1 Table of Contents
Overview ..........................................................................................................................3 Policy Statement...............................................................................................................3 Appendix A .......................................................................................................................5 Dissemination Plan ...........................................................................................................5 Internal Dissemination ......................................................................................................5 External Dissemination......................................................................................................6 Designation of Personnel Responsibility .............................................................................6 Equal Employment Opportunity Officer ..............................................................................6 Appendix B .....................................................................................................................10 Assessment of Employment Practices..............................................................................10 Job Posting and Applicant Recruitment.............................................................................10 Selection Procedure........................................................................................................10 The Pool of Candidates....................................................................................................11 Application Forms with Procedures ..................................................................................11 Testing ...........................................................................................................................11 Interviewing ....................................................................................................................12 Potential Lines of Progression..........................................................................................12 Lateral Moves .................................................................................................................13 Nepotism .......................................................................................................................13 General Personnel Policies and Procedures ......................................................................14 Wage and Salary Administration.......................................................................................14 Benefits..........................................................................................................................15 Health Benefits ...............................................................................................................15 Vision Coverage Provided by VSP (Vision Service Provider) .................................................15 Dental Coverage Provided by UMR....................................................................................15 Life Insurance .................................................................................................................16 Short-Term Disability Standard Insurance .........................................................................16 Long-Term Disability Standard Insurance ..........................................................................16 Public Employers Retirement System (PERS) Retirement Benefit ........................................16 2 Deferred Compensation ..................................................................................................16 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) ................................................................................16 Easy Eight Trip Reduction Program....................................................................................16 Additional Benefits..........................................................................................................16 Employee Development and Training................................................................................17 Employee Performance and Evaluation.............................................................................17 Progressive Corrective Actions.........................................................................................18 Discrimination & Harassment Complaint Procedures ........................................................18 Employee Union and the Authority ...................................................................................19 Monitoring and Reporting.................................................................................................19 Appendix C.....................................................................................................................20 3 Overview
As a recipient of funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the City of Commerce Transit must comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and regulations, including Federal Transit Laws, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, and related guidance. This Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program outlines the policies and procedures that ensure the Transit Division’s compliance with several federal statutes and regulations prohibiting employment discrimination.
This document was prepared to fulfill the guidance and requirements in circular FTA C 4704.1A Equal Employment Opportunity Program Guideline for Federal Transit Administration Recipients.
As an FTA recipient employing between 50-99 transit-related employees, the Transit Division must prepare and maintain an abbreviated EEO Program as provided in the FTA Circular.
The abbreviated EEO Program must include the following elements:
Policy Statement
Dissemination Plan
Designation of Personnel Responsibility
Assessment of Employment Practices
Monitoring and Reporting Plan
Required Attachments
Policy Statement
The City of Commerce (City) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable City, Federal, and state EEO discrimination laws, statutes, regulations, ordinances, and policies.
FTA requires an agency's EEO program to include an EEO policy statement issued by the agency's City Manager covering all employment and personnel practices, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, terminations, transfers, layoffs, classification, compensation, training, benefits, and other Terms and conditions of employment. Appendix A provides the signed EEO Policy Statement.
4 CITY OF COMMERCE TRANSIT
EEO Program
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
Every employee has the right to work in an environment free from all forms of discrimination regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is committed to undertaking an affirmative action program, including goals and timetables, to overcome the effects of past discrimination on minorities and women.
The City Manager is responsible for establishing City administrative policies, including the EEOP.
The City of Commerce Transit (CCT) EEOP implementation requires continuous effort from the City’s leadership and all employees. Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation, has been delegated responsibility for the daily administration, maintenance, and implementation of CCT’s EEOP.
Managers, supervisors, etc., will be evaluated on the success of the EEO program the same way they are assessed on other agency goals. CCT recognizes that achieving EEO goals will benefit the City of Commerce (City) by fully utilizing and developing previously underutilized human resources.
