[Adopted 1-22-1991 by Ord. No. 1427]
[Amended 11-22-2010 by Ord. No. 2150]
It shall be the policy and procedure of the Borough of Ridgefield that, from the effective date of this article forward, the following procedure shall be followed prior to the hiring of any new employee by or within the Borough of Ridgefield. For the purposes of this article, the word "employee" shall mean any person employed by the Borough of Ridgefield, on a part- or full-time basis, to perform any service for the Borough or any department or part thereof. The term "part-time employee" shall mean any new hire that works up to 31 hours per week, subject to departmental and scheduling needs as set by department supervisors. Part-time employees are not entitled to health benefits. The term “full-time employee” shall mean any employee that works at least 35 hours per week. Full-time employees may be entitled to health benefits. Seasonal or temporary employees are those that work up to six months out of the year and are not considered part-time or full-time employees for purposes of this chapter. Seasonal or temporary employees shall not be entitled to health benefits. Part-time and full-time employees shall not include part-time professionals retained by the Borough, such as the Borough Attorney, Borough Auditor, Tax Collector, Tax Assessor or Borough Engineer. Pension eligibility for part-time and full-time employees shall be governed by state statute.
Any prospective employee of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be subject to, before being hired by the Borough, a driving record check, a physical exam, including urine specimen analysis, and a criminal background check as provided by § 70-18 hereof.
Any person seeking employment by or with the Borough shall be deemed, by virtue of applying for the same, to have consented to the following:
A. 
A review of his or her driving record, including but not limited to review of his or her motor vehicle driver's abstract as compiled by any state licensing authority.
B. 
A complete physical/medical examination, including the analysis and testing of urine specimens.
C. 
A criminal background check, including but not limited to review of his or her criminal history as compiled by any properly constituted law enforcement authority.
D. 
The disclosure and dissemination of the information obtained by virtue of the foregoing to proper Borough officers and employees.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent the Borough from requiring such other and further information, testing, inquiry and investigation as proper Borough officials may deem proper or appropriate as to any particular Borough position.
It shall be within the discretion of proper Borough officials to weigh and evaluate all information concerning a prospective Borough employee and to make hiring determinations thereon.
The provisions of this article shall not operate respecting any new employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement which expressly prohibits any such provision.
[Added 8-5-1991 by Ord. No. 1450]
A. 
The Borough of Ridgefield hereby establishes a policy to pertain to the hiring of all Borough employees subsequent to the effective date of this Article.
B. 
All Borough employees hired subsequent to the effective date of this Article shall serve, until the one-year anniversary date of their hire, as probationary employees. During the first year of employment with the Borough, an employee may be discharged for any reason related to the evaluation of that employee's performance. As such, said employee shall have no right to a hearing or other forum to contest a decision by the Borough to terminate said employee.