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Section II, Page 1 of 18 SECTION II EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYEE STATUS CATEGORIES REGULAR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES: Employees who work a minimum of (37.50 – 40.00) hours per week on a continuous basis following a satisfactory probationary period. REGULAR PART-TIME: Employees who regularly work approximately (20.00) but less than (37.5 – 40.00) hours per week on a continuous basis, who complete a satisfactory probationary period. TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES: Employees holding jobs of limited or specified duration arising out of special projects, position vacancy pending appointment, the absence of a position incumbent, abnormal work loads, emergencies, or other reasons established by the Employer. Temporary employees may work either full- or part-time work schedules, but will not be eligible to receive benefits or accrue any form of service credit, or file formal grievances except in matters pertaining to alleged discrimination. Temporary positions may not exceed six months unless otherwise noted below. Temporary employees may be classified into specific groups depending upon specific union contract language. Project Employee: Employment is expected to continue for more than three weeks but not more than three months, with the understanding that employment is to terminate upon completion of a project. Occasional Employee: Employees engaged for a period of not more than three consecutive weeks. Limited Term Employee: Employment for a specific period of time dependent upon funding. Limited term employees shall not be hired while qualified employees are on layoff status. Seasonal Employee: Employment during the season in which services are required. Not to exceed five months. On Call Employees: Employees who are not guaranteed regular hours, but are called at the discretion of the employer after the seniority list has been exhausted. Other: This category includes but is not limited to Interns, Northwest WI CEP employees, or other from Job Service and/or other miscellaneous programs employed by the County for up to six months, depending on the length of service as provided by each program. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06) ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 2 of 18 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY STATEMENT It is the policy of Douglas County in all its departments to abide by all laws pertaining to fair employment practices. This County has and will continue to practice the policy, which prohibits discrimination against any person with regard to employment because of his or her race, religion, color, creed, sex, national origin or ancestry. This County will offer equal opportunity for employment or advancement to all qualified applicants and employees. The County’s policy against discrimination because of age (over 40), race, religion, creed, color, disability, marital status, sex, national origin, or ancestry, sexual orientation, arrest or conviction record (which is not job-related), or membership in the national guard, state defense force or military reserve; except where age, sex or lack of disability are an essential, bono fide occupational requirement (Title VII, Civil Rights Act and Wisconsin Statutes 111.31) shall apply to but shall not be limited solely to, hiring, placement, upgrading, transfer or demotion, recruitment, advertising or solicitation for employment, training during employment, rates of pay and other forms of compensations, and training, including apprenticeship, and layoff or termination. In furtherance of this policy, Douglas County provides for fair and equitable treatment in all phases of public employment including individuals eligible for recall. In addition, it is the intent of the Board of Supervisors of Douglas County to assure that every individual making application for employment or presently in the employ of Douglas County be considered on basis of individual ability and merit, without discrimination or favor. This policy also applies to the use of all facilities and participation in all county sponsored events and activities. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY OFFICER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06) ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 3 of 18 HOURS OF WORK POLICY STATEMENT It is the policy of the County to establish the time and duration of working hours as required by the work load and production flow, public service needs, and the efficient management of personnel resources. ADMINISTRATION The normal workday will consist of 7.5 or 8 consecutive hours of work with an unpaid meal period. Other work shifts, days, hours, and periods can be established and modified by the Department based on operating conditions and requirements of the County to which each employee is assigned. Collective bargaining agreements will be reviewed to determine any meet and confer requirements prior to establishing a new work shift, days, hours or period. The Human Resources department will be responsible for negotiating any required changes with the representative Union. Employees will be informed of their daily scheduled work hours, including meal period and rest or coffee breaks, and of any changes deemed necessary by the department. Supervisory personnel may require an employee to work an unscheduled day in place of a scheduled day within the same work week, in which case the unscheduled day worked shall be treated as a modified work schedule and not subject to overtime compensation on the basis of a changed work day unless otherwise required by the collective bargaining agreement. A. HOURS WORKED FLSA Nonexempt employees are paid overtime on the basis of actual hours worked, not total paid hours. For instance, non-job related training, paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave are not considered actual hours worked. 