CCT’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy shall be posted in conspicuous places within the facility and distributed to all employees, contractors, and the people of all advisory and policy-making groups.
___________________________________ ________________________ Ernie Hernandez, City Manager Date
5 Appendix A
Dissemination Plan
FTA requires grant recipients to publicize their EEO policy statement by posting it in conspicuous locations and disseminating it internally and externally.
Internal Dissemination
CCT will communicate the existence of its EEO Policy, Anti-Harassment Policy, and EEO Program to employees, applicants, and potential applicants using the following measures:
1. The policy statement and nondiscrimination posters will be permanently posted and conspicuously displayed in areas available to employees and applicants for employment, such as bulletin boards, breakrooms, etc., throughout the place of employment.
2. The equal employment opportunity affirmative action policy statement will be communicated to employees in the same way that other significant personnel policies or decisions are communicated to employees.
3. The Bus Operator Procedure Manual will include the CCT's equal employment opportunity affirmative action policies.
4. All executive, management, and supervisory personnel will have a full copy of the affirmative action plan and any amendments.
5. Each employee will be furnished with a copy of the policy statement and have access to the affirmative action plan. This policy will be made available to all employees.
6. Orientation and training sessions will be conducted to inform all employees of CCT’s commitment and individual responsibility for effectively implementing the affirmative action plan.
7. CCT will review the equal employment opportunity affirmative action policies with minority, female, and disabled employees.
8. CCT will disseminate its equal employment opportunity affirmative action policies with all employees at least once a year.
9. CCT will include nondiscrimination clauses in all union agreements and review all contractual provisions to ensure they are non-discriminatory. It will also meet with all union officials to inform them of the policy, request their cooperation, and update the union on any amendments.
10.Advertising, employee handbooks, and similar publications feature pictures of men, women, minorities, non-minorities, and disabled employees. 6 External Dissemination
CCT’s EEO policies will be disseminated when outreach or advertising occurs to recruitment entities such as employment agencies, educational institutions, and minority and women’s organizations. All recruitment ads (including those placed in print or online via the website or social media) will state that the CCT is “an equal employment opportunity employer.” The City of Commerce Transit shall:
1. Communicate its equal employment opportunity affirmative action commitment to subcontractors and suppliers, verbally or in writing.
2. Notify all recruitment sources and labor unions of our equal employment opportunity affirmative action policy and encourage them to actively recruit and refer women, minorities, and disabled persons to assist us in achieving our affirmative action objectives.
3. Notify all current or potential sources of workforce supply, including, but not limited to, subcontractors, employment agencies, schools, colleges, and news media, of our equal employment opportunity affirmative action policies.
4. Include “Equal Opportunity Employer” or “Affirmative Action Employer” on all company stationary, purchase orders, rental agreements, contracts, employment applications, and advertisements recruiting employees and subcontractors.
5. Communicate to prospective employees the existence and contents of our equal employment opportunity affirmative action policy.
6. Disseminate its equal employment opportunity affirmative action policy by including it in any advertising in the news media.
Designation of Personnel Responsibility
The primary responsibility and accountability for implementing the Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (EEOP) rests with the City Manager. Through the EEO office, this person is responsible for adherence to the City of Commerce’s policy of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Appendix B provides the signed Notice of the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer.
Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation, has been designated the Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator to monitor all employment-related activities and implement CCT’s equal employment opportunity policies.
The EEO Officer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
7 1. Developing and recommending EEO policy, a written EEO program, and internal and external communication procedures.
2. Assisting management in collecting and analyzing employment data, identifying problem areas, setting goals, and developing programs to achieve goals.
3. Design, implement, and monitor internal audit and reporting systems to measure program effectiveness and determine where progress has been made and where further action is needed.
4. Report periodically to the City Manager on each unit's progress toward the agency’s goals.
5. Serving as liaison between the agency, Federal, State, and local governments, regulatory agencies, minority, disabled and women’s organizations, and other community groups.
