PERSONNEL REGULATIONS AND REFERENCES OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

SECTION 110

DEFINITIONS

Updated 12/93

SECTION 110

DEFINITIONS

A. Application. The definitions listed below apply to the Personnel Regulations of

Santa Cruz County.

B. Terms. The words and terms defined below shall have the meaning indicated, unless

the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. Absence Without Leave. Any unauthorized absence from duty.

2. Allocation. The official determination of the class to which a position be-

longs, and the assignment of a position to that class.

3. Alternate Classes. A single position which may be filled alternatively by an

employee in either of two or more classes, at the discretion of the appointing

authority. The highest alternate class shall be construed as the normal working

level of such position, and each lower alternate class shall be construed as a

level suitable for recruitment and/or training purpose.

4. Alternate Eligible Lists. Eligible lists certified by the Personnel Director to

fill vacancies in classes other than those for which they were established.

5. Alternate Employment Lists. Lists other than open, competitive and promotional

eligible lists certified by the Personnel Director to fill vacancies in classes

other than those for which they were established.

6. Applicant. A person who, under the rules, has made formal application for em-

ployment on the prescribed form.

7. Appointing Authority. A department head as designated by the Board of

Supervisors, or a body such as the Board of Supervisors or the Judges of

the Superior Court, with the authority under law to appoint employees. The

Civil Service Commission is not an appointing authority. (Res. 21-86,

1/7/86; Res. 617-93, 12/14/93)

8. Appointment. The lawful offer to a person and his or her acceptance of a vacant

position, effective on the date the individual begins work in the position.

9. Appointment to Previous Class. The appointment of a current employee included

in or excluded from the Classified Service to a vacant position in the Classi-

fied Service in which permanent status was previously acquired.

10. Authorized Hours of Positions. The number of hours per week formally estab-

lished for a budgeted position by the Board of Supervisors or County Administra-

tive Officer action.

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11. Board. The Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz.

12. Budgeted Position. A combination of duties regularly assigned to be performed

by one person, as authorized by the Board of Supervisors.

13. Certification. The official submission by the Director to an appointing author-

ity of the names of eligibles from an appropriate employment list.

14. Class or Class of Positions. A group of positions sufficiently similar as to

duties performed, degree of supervision exercised or received, minimum require-

ments and such other qualifications that the same title, same test of fitness

and the same schedule of compensation may be applied to each position in the

group.

15. Classification/Reclassification. The judging of the duties, responsibilities

and other pertinent factors of a position in order to allocate the position to a

class, or from one class to a different class.

16. Classification Plan. The orderly arrangement and grouping of all positions into

classes.

17. Classified Service. All positions in the County service, except those specifi-

cally excluded by Ordinance.

18. Class Specification. The official description of a class including: (a) the

title; (b) a statement of the duties and responsibilities; (c) examples of typi-

cal tasks performed; and (d) the employment standards, such knowledges, abili-

ties, education, experience and licenses, which are required of applicants as

minimum qualifications.

19. Commission. The Civil Service Commission of Santa Cruz County.

20. County. The County of Santa Cruz

21. County-wide Reemployment List. A list of employees who had permanent status in

a class who have been displaced or laid off, and who may be considered for ap-

pointment to vacancies in that class in departments other than the one in which

displaced or laid off.

22. Day, Month, Week, Year. The calendar day, month, week, or year, except as oth-

erwise specified.

23. Demotion. The appointment of an employee from a position in one class to a

position in another class which has a lower fifth step salary either on a volun-

tary or involuntary basis.

24. Departmental Reemployment List. A list of employees who had permanent status in

a class, who have been displaced or laid off and who are entitled to preference

in appointment to vacancies in that class in the department from which laid off

or displaced.

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25. Department. An administrative unit or units of County government under one head

which has been so designated by law or the Board of Supervisors.

26. Department Head. A person who is elected to office or appointed or employed by

the County Administrative Officer, Board of Supervisors or otherwise as the

principal employee of a department or district for the discharge of duties pro-

vided by law for particular delegated functions.

27. Director. The Personnel Director of the County of Santa Cruz.

28. Disciplinary Action. Corrective or punitive action taken by an appointing au-

thority against an employee in accordance with the rules of the Civil Service

Commission.

29. Dismissal. The separation of a permanent regular or permanent limited term

employee for unsatisfactory performance or cause.

30. Displacement (Bumping). The movement in a layoff of an employee to a position

in an equal or a lower class by another employee having greater seniority.

31. Eligible. A person whose name is on an employment list.

32. Eligible Lists. An official list of names of applicants who have successfully

passed an examination for a class and whose names are assigned in order of rank

for certification to positions in a specific class.

