(a) 
Duration of Probation. All original entrance appointments, including appointments made from the lateral entry list and academy graduate list, shall be tentative and subject to a probationary period of 18 months.
(b) 
Police Officer Trainee/Police Officer Recruit/Fire Fighter Trainee. The probationary period for original entrance Police Officers or a Fire Fighter Trainee shall commence on the date the employee is hired as a Police Officer Trainee or a Police Officer Recruit or Fire Fighter Trainee and shall continue and be completed after the employee is certified as a sworn probationary Police Officer or Fire Fighter.
(c) 
Purpose. The probationary period shall be regarded as an intrinsic part of the examination process and shall be utilized for closely observing the employee's work, for securing the most effective adjustment of a new employee to the position, and for eliminating any probationary employee whose performance does not meet the required standards of work.
(1) 
Extension of Probation. The probationary period shall not be extended for entry-level positions.
(2) 
Continuance of Probation. In the event of injury, illness, or other authorized leaves of absence in excess of 30 days or 216 hours, excluding absences for regularly scheduled vacations, the probationary period for entrylevel positions shall be continued for the same number of days or hours the employee is excessively absent from his or her regularly assigned duties. "Excessively absent" shall be defined as an accumulated absence of 14 work days or 96 work hours in a 30-day or 216-hour work period. For example, if an employee accumulates an additional 14 days or 96 hours of absences after a continued absence of 30 days or 216 hours, then such employee shall have his or her probationary period continued for not less than 14 days or 96 hours.
(3) 
The probationary period will also be continued for the same length of time a probationary employee is assigned to modified or light duty, unless during the modified or light duty assignment, the employee performs substantially all of the regularly assigned duties of the position to which the employee was hired.
(4) 
An employee who is laid off during his or her probationary period and who is placed on a reemployment list must complete the probationary period upon appointment to the position from which the employee was laid off.
(d) 
Acceptance of Probationer. The Chief of the department shall notify the City Manager two weeks prior to the termination of any probationary period as to the satisfactory or unsatisfactory service of the original entrance probationary employees; then the appointing authority shall have discretion to file with the Commission a statement in writing to such effect and stating that the retention of such employee in the service is desired or is not desired.
(e) 
Rejection of Probationer. During the probationary period an employee may be rejected at any time by the appointing authority for any cause without the right of review of any kind; except that a probationary Miscellaneous employee appointed to any entry-level sworn position in the Police or Fire Department in accordance with these Rules, who has successfully completed at least six months of probation in a Miscellaneous class, in lieu of being released from probation, may be reinstated to the Miscellaneous class previously held upon recommendation of the affected department heads and a written request to and approval by the Commission.
Employees reinstated pursuant to this provision shall be subject to a new probationary period designated for that class beginning on the first day of reinstatement.
This provision shall not be effective unless there is a vacancy in the Miscellaneous class and the Personnel Officer approves the filling of such vacancy.
(5795, 3/19/81; CS87-26, 3/19/87; CS01-077 7/19/01; CS04-078, 07/15/04; CS04-092, 09/02/04; CS05-065, 05/19/05; CS05-155, 11/17/05; CS06-030, 02/09/06; CS06-091, 08/03/06; CS07-071, 05/17/07; CS07-126, 09/20/07; amended by Resolutions CS10-021, 08/19/10)
Promotional appointments in the Fire Department are permanent appointments not subject to a probationary period.
Promotional police appointments, except Police Chief and Deputy Chief of Police, are probationary for a period of 12 months. The basis for and procedures of rejection of a promotional probationer police appointee shall be according to Article XXV, Section 2508 of the City Charter.
A promotional probationary period for the Police Department is regarded as an intrinsic part of the examination process and the same is utilized for closely observing the promotional appointee's work, for securing the most effective adjustment of a probationer's qualifications to the higher rank and for the purpose of eliminating any promotional probationer from attaining permanent status in said higher rank whose work performance does not meet the required standards of duties and responsibilities.
No formal test or tests, however devised and conducted, will prove infallible. The final test is actual performance. For this reason the new promotional appointee shall be carefully supervised and critical observation shall be made of his work during the working test period. For this evaluation of the promotional probationary period, the Civil Service Commission shall adopt a suitable rating sheet containing, but not limited to, the following traits: volume of work, quality of work, work habits, dependability in carrying out assignments, attitude toward public, relationship with fellow workers, learning ability, knowledge of work, attitude toward work, personal fitness, supervisory and administrative ability and such other traits the Commission shall from time to time deem advisable to include in the promotional probationary performance rating sheet.
Wherever practical and possible, the promotional probationary appointee shall be rated by his immediate supervisor, division supervisor, and the Chief of the Police Department.
Only items found below standard in work performance shall be brought to the attention of the promotional probationary appointee immediately upon completion of his promotional probationary performance rating sheet. Such promotional probationary performance rating sheets shall be completed at least once per month or as otherwise determined by the Civil Service Commission. A copy of the promotional probationary performance rating sheet will be filed in the personal folder of each promotional probationer.
(5795, 3/19/81; amended by Resolutions CS98-074, 10/1/98)
Any promotional probationary police appointee who is appointed to the rank of Chief of Police or Deputy Chief of Police shall receive credit toward the promotional probationary period for the lower rank while serving in the higher appointive rank.
(Resolution CS04-117, 10/21/04)
Any employee rejected during the probationary period following a promotional appointment, shall be reinstated to the position from which promoted unless charges are filed and the employee is discharged in the manner provided in the respective Memorandum of Understanding the Charter of the City of Stockton, and Civil Service Rules.
If an employee is rejected from his or her probationary period, the employee shall receive the salary at the same step prior to promotion.
(Added by Resolution CS2013-02-21-701)