6. Assuring that current legal information affecting affirmative action is disseminated to responsible officials.
7. Assisting in recruiting minority, disabled, and women applicants and establishing outreach sources for use by hiring officials.
8. Concurring in all hires and promotions.
9. Processing employment discrimination complaints.
Although the EEO Coordinator has the primary responsibility for implementing CCT’s EEO plan, managers and supervisors are expected to carry out the following duties:
1. Identify problem areas and establish CCT goals and objectives.
2. Be actively involved with local minority organizations, women’s and disabled persons groups, community action organizations, and community services programs designed to promote EEO.
3. Participate actively in periodic audits of all employment aspects to identify and remove barriers to achieving specified goals and objectives.
4. Discuss regularly with other managers, supervisors, and employees to ensure CCT’s policies and procedures are followed.
5. Review the qualifications of all employees to ensure that minorities, disabled persons, and women are given full opportunities for transfers, promotions, training, salary increases, and other forms of compensation.
6. Participate in the review and/or investigation of complaints alleging discrimination. 8 7. Conduct and support career counseling for all employees.
8. Participate in periodic audits to ensure that each agency unit complies. 9 EEO Office
Date: December 10, 2024
NOTICE
Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation, has been appointed the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer for the City of Commerce Transit. The EEO officer will handle all complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or disability that does not prevent satisfactory work performance.
The City of Commerce will abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provisions and Executive Order 11246 regarding equal employment opportunity. Anyone who believes he or she has been discriminated against should report this to the company's EEO Officer.
Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation, can be reached by calling 323-722-4805 ext. 2235 or via email at [email protected] __________________________________ ________________________________ Ernie Hernandez, City Manager Date
10 Appendix B
Assessment of Employment Practices
Job Posting and Applicant Recruitment
FTA requires funding recipients to document their employment practices in detail to identify trends, any practices that may operate as employment barriers, and corrective actions. The City of Commerce Transit (CCT) established and implemented a Bus Operating Procedure Manual addressing employment-related issues in hiring, transfers, promotions, probationary periods, layoffs, reinstatement, employment standards, salary administration, grievance filing and processing, and the disciplinary process.
All recruitments, except acting and temporary appointments, will be announced on a promotional/open competitive process. The City’s Human Resources Department shall provide a method for interested and qualified applicants to be informed of vacancies within the City government. This process shall occur without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, or sexual orientation.
The Human Resources Department shall administer and coordinate the recruitment process and contact the requiting department for assistance, as appropriate. An announcement (bulletin) shall be published and distributed for each vacancy (promotional or open). It shall specify pertinent data such as compensation, a brief description of the essential job functions or duties of the position, the minimum and/or special requirements, and any recruiting deadlines.
The City of Commerce recruitment shall be posted on the City’s website. Other means of communicating the opening to the public may be used, such as local and national newspaper advertising, professional or trade journal advertising, local and regional association newsletters, unique mailing lists, and/or personalized letters. All advertising shall state that the City is an “Equal Opportunity Employer.”
Completed applications must be received by the Human Resources Department no later than the time and date indicated on the job bulletin. Each department shall assist the Human Resources Department by developing and maintaining recruitment sources in accordance with State and Federal guidelines.
Selection Procedure
The City of Commerce’s selection procedure is designed to ensure non-discrimination in hiring, transfers, and promotions. It is specifically concerned with preventing selections based on stereotypical characterizations, i.e., preference of supervisors, co-workers, or city clients, and other non-merit factors such as marital status, disability, etc. Specific procedures have been designed to accomplish this goal.
11 They include the following:
The Pool of Candidates has been expanded through a comprehensive posting and recruitment process. Current employees and the public are informed of employment opportunities utilizing the following “Advertising Guidelines” (Appendix C #I-1; Effective Date:
5/15/07): Advertising beyond the local labor market (e.g., out-of-state publications) will be considered for management and executive recruitments only. Where possible, professional newsletters, trade journals, websites, and community publications may be used to recruit for difficult-to-fill positions.