33. Employee. A person who is legally occupying a position or who is on authorized

leave of absence without pay.

34. Employment List. A list of persons who may be considered for employment or

reemployment in a class.

35. Employment Status. The condition of an employee's present appointment, such as

provisional, probationary or permanent, or capacity, such as extra-help.

36. Extra-Help Appointment. An appointment to a non-budgeted position which is

limited to a maximum of 999 hours in a fiscal year.

37. Extra-Help Employee. A qualified person employed in a non-budgeted position

excluded from Civil Service status for a maximum of 999 hours in a fiscal year,

including persons: (a) employed for short term projects; (b) employed on a

seasonal basis to meet recurring work peaks; (c) employed on an as needed basis

to meet peak load, emergency or other unusual work situations.

38. Full-Time Position. A regular or limited-term regular position requiring 40

hours of work per week.

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39. Hours of Service. Paid hours of work or paid leave accrued by an employee with-

in the number of authorized hours for the position occupied by the employee.

Hours worked in excess of the number of hours authorized, whether overtime or

otherwise, shall not be included in hours of service.

40. Involuntary Demotion. Appointment of an employee from a position in one class

to a position in a class with a lower fifth step salary without the employee's

concurrence or request.

41. Layoff. The involuntary separation of an employee in a regular position without

fault for a period of four consecutive weeks or longer because of lack of work,

lack of funds, reorganization, or in the interest of economy.

42. Leave of Absence. An authorized absence from duty, with or without pay, for a

specified period of time and for a specified purpose.

43. Limited Term Position. A limited-term regular, full-time or limited-term regu-

lar, part-time position.

44. Limited Term Employee. An employee in a limited term position in the classified

service, who enjoys the same rights and privileges as an employee in a regular

position in the classified service with the exception of layoff and related

rights.

45. Limited Term Regular, Full-Time Position. A budgeted position requiring 40

hours of work per week for a period expected to be in excess of six months, for

which the Board of Supervisors has determined the funding future is uncertain or

has limited its duration to a particular period of time.

46. Limited Term Regular, Part-Time Position. A budgeted position requiring between

20 and 39 hours of work per week for a period expected to be in excess of six

months, for which the Board of Supervisors has determined the funding future is

uncertain or has limited its duration to a particular period of time.

46.A. Management Trainee. A management trainee is an employee

in a budgeted position who is serving a probationary period in a management

classification which is defined in the class specification as the trainee level,

and who performs work of an "administrative," "professional," and/or "executive"

nature. It is anticipated that, by the completion of the probation period, the

employee will have progressed to a level where s/he is performing work under

only general supervision and is customarily and regularly exercising discretion

and independent judgment. (Res. 655a-85, 11/19/85.)

47. Manpower Training List. A list of full-time or part-time employees or volun-

teers who may be considered for vacancies pursuant to Civil Service Rules.

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48. Non-Budgeted Position. A combination of duties assigned to be performed by one

person on a temporary basis, not requiring individual authorization by the Board

of Supervisors. (See Extra-Help Employees)

49. Non-Civil Service Appointment. An appointment to a regular or limited-term

position which is excluded from Civil Service status.

50. Non-Civil Service Position. A regular or limited term position excluded from

Civil Service status.

51. Original Appointment. The initial appointment of an employee to a regular or

limited-term position.

52. Overfill List. A list of permanent or probationary employees whose positions

have been reclassified downward but who remain in their former class, and whose

names may be considered for appointment to a vacant, regular position in the

same class.

53. Part-Time Position. A regular or limited-term regular position requiring be-

tween 20 and 39 hours of work per week.

54. Pay Period. A biweekly period which represents: ten working days for a full-

time employee on an eight hour, five day work week schedule; and eight working

days for

a full-time employee on a ten hour, four day work week schedule.

55. Permanent Employee. An employee in the classified service who has satisfactori-

ly completed the probationary period of his or her present class.

56. Probationary Appointment. The appointment to a regular or limited-term position

in the classified service of an employee where the employee must serve a proba-

tionary period.

57. Probationary Employee. A person employed in a regular or limited term position

in the classified service who is serving a probation period.

58. Probation Period. A period of service used for employee training, adjustment

and evaluation served upon initial appointment to a class and, in other instanc-

es as specified in Civil Service Rules.

59. Promotion. Appointment from a position in one class to a position in another

class with a higher fifth step salary.

60. Provisional Appointment. The appointment of a qualified person to a vacant

regular or limited-term position when there are less than three qualified eligi-

bles on any appropriate employment list, pending examination and certification.

