(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)