Application Forms with Procedures have been designed to evaluate job-related criteria.
These applications allow for considerable self-evaluation of the applicant's job skill level. In evaluating responses to questions relating to the applicant’s criminal conviction record, the City considers the relationship between the nature of the conviction and the applicant’s fitness for the job for which they are applying.
The City of Commerce has established a policy (Appendix C I-14; Effective Date: 5/15/07) to protect the City, its employees, volunteers, and public members and help minimize potential liability to the City. The City Council has adopted a resolution authorizing the Human Resources Department to obtain State summary criminal background information from the Department of Justice for employment purposes.
The City desires to identify those employees, prospective employees, and volunteers with a criminal history so that such information may be used in employment decisions. The “Criminal Background and Live Scan Policy” (#I-14; Effective Date 5/15/07) provides detailed information on the process.
Testing instruments used by the City of Commerce include any of the following: (Appendix C Testing, Certification and Eligibility list #I-2 Effective date 6/17/08) A. Screening of employment applications for minimum qualification.
B. Screening of applications and/or supplemental questionnaires or documents for job-related qualifications.
C. Administration of a job-related written examination.
D. Administration of a job-related oral examination.
E. Administration of a job-related performance examination.
F. Interview of candidates.
G. Coordinate an appropriate medical screening or examination after a job offer.
H. Investigation of reference and background information of individual candidates.
I. Drug testing for safety-sensitive positions
Completing the application form and the applicant interview are also part of the selection procedure for all applicants. Once hired, the probationary period is used as an additional mechanism to examine the suitability for the available position. 12 The Human Resources Department may call upon subject matter experts from within or outside City employment for assistance in interviewing prospective candidates.
Considerations in determining the appropriate selection device shall include cost to the City and candidates, time restraints, legality of the process, and practicality.
All candidates have the right to inspect their test answers within five (5) business days after the Human Resources department sends the written notification of examination results. If called to the attention of the Director of Human Resources within this period, any error in computation shall be corrected.
Interviewing (Appendix C Testing, Certification and Eligibility list #I-2 Effective date 6/17/08 #3-Eligibility List).
Based on the testing process results, the Human Resources Department shall determine which candidates shall be placed on the eligibility list. These lists also include 1) the names of candidates qualifying for reinstatement rights; 2) Candidates placed on the list by the Human Resources Department for purposes of rehabilitation 3) City employees who request the opportunity to be demoted voluntarily; 4) City employees desirous of a lateral transfer between the department and within the same classification and who are in good standing.
Eligibility lists other than those resulting from a continuous examination shall remain active for one year or until vacated by the Director of Human Resources, whichever occurs first.
Open competitive lists created because of continuous examination shall remain in effect for not more than one year after the last administration of the examination unless sooner vacated. An eligible list is exhausted when all the applicants in Bands I, II, and II on the list have been interviewed or requested to appear for an interview. The Director of Human Resources may vacate a list at the request of the Director of the hiring department.
Potential Lines of Progression In other areas of the City of Commerce’s organization, there are potential lines of progression. These potential lines of progression are intended only as a guide for reasonable and possible promotion sequences. They do not limit the authority’s ability to promote individuals demonstrating skills and capabilities to a job classification outside the written lines of progression.
Based on the examination results, all successful full-time and part-time employees will have their names placed on a closed promotional list of eligible candidates. All successful temporary employees and all other applicants will have their names placed on an open, competitive list of eligible candidates.
If at least three (3) names are in Band 1 of any employment list of eligible candidates, the appointing department will be required to interview and select a promotional candidate. If there are less than three (3) names in Band I of the list, these names and band placement will be merged into the Open Competitive Eligibility List.
