless so requested by the appointing authority.
G. 
An employee who is released during their probationary period after having been re-employed from a re-employment list on two separate occasions will NOT be placed back on the reemployment list and shall be separated from county service.
H. 
An employee who elects to bump (in accordance with Section 3.08.1120) into a lower classification (within the same classification series) and same department they were working in at the time of layoff shall not be required to complete a new probationary period.
(Prior code § 14.2010; Ord. 5115B, 2001; Ord. 5186-B, 2002; Ord. 5193-B, 2002; Ord. 5436-B, 2007; Ord. 5442-B, 2007; Ord. 5443-B, 2007; Ord. 5478-B (Attach. A), 2007; Ord. 5531-B, 2008; Ord. 5549-B § 3, 2009; Ord. 5683-B § 41, 2012; Ord. 5740-B § 13, 2014; Ord. 5879-B § 7, 2017; Ord. 6025-B § 3, 2020; Ord. 6068-B § 1, 2021; Ord. 6213-B § 1, 2023; Ord. 6246-B, 1/23/2024; Ord. 6303-B, 3/18/2025; Ord. 6334-B, 8/5/2025)
A. 
Report Required. For probationary periods of six months, the appointing authority shall prepare a performance appraisal for each employee at the end of three months and prior to the expiration of six months. For probationary periods of 12 months or 18 months, the appointing authority shall prepare a performance appraisal at the end of six months and prior to the expiration of the 12 month or 18 month probationary period.
B. 
Failure to Prepare Report. Failure by an appointing authority to prepare an interim performance appraisal for a probationary employee shall result in a rebuttable presumption of "Standard" as to the missed evaluation. In addition, such failure shall require the appointing authority to obtain the review and approval of the director of human resources prior to rejection of any such employee during the probationary period.
C. 
Status Following Evaluation. If release is not specifically recommended before the end of the probationary period, the probationer shall acquire permanent status.
D. 
Step Increase. An employee performance evaluation form shall be submitted prior to an employee's eligibility date for a step increase with a recommendation regarding merit salary increase.
E. 
Annual Evaluation. Employees at the top step of their salary range shall receive an evaluation annually.
F. 
More Than One Supervisor During Rating Period. In the event an employee has been under the direct supervision of more than one supervisor:
1. 
Rating shall be both by the last person to supervise the employee and by the person who supervised the employee for the longest period of time during the rating period in question.
2. 
If the person who supervised the employee for the longest period is no longer employed in county service:
a. 
Such person, if available, shall be provided the opportunity to confer with the rating supervisors.
b. 
If such person is not available, or declines to comment, the rating shall be by the last supervisor and such other supervisor as may be directed by the department head.
c. 
The rater or raters shall prepare and submit to the appointing authority a performance appraisal of the employee at the conclusion of the rating period. Failure by the supervisor to submit such report shall result in a rebuttable presumption of "Standard" as to the missed evaluation.
G. 
Right of Employee Review and Comment. No performance appraisal shall be placed in a departmental file, nor shall it be transmitted to the personnel department, until the employee has reviewed the evaluation personally with the rating supervisor and, if requested by the employee, such employee has reviewed the evaluation personally with such employee's appointing authority or designee.
H. 
Comments. The provisions of Section 3.04.170 shall also be applicable to performance appraisals.
(Prior code § 14.2015; Ord. 5478-B (Attach. A), 2007; Ord. 5531-B, 2008; Ord. 5549-B § 4, 2009; Ord. 5627-B § 14, 2010; Ord. 5683-B § 42, 2012; Ord. 5700-B § 33, 2013; Ord. 5991-B § 1, 2019; Ord. 6025-B § 3, 2020; Ord. 6159-B § 1, 2022)
A. 
Release Other Than Initial Probationary Period. At any time during the probationary period, an employee may be released by the appointing authority, and the probationer shall be without the right of review of any kind. Notification of release shall be made in writing by the appointing authority to the human resources director. The appointing authority shall give such employee, at any time up to and including the last day of the probationary period, 10 working days' notice of termination of employment. Such employee shall be entitled to receive, during such last 10 working days, the salary of the position in which said employee was on probation.
B. 
At any time during the probationary period, an employee may be terminated, for cause on any of the grounds set forth in Section 3.08.1190 other than subsections E and L.
C. 
DSA, PPOA, PPEO, DDAA, Classified Management and Confidential Employees—Release During Initial Probationary Period. At any time during the initial probationary period, a probationary employee may be released by the appointing authority, and the probationary employee shall be without the right of review of any kind. Notification of release shall be made in writing to the probationary employee by the appointing authority with a copy sent to the human resources director. The effective date of the probationary employee's separation from county service and last day on county payroll will be the day of the notice of release.
(Prior code § 14.2020; Ord. 5478-B (Attach. A), 2007; Ord. 5572-B § 16, 2009; Ord. 5683-B § 43, 2012; Ord. 5700-B § 34, 2013; Ord. 5885-B § 1, 2017; Ord. 6246-B, 1/23/2024; Ord. 6303-B, 3/18/2025)
A. 
An employee released during the probationary period under Section 3.08.1070(A) shall be reinstated to the position or status previously held, at the same pay step and with the same anniversary date held prior to such new probationary period.
1. 
An employee released during probation as a deputy sheriff I, who was appointed to this class from deputy sheriff trainee, shall not be reinstated to the trainee class. The employee shall be reinstated to the position or status held prior to appointment to deputy sheriff trainee.
B. 
An employee dismissed during the probationary period under Section 3.08.1070(B) shall be deemed effectively terminated from county service under Section 3.08.1260.
C. 
If the employee's original anniversary referred to in subsection A of this section overlaps the probationary period in the higher classification, such terminated employee in subsection A of this section shall be entitled to apply for the higher pay step in his or her former position.
D. 
Any employee displaced by the provisions of subsection A of this section shall be reinstated to his or her former position or status:
1. 
Promoted or transferred employees shall be reinstated to their former position.
2. 
Employees coming from an open list or reemployment list shall be placed on a layoff status.
E. 
The provisions of subsections A and D of this section shall apply to all terminations from and after July 1, 1976; except, however, no employee terminated after July 1, 1976, and prior to October 1, 1976, under a former rule shall be entitled to back pay.
(Prior code § 14.2925; Ord. 5478-B (Attach. A), 2007; Ord. 5683-B § 44, 2012)