A. 
Recruitment. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will coordinate the employment recruitment process for all vacancies in full-time permanent employment to ensure compliance with civil service, contractual, legal, and equal opportunity requirements. When a vacancy occurs, it is the responsibility of the department head to notify the City Administrator and Personnel Officer who will distribute notification of the vacancy to all applicable departments. The City Administrator and/or Personnel Officer will undertake to recruit qualified applicants in accordance with the applicable federal and state law, including the New Jersey Civil Service Commission regulations if the position is subject to civil service. Where positions are advertised, the media or other periodical utilized must have as wide a circulation as possible to encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and must prominently state that the City is an equal opportunity employer.
B. 
Applications. All candidates must fully complete an application form and/or submit a resume if appropriate. A resume will not be considered as a substitute for this form. The application is a confidential document and will not be available to anyone who is not directly involved in the hiring process.
C. 
Interviews. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will coordinate the interview process including the scheduling of applicants, development of interview questions and standards to measure candidate responses. All questions must be in accordance with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Guidelines for Pre-Employment Inquiries. Reasonable accommodations must be made for disabled applicants.
D. 
Physical examination.
(1) 
The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will require applicants, prior to employment, to successfully pass a pre-employment drug/alcohol screening and a physical examination consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act[1] to assure that the work required by the position will not cause injury to the employee or co-employees and that the person is fit to meet the requirements of the position. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer may require periodic physical examinations to determine the employee's continued ability to perform the duties of the position. All physical examinations must be performed by a physician chosen by the City at the expense of the City.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
(2) 
All medical records of employees and prospective employees are confidential and are to be maintained by the City Administrator or Personnel Officer separate from the employee's official personnel file.
E. 
Criminal background check.
(1) 
In accordance with state and local law, all applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment background screening.
(a) 
Background checks required. Background checks are required of all candidates, volunteers, or if applicable, existing employees.
(b) 
Background check procedure. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will perform or initiate background checks and be the recipient of reports from outside agencies or contractors. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will discuss disqualifying information received with the employee's or volunteer's department head. Written information received as a result of a "Request for Criminal History Record Information for A Noncriminal Justice Purpose" will be destroyed immediately after it has served its authorized purpose, as required by the State Police. Such information will be kept confidential and will not be published or disclosed in any manner not consistent with the procedures listed herein. Such information will not be deemed a public record under P.L. 1963, c.73 (N.J.A.C. 47:1A-1 et seq.) as amended and supplemented by P.L. 2001, c. 404 (N.J.A.C. 47:1A-5 et seq.).
(2) 
Existing employees or volunteers will be placed on immediate suspension pending the outcome of a hearing or appeal. Employee suspensions may be with or without pay at the discretion of the City Administrator.
(3) 
When a disqualification decision has been made as a result of the employer's "targeted screening process" described above, the City Administrator or Personnel Officer will inform the candidate, volunteer, or employee, in writing, of any information that would disqualify the person from working with children/youth. In addition, the individual shall be advised that he/she has the opportunity to explain the criminal record and to demonstrate why the exclusion based on the employer's targeted screening process should not apply to him/her under the circumstances. This information may include evidence of an error in the criminal record; facts surrounding the conviction; age at the time of the conviction and/or release from prison; evidence of a clean criminal and employment record since release; rehabilitation efforts; positive references; and evidence that he/she is bondable. Thereafter, the employer shall give the individual further consideration.
F. 
Job offers. The final decision will be made by the commissioner in charge of the department after all references and other information has been verified. Every effort shall be made to offer reasonable accommodations pursuant to federal and state law. The employment offer must be made in a letter to the candidate outlining all terms and conditions of the offer. The letter shall also establish a deadline for acceptance.
G. 
Acceptances and rejections. If the first offer is rejected, the commissioner in charge of the department will decide to hire another candidate or reopen the position. Once a candidate accepts the employment offer, all other candidates will be notified in writing that they were not accepted for the position.
H. 
Record retention. All applications, notes made during interviews and reference checks, job offers and other documents created during the hiring process must be returned to the Personnel Officer. Documents related to the successful candidate shall be placed in the employee's official personnel file, except that medical records including physical examination must be maintained in a separate file. All records and documents related to other candidates must be retained in accordance with record retention statute. Records and documents created during the hiring process are confidential and must be retained in a locked cabinet.
Except where state requirements direct otherwise, new employees or present employees transferring to new positions shall be hired subject to an initial employment period of not less than 90 days. During this initial employment period, the new employee or transferee shall be provided with training and guidance from the supervisor. During this initial employment period, department heads shall evaluate probationary employees a minimum of three times and provide a written report to the commissioner in charge of the department concerning the progress of the employee and the quality of their performance. New employees may be discharged at any time during this period if the commissioner in charge of the department concludes that the employee is not progressing or performing satisfactorily.
All new regular full-time and regular part-time employees shall be scheduled to meet with the City Administrator, or Personnel Officer on their first day of employment for a general orientation. Copies of all forms and acknowledgments must be returned to the Personnel Officer for inclusion in the employee's official personnel file. The orientation shall include:
A. 
A tour of the appropriate facilities to acquaint the new employee with overall operations as they relate to the specific position;
B. 
The completion of all pertinent personnel, payroll, insurance and pension forms;
C. 
A review of the Employee Handbook and/or related employee information and acknowledgment of receipt;
D. 
The Employee Complaint Policy letter and acknowledgment;
E. 
A safety orientation and acknowledgment; and
F. 
Arrangements to complete required PEOSHA safety training.
A. 
Pursuant to the Supreme Court Decision in Kean Federation of Teachers v. Morrell, discussions by the governing body of the City concerning appointment, promotion, or terms and conditions of employment of any current or prospective officer or employee that will not have an adverse effect on the individual's employment/potential employment shall be held in closed session. Discussions by the governing body of the City concerning demotion, termination, performance evaluation, discipline, or terms and conditions of employment of any current or prospective officer or employee that will have an adverse effect on the individual's employment/potential employment shall be held in closed session unless the individual requests in writing that the discussion be held in open session. Such request must be granted.
B. 
Prior to the discussion by the governing body of the City concerning any matter that may impose an adverse employment action, the City Clerk shall notify the affected person of the meeting date, time and place when and where the matters will be discussed and the person's right to request that discussion occur in open session (Rice Notice). In the case where public discussion is already planned, a Rice Notice does not have to be provided. If the individual does not request that the discussion be held in open session, the governing body of the City may, at its sole discretion, invite the affected individual to attend the applicable portion of the closed session.
C. 
In the event more than one person is affected by the discussion and one of the affected persons does not request that the discussion be held in open session, then the discussion shall be held in closed session.
A. 
Inquiries and written requests for references or employment verification regarding a current or former employee must be referred to the Personnel Officer. No City official, department head or employee may issue a reference letter without the permission of the City Administrator or Personnel Officer. Under no circumstances should any information be released over the telephone.
B. 
In response to a request for information, the Personnel Officer will verify only an employee's name, dates of employment, job title, department and final salary. No other data or information will be furnished unless the City is required to release the information by law or the employee or former employee authorizes the City, in writing, to furnish this information and releases the City from liability.
A. 
The City has no light-duty policy. The City does have a temporary-modified-duty policy for work-related incidents. Requests to accommodate medical restrictions, both mental and physical, will be handled on an individual basis in accordance with the Federal Americans with Disability Act (ADA)[1] and the state Law Against Discrimination (LAD).[2]In the case of an employee breast feeding her infant child, the accommodation shall include reasonable break time each day to the employee and a suitable room or other location with privacy, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to work area for the employee to express breast milk for the child. To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability, which is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
[2]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.
B. 
This procedure for handling requests for accommodating medical restrictions will be managed by the City Administrator or Personnel Officer. The City Administrator or Personnel Officer will ensure that the appropriate commissioner, department head, and the employee making the request are involved in this process.