Then, the appointing department will only be required to interview and consider these candidates, and selection will not be mandatory. (Appendix C Testing, Certification and Eligibility list #I-2 Effective date 6/17/08)
13 In nearly every position, three factors enhance promotion and advancement:
Lateral Moves (Appendix C Employee Transfers - #I-12 7/12/09) City employees desirous of a lateral transfer within their department (intra-departmental) shall follow departmental procedures for requesting such consideration. All intra-departmental transfers shall be at the same job classification and shall be approved by the department head.
City employees desiring a lateral transfer between departments (external departmental) must meet the following considerations:
Employees may only apply for external departmental transfer for positions within their same job classification and/or those comparable classifications with the same maximum salary range for which the employee fully meets the qualifications of the lateral position.
Employees must be in good standing in their current position. The Director of Human Resources and City Manager must approve any exception to the above. • Education: Any employee who fulfills the educational requirement for any open position can enter a higher-level job in their present department or move to a different division
• Experience: Experience alone may be sufficient to qualify for a lateral move or advancement. This experience may have been gained while working for the City of Commerce or in jobs outside the City.
Nepotism The City of Commerce’s policy about nepotism for new employees ensures that no person shall be appointed to a full, part-time, or temporary position under the City government which is a relative of blood or marriage within the first degree of any one or more of the members of the City Council, Mayor or City Manager. Nor shall any Department, Department Head, or employee recommend appointments to the City Manager, any person who, in their chain-of-command, is his/her relative by blood or marriage within the first degree.
The City of Commerce’s policy about nepotism for existing employees is as follows: (Appendix C Nepotism I-6 effective date: 5/15/07)
Although hiring relatives is prohibited by this rule, the City recognizes that before adopting this policy, there were situations where relatives had already commenced employment with the City and that present employees may become related in the future.
In such cases, no employee shall have direct supervision or control over, initiate, or participate in the following personnel actions, which include but are not limited to the appointment, transfer, promotion, demotion, layoff, suspension, termination, recall, work assignments, performance evaluations, timekeeping, merit increase, grievance adjustment, training or any other personnel action that may affect another City employee who is a relative as specified above.
14 As to existing employees and those who become related in the future, the City of Commerce retains the right:
1. To refuse to place a party in a relationship under the direct supervision of a relative where such has the potential to impact supervision, safety, security, or morale adversely.
2. Refusing to place relatives in the same department, division, or facility where such placement can adversely impact supervision, safety, security, or morale or involve potential conflicts of interest.
3. To transfer/reassign the employment of an employee whose post-employment relationships/marital status indicates the adverse impacts described above.
4. To accept a resignation or terminate the employee should the employee refuse the transfer/reassignment or if no transfer/reassignment is available.
Implementing the above-listed items requires case-by-case consideration and individualized assessment of existing employees' work situations.
The City Manager, having appointive power, shall determine whether, based upon relationships/marital status existing before the adoption of this policy or which are created after an employee is hired by the City, the continuing employment or promotion of an employee has the potential for producing an adverse impact on supervision, safety, security, morale or involves potential conflicts of interest.
General Personnel Policies and Procedures
Wage and Salary Administration
The Authority’s wage and salary administration program is designed to allow for the administration of a fair and equitable compensation system. Its goals are to:
• Match job descriptions with actual job duties.
• Determine compensation parity between jobs of equal responsibility requiring comparable skills.
• Prepare in-depth job descriptions covering:
• Purpose and scope of job
• Duties and responsibilities
• Supervision exercised
• Supervision received
• Minimum qualifications (education, experience, and other skills) Measure the job descriptions by a standardized system as a foundation for determining rank and compensation.
15 Assure that the compensation practices are fair and equitable and conform to the City of Commerce policy and applicable state and federal law. The Director of Human Resources has reviewed the wage and salary program related to the following. Current classifications have been examined to encourage career growth. Employees are encouraged to apply for positions for which they deem themselves qualified.