1. Hours Worked Includes a. Preparatory activities (early arrival) that are an integral part of the job such as servicing tools, opening the department, etc. b. Rest and break periods. c. Waiting time associated with the job. d. Work “volunteered” by the employee, unless directed by the manager not to perform work. If manager knew, or should have known, work was being performed, the work time is considered hours worked. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 4 of 18 e. Training time, unless it is outside work hours, is purely voluntary on the employee’s part and is not directly related to the job, and no productive work for the County is performed during the training. There are other FLSA requirements regarding Training time. If you have any questions, please consult with the Human Resources department. f. Standby time, unless the employee is merely required to advise the employer where the employee can be reached if needed. 2. Exclusion From Actual Work Hours Worked a. Paid leave time (holiday, vacation, sick leave, etc.) b. Compensatory time off with pay. c. Meal periods when completely relieved of all duties whether or not the employee is free to leave premises. d. Work performed contrary to direction or instruction of manager. e. Normal travel to and from residence to the assigned job location. 3. Workweek The normal workweek is Sunday through Saturday, beginning and ending at midnight on Sunday, consisting of 37.50 or 40 hours. Most County employees work form 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some County services are provided on a twenty-four (24) hour basis or as scheduled by the department manager, therefore, some County employees may have different work schedules. 4. Workday The normal workday will consist of 7.5 or 8.0 consecutive hours of work with an unpaid meal period. 5. Rest Periods Rest periods or coffee breaks up to 15 minutes must be counted as hours worked. Breaks are given at the discretion of management. If necessary, or continuity of services, rest periods are to be taken on a staggered basis. Employees may be docked for excessive break time. a. Full-time employees may take two such breaks; one during the first half of their work schedule, and the other during the second half of their work schedule. Part-time employees working a schedule of four or more hours a day will be provided with one rest period. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 5 of 18 b. Coffee Breaks may not be combined with or added to an employee’s meal period or be used to come to work late or leave early. c. Employees who choose to remain at work during rest breaks are not entitled to leave before the normal quitting time and will not receive extra pay for the time worked. Employees may not skip rest or meal periods in order to leave early from their work day. d. Flexible work days or schedules are at the discretion of management. 6. Meal Breaks Meal breaks where employees are completely relieved from duty are not considered hours worked. Meal periods are ordinarily 30 minutes to one hour long, depending on the operating requirements of each department. Employees are encouraged not to consume food at their work stations. a. Employees will not be compensated for their meal breaks unless they are required to work during their breaks. Nonexempt employees (those not exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act) must clock out and back in for all meal breaks. Nonexempt employees will receive overtime if working through their meal breaks with the approval of management results in a workweek in excess of 37.50 or 40 hours. b. Part-time employees scheduled to work more than five consecutive hours during any workday will receive a meal break of the same duration as full- time employees in their department. 7. Sick Leave, Vacation and Holidays It is not legally required to and the County does not count time off for sick leave, vacation and holidays as hours worked for overtime calculations unless otherwise negotiated into a Union contract. 8. Excused Absence Excused absences such as illness, jury duty, doctor appointments, etc, will not count toward overtime hours. 9. Unexcused Absence Unapproved absences are not to be considered as hours worked for pay. 10. Training Time Attendance at lectures, meetings, training programs, is not considered hours worked if: ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 6 of 18 1. Attendance is outside the employee’s regular working hours; and attendance is voluntary; the employee does no productive work while attending; and the course is not directly related to the employee’s job. 2. There are other FLSA exceptions regarding Training time. If managers have any questions, please consult with the Human Resources department. 11. Business Travel Normal travel from home to work is not considered work time. Travel for nonexempt employees (other than normal home to job location) requested by the employer must be compensated as working time when it occurs during normal working