In addition to the provisions of this Part,
the Human Resources Director shall establish such policies and rules,
as he may deem necessary for a merit system of filling vacancies,
and for recruiting highly qualified personnel for County Career Service
positions.
In accordance with Article IX, § 1.9-905,
of the Charter, every employee holding a position with Allegheny County
on the effective date of the Charter, January 1, 2000, shall continue
in his position and shall not be subject to examination as a condition
for continuation of employment in his current position.
All vacant Career Service positions which are
to be filled shall be posted in the following manner:
A.
The appropriate department, division or agency director,
or its designee, hereafter referred to as "appropriate County officer",
shall initiate the hiring process by requesting the Human Resources
Director to begin action to fill a vacant position within its jurisdiction.
B.
If a job description for the vacant position does
not exist or is in need of revision, the appropriate County officer
shall prepare a job description, subject to the approval of the Human
Resources Director, outlining in detail the job responsibilities of
the vacant position, salary or salary-range, and specific qualifications
including, but not limited to, educational requirements, experience
and, where appropriate, examination. Said job descriptions shall conform
to the County's Classification Plan and Pay Plan and any applicable
collective bargaining agreement.
C.
The Human Resources Director shall publicize the vacant
position opening by posting an announcement for two weeks in the Human
Resources Division and, at the Human Resources Director's discretion
to convenience potential applicants, in other locations such as County
buildings, job sites, the Internet at an appropriate County-controlled
Web site, newspapers of general circulation, and trade journals.
All applications for County career service employment,
or for promotion, shall be filed with, and maintained by, the Human
Resources Director.
The relative fitness of applicants will be measured
by examination of job-related knowledge, skills, integrity, and physical
ability, where it is a bona fide occupational qualification for the
position. The relative fitness of applicants will also be measured
by the applicant's experience, education, training, licensure and
job performance as may be applicable to the vacant position.
A.
The Human Resources Director, with the approval of
the Manager, shall determine the form of examination to be used in
the selection procedure for each position in the career service based
on objective, job related criteria, to ascertain an applicant's fitness.
The Human Resources Director, in consultation with the appropriate
County officer, shall establish specific merit criteria governing
the use of examinations, including, but not limited to, traditional
written examinations, computer-based written examinations, job simulation,
experience, or other appropriate criteria.
B.
All examinations, unless otherwise provided, shall
be open to all persons who meet the minimum requirements for the positions
within the classes for which the examinations are held.
C.
The Human Resources Director shall be charged with
setting the passing grade for each position. All examinations shall
be job related, based on an analysis of the requirements for each
position or class.
D.
The ranking of each applicant passing the examination
shall be publicly posted.
The Human Resources Director shall give public
notice of all written, competitive examinations for positions or promotions
in the career service at least two weeks in advance of the final date
for filing applications for such examinations.
A.
Selection of an individual to fill a vacant position
shall be made from a pool of qualified candidates. Applicants with
the highest examination scores shall qualify for the pool of candidates.
The number of candidates in the pool shall be equal to the greater
of the top 10% of the number of applicants examined or five. The pool
shall never include applicants who failed the examination.
B.
The Department or Division Director shall recommend
to the Manager one or more of the candidates from the pool to fill
the vacant position. The Manager shall appoint a person from the pool
to fill the vacant position.
C.
In the case of agencies, the Director or a designee
shall select a candidate from the pool and appoint that person to
fill the vacant position.
D.
Veterans Preference Act shall apply when applicable.
Applicants who fail to comply with job related
requirements or who have attempted any deception or fraud in connection
with any application or examination shall be rejected. If such deception
or fraud is discovered after a person is hired, that person will be
terminated and will not be eligible to become a candidate for employment
for three years.
A.
All newly hired persons entering the career service,
or those promoted in the career service, shall serve a probationary
period. The Human Resources Director shall determine the appropriate
period for each position or class, in consultation with the Department
Director or appropriate appointing authority, except where determined
by an applicable collective bargaining agreement or state law.
B.
The Human Resources Director shall establish a policy
providing for formal evaluation of the performance of persons during
a probationary period, and which is directed to correcting inadequate
performance.
(1)
If during or at the end of the probationary
period the newly hired employee's performance is considered not to
be adequate, such person shall be terminated and notified in writing
of the termination. There shall be no right of appeal to the Personnel
Board from such probationary termination.
(2)
In the case of promotions, if the employee is
not permanently promoted at the end of the probationary period, that
person shall be returned to his former position, or an equivalent
position, and shall be deemed not to have been demoted for the purpose
of appeal to the Personnel Board.
A.
An applicant for County employment need not be a resident
of the County at the time of application. However, within one year
of appointment and acceptance of such appointment, such individual
shall be required to move to and live within Allegheny County; provided
however, that any person who was formerly an employee of a Regional
Communications Center whose operations and function have been merged
with or incorporated into the operations of the County's Emergency
Communications/911 Center who is not a resident of Allegheny County
and has been offered and accepted a position of employment in the
County's Emergency Communications/911 Center shall not be required
to become a resident of Allegheny County.
[Amended 4-3-2001 by Ord. No. 30-01]
B.
Any person employed by the County who is not a resident
of Allegheny County at the time of the adoption of this Amendment
to the Administrative Code shall not be required to establish residency
within Allegheny County to maintain his/her status as a County employee.
No person employed by the County who is a resident of Allegheny County
at the time of the adoption of this Amendment to the Administrative
Code shall establish residency outside the County while continuing
his/her employment by Allegheny County.
[Amended 4-3-2001 by Ord. No. 30-01]
C.
The residency requirement set forth in Subsection A of this section requiring individuals to move to and live within Allegheny County within one year of appointment as a County employee shall not apply to applicants for the following positions:
[Added 7-10-2001 by Ord. No. 53-01;
amended 10-9-2001 by Ord. No. 65-01]
D.
In the event that there are insufficient qualified
applicants who reside in the County for the positions in the career
service described herein, then the residency requirement set forth
in § 5-1007.11A of this section requiring individuals to
move to and live within Allegheny County within one year of appointment
as a County employee shall not apply to applicants for the following
positions:
[Added 11-20-2001 by Ord. No. 73-01]
(1)
Lifeguards in the Public Works Department.
(2)
Caseworkers in all County departments.
(3)
Specific information technology positions in
the Department of Computer Services who are currently under contract
with the County.
(4)
Air Pollution Control Engineers and Coke Oven
Technicians employed in the Air Quality Division of the Allegheny
County Health Department.
[Added 11-18-2008 by Ord. No. 26-08]
No County Officer, County Official or County
employee shall unduly exert, negatively or positively, his influence
to gain, or attempt to gain, preferential treatment on behalf of an
applicant for employment with Allegheny County.
No County officer, County official, exempted
career service person or other manager will employ an immediate family
member who would be under their direct line of authority.