Every effort has been made to combine job classifications of a comparable nature; however, some job classifications are unique to a Specific Authority function. In such cases, education/ experience requirements are available for employees interested in pursuing them. The compensation level for positions reflects equity regarding degrees of responsibility and qualifications.
Benefits
In addition to its employee base salary, the City of Commerce offers the following benefits for full-time employees: The following information briefly describes the benefits available for full-time employees. Details on Part-time and Executive Employee Benefits can be found at:
https://www.ci.commerce.ca.us/city-hall/human-resources/employee-benefits MOU and Salary Schedules can be found at: https://www.ci.commerce.ca.us/cityhall/human-resources/mou-salary-schedules Health Benefits
The City paid Medical up to a cap of the monthly premium for employees and eligible dependents. Employees may choose from the following insurance plans:
• Blue Shield Access +
• Blue Shield Trio HMO
• Anthem Select HMO
• Anthem Traditional HMO
• Kaiser of California
• Health Net Smart Care
• Health Net Salud y Mas
• UnitedHealthcare Signature Value Alliance
• UnitedHealthcare Signature Value EPO Harmony
• PERS Platinum
• PERS Gold
Vision Coverage Provided by VSP (Vision Service Provider) The City pays employees and eligible dependents 100% of the monthly premium. This benefit includes one eye exam, one pair of lenses, and a one-year supply of contact lenses per year.
Dental Coverage Provided by UMR
The City pays employees and eligible dependents 100% of the monthly premium. The maximum benefit per calendar year per covered person is $2,000, and the lifetime maximum benefit for orthodontic expenses per covered person is $3,000. 16 Life Insurance
Full-time employees are provided with term life insurance equal to their annual salary, up to a maximum of $150,000.
Short-Term Disability Standard Insurance
Full-time employees must have been employed for at least 30 days before receiving shortterm disability benefits. The waiting eligibility period is 29 days, and the maximum allotted period is 180 days.
Long-Term Disability Standard Insurance
Coverage begins when an employee’s disability period exceeds the 180th-day timeline under short-term disability. The maximum allotted period is determined by the age when the disability begins.
Public Employers Retirement System (PERS) Retirement Benefit Effective July 1, 2013, new CalPERS employee members will commence paying an employee contribution of 6.75%. A new employee who is not a CalPERS member or a former CalPERS member who has been out of CalPERS for six (6) months or more will be eligible to enroll in the City’s 2% @ 62 Defined Benefit Pension Plan.
Effective July 1, 2014, "Classic" CalPERS employee members will be eligible to enroll in the City's 2% @ 55 CalPERS Retirement formula and contribute a 7% employee contribution towards the CalPERS Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Cost sharing for all full-time employees towards the City's required employer contribution to the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Retirement Benefit shall be ten and a half percent (10.5%) of compensation.
These amounts represent sharing the cost of the City's employer PERS contributions and are not inclusive of statutory employee contributions.
Deferred Compensation
The City contributes $25 per pay period and shall match an employee’s deferred compensation in an amount not to exceed 3% of the employee’s gross salary contribution per pay period.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The City pays employees and eligible household members 100% of the monthly premium.
Service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (888) 293-6948. This free and confidential brief counseling and referral service is designed to help employees and their household members resolve personal matters that may impact their work or home life.
Easy Eight Trip Reduction Program
Employees are eligible to participate in the Easy Eight Trip Reduction Program. Employees who carpool eight (8) days a month are eligible to receive $25 per month for ridesharing/carpooling.
Additional Benefits
• 12 paid annual holidays
17 • Administrative leave: The City offers 80 hours of administrative leave per year for exempt employees
• Aflac and Colonial insurance: This is available to employees at employee cost • City offers Pre-Tax flexible spending accounts, up to a maximum of $2,500 each per year
• Credit Union: City employees are eligible to join the F&A Federal Credit Union • Flexible work schedules
• Generous vacation, sick leave, and bereavement leave
• City participates in Social Security
Employee Development and Training
The City of Commerce recognizes its responsibility to train and develop its employees. The City shares the responsibility with employees in developing their promotion potential. It recognizes that development for employees takes place in a growth-oriented environment of understanding and respect for everyone’s uniqueness and is based on the following:
• The employee’s willingness to participate in self-development • Management’s commitment to assessing employee skill level and developing employee potential for promotion using available training opportunities • Quantity and quality of career development information provided by the Human Resources department.
Employee Performance and Evaluation
The City of Commerce has instituted a regular system of employee evaluations to increase communication between the managerial staff and those supervised. The performance evaluation system ensures the development and continuation of an effective authority workforce. After an employee has completed his/ her probationary period, written performance evaluations occur annually and are placed in the employee's personnel file.
The policy is as follows: (Appendix CIV-1 effective date: 7/1/15) Employees in regular part-time positions will have their performance evaluation by the following schedule:
• 3 months after the initial hire date
• 6 months after the initial hire date
• Upon completion of 1664 hours worked
Merit Increase Evaluations – For employees in regular part-time positions of a job class whose salary range has steps other than a flat rate, the following schedule applies only when performance is satisfactory:
• Step 2 after completion of 1,664 hours of service
• Step 3 after completion of 1,664 hours of service from Step 2 18 • Each succeeding step to maximum rate after completion of 1,664 hours of service from the preceding step
A performance evaluation must accompany any request for a merit increase. However, suppose a performance evaluation is not completed within sixty (60) days of the due date for the step increase. The step increase will be processed retroactively without the performance evaluation until the due date. Employee performance evaluations are conducted to provide employees and supervisors with an analysis of the employee’s job performance.
This evaluation and sharing of information between supervisor and employee enable employees to make self-development plans accurately. It also enables supervisory personnel to maintain an awareness of the employee’s skill level and plan accordingly for training and/or developmental assignments.
When a performance evaluation is conducted, the following benefits can be realized:
• Realistic assignment of work
• Objective analysis of employee’s capabilities
• Analysis of departmental strengths and weaknesses
• Assessment of training needs
• Monitoring of training effectiveness and assessment of development plans • Employee awareness of performance
Progressive Corrective Actions
If circumstances warrant the imposition of progressive discipline, it will be imposed consistently and equitably to correct deficiencies. The following outline describes the City of Commerce's progressive discipline process. (Appendix C Disciplinary Actions policy – effective date:
2/3/93)
1. Counseling
2. Verbal and Written Reprimands
3. Suspensions
4. Salary Reduction
5. Demotion
6. Dismissal
Discrimination & Harassment Complaint Procedures
Any City of Commerce employee or applicant who feels he/she has been discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or sexual preference has a right to register a complaint by the procedures outlined in this section. The City of Commerce will ensure that each employee and his or her witness are free from restraint, intimidation, interference, coercion, or reprisal at all stages of the process.
19 Persons named as allegedly discriminating staff will be adequately informed of the charges made against them and will be allowed to respond to those charges. The primary purpose of the discrimination and harassment complaint procedure is to determine whether discrimination has occurred and, if confirmed, take appropriate action to correct the situation.
For complaints other than discrimination and harassment, bargaining unit employees should follow the grievance procedures outlined in their union contract.
Employee Union and the Authority
All contracts developed between the City of Commence and employee unions include an anti-discrimination clause.
Monitoring and Reporting
The City of Commerce’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer has established an internal monitoring and reporting system. The purpose of this reporting system is to:
a. Assess accomplishments and establish and enforce a system of accountability. b. Evaluate the EEO/AA Program and take necessary corrective action. c. Identify areas in which EEO/AA goals or the implementation of affirmative steps have not been accomplished
d. Provide a precise and factual database for future projections and compliance reviews. 20 Appendix C