61. Provisional Employee. A qualified employee holding a position under provisional

appointment, pending a competitive examination and certification.

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62. Qualified. A person who meets the employment standards for a class.

63. Qualifying Examination. A non-competitive examination which results in either a

"pass" or "fail", rather than a rank on an eligible list.

64. Reappointment. The return of a former employee to a position through reinstate-

ment, or other means provided by the rules of the Civil Service Commission.

65. Reassignment. The concurrent change of an employee from one position to another

position in the same class in the same department at the direction of the ap-

pointment authority.

66. Reemployment. The reappointment of a laid off or displaced employee from a

departmental or county-wide reemployment list to a position in the class from

which laid off or displaced.

67. Reemployment List. A list of laid off employees or displaced employees who were

permanent when displaced or laid off, whose names may be considered for reap-

pointment to a vacant position in the class from which laid off or displaced.

68. Regular Position. A regular, full-time or regular, part-time position.

69. Regular, Full-Time Position. A budgeted position requiring 40 hours of work per

week, established on a year-round basis until abolished by Board of Supervisors.

70. Regular, Part-Time Position. A budgeted position requiring between 20 and 39

hours of work per week, established on a year-round basis until abolished by the

Board of Supervisors' action.

71. Reinstatement. The reappointment of a former permanent employee to the same

class or to another class pursuant to Civil Service Rules within two years after

resignation.

72. Release. The separation of an employee serving an original probation period, of

an extra-help, non-civil service or provisional employee, or a limited term

employee upon cessation of funding.

73. Resignation. The voluntary action of an employee which separates him/her from

County employment.

74. Salary. An hourly rate within a salary range established by the Board through

Salary Resolutions or amendments thereto. (The salary rate of elected officials

may be established on a monthly or annual, rather than hourly basis.)

75. Separation. The termination of employment of an individual.

76. State. The State of California.

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77. Step. An officially prescribed salary rate within a salary range prescribed for

a class.

78. Substitute Appointment. An appointment to a regular or limited-term position

for a minimum of 20 working days, which is limited to the period of a vacancy

created by an authorized leave of absence without pay or workers' compensation

leave or an absence covered under Labor Code 4850. A substitute appointment may

be accomplished through either a probationary or provisional appointment.

79. Substitute Employee. A provisional or probationary employee appointed to a

position in the classified service which has been vacated by an authorized leave

of absence without pay, who retains probationary or provisional status during

the period of the leave of absence.

80. Suspension. An involuntary absence without pay imposed by the appointing au-

thority for disciplinary purposes or pending investigation of charges.

81. Temporary Underfill. The filling of a position at a lower class level than

authorized by the Civil Service Commission for a limited period of time.

82. Tenses, Gender and Number. The present tense includes the past and future

tense, and the future, the present; the masculine gender includes the feminine

and the neuter; a singular number includes the plural and the plural the singu-

lar; "shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive; "oath" includes affirmation.

83. Transfer. The movement from one position to another position in the same class

in another department; or the movement from one position to another position in

a different class in the same broad occupational group where the required knowl-

edges, skills, and abilities of both classes are sufficiently related as deter-

mined by the Personnel Director, and where the class' salary range is not more

than 5% higher than the current class at the fifth (5th) step. (Res. 222-90,

effective 5/22/90)

84. Transfer List. A list of employees appointed from an eligible list to a posi-

tion in their present class, who may be given first consideration for appoint-

ment to vacant positions in their class in another department. Qualified employ-

ees who were appointed to their present position from an eligible list, and who

are seeking appointment to a vacant position in another class at the same range;

in a lower class; or in a related higher class in the same broad occupational

group where the required knowledges, skills and abilities of both classes are

sufficiently related as determined by the Personnel Director and where the

class' salary range is no more than five (5) higher than the current class at

the fifth (5th) step may also have their names placed on a transfer list.

85. Vacant or Vacancy. Any unfilled regular or limited-term position.

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86. Voluntary Demotion. Appointment of an employee to a position in a class with a

lower fifth step salary at the request of or with the concurrence of the employ-

ee.

87. Waiver. The voluntary relinquishment by an eligible of any right to be consid-

ered for appointment to a specific position for a specified or unspecified peri-

od of time.

88. Writing. Any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary

visual means.

(Res.550a-85, 10/1/85; Res.311-85, 6/4/85; Reissued 10/10/85; Res. 21-86, 1/7/86; Res.

222-90, effective 5/22/90; Res. 617-93, 12/14/93)

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