SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL

Topic:	ADVANCE STEP APPOINTMENTS REGULAR AND EXTRA HELP
Section:	RATES OF PAY
Number:	IX.1.

Date Issued:	Nov. 15, 1990
Date Revised:	March 29, 2000
	March 25, 2001
	�July 1, 2018

PURPOSE:

To document criteria necessary for department head approval of advance step placement of new employees and extra help (Steps 1 through 3); to document criteria necessary for Personnel Director approval of advance step appointments (Steps 4 through 5); to document criteria necessary for Personnel Director recommendation to the County Administrative Officer of advance step appointments (Steps 6 or higher).

BASIS:

Subsection C of the Personnel Regulations and References of Santa Cruz County, Section 161 state in part: "...new employees may be appointed to the second or third step upon approval of the Department Head, and the fourth or fifth step upon the recommendation of the Department Head and with the approval of the Personnel Director. If a qualified candidate cannot be appointed below the sixth step, a department head may request sixth step or higher appointment subject to the Personnel Director's recommendation and approval by the County Administrative Officer.
Subsection D of the Personnel Regulations and References of Santa Cruz County, Section 161 states in part: " Salary Upon Original Extra-Help Appointment. When an extra-help appointment is made the starting pay will normally be the first step in the salary range applicable to the position's classification. New extra-help employees may be appointed to the second or third step upon approval of the Department Head, and the fourth or fifth step upon the recommendation of the Department Head and with the approval of the Personnel Director. If a qualified candidate can not be appointed below the sixth step, a Department Head may request sixth step or higher appointment subject to the Personnel Director's recommendation and approval by the County Administrative Officer."

POLICY:

All appointments above the first step shall include written documentation of the following:

1. Difficulty of Recruitment -- a scarcity of applicants that meet the minimum employment standards, documentation of the efforts made, number on list, rank of the individual, results of interview, etc.
2. Years of experience -- If the new employee's appropriate work experience had been with the County, what step would they be at now?
3. Unique Qualifications -- possession of bona fide occupational skills which are necessary to provide needed service and which are unusual in the applicant population and normally have been acquired through substantial specialized training or experience.
4. Adverse impact on existing incumbents in the same class -- Would granting the request result in the employee being placed at a higher step than existing employees with similar training and experience?
   
   All advance step appointments, including extra-help, should address as many of the above criteria in writing as are relevant. The Personnel Director may request that the operating department provide additional information when he/she feels that the above criteria have not been adequately documented

Note:� Assembly Bill 168 prohibits an employer from relying on the salary history information as a factor in determining whether to offer an applicant employment or what salary to offer. An applicant may voluntarily and without prompting disclose salary history information which can be then be used to determine salary.

PROCEDURE:

1. Original appointment is defined as:
• when an employee is appointed to a budgeted position (only if step is changing)
• when an employee is appointed to an extra-help position
• when an employee transfers to a new class as extra-help (Unless rules indicate otherwise; i.e. former employee appointed as extra-help will be appointed at the step in former class)
• when an employee changes status from extra-help and is appointed to a budgeted position, i.e. provisional, substitute, or probationary (not required if same position and same step)
  
  
2. Departments must submit documentation requesting an advance step appointment on the current form or method being used to transmit this information.
3. Request for appointment at steps 2 and 3
   
   Department Heads may offer and approve appointments. Documentation of criteria (as outlined in this policy) will accompany transaction documents.
4. Request for appointment at steps 4 and 5

1. Department Heads may offer advance step contingent on approval of the Personnel Director.
2. Documentation of criteria is submitted to the Personnel Director for approval.
3. The Personnel Director will inform the department of the approval or denial of the advance step request within a reasonable time period after receiving requests.
   
   
4. Request for appointment at steps 6 and 7

a. Department Heads may offer advance step contingent on approval by the County Administrative Officer.

b. Documentation of criteria is submitted to the Personnel Director.

c. The Personnel Director will review the request and if it meets the required criteria, forward it to the County Administrative Officer with a recommendation to approve.

d. The County Administrative Officer will review the request and provide the Personnel Director with a decision approving or denying the request.

e. The Personnel Director will notify the department of the County Administrative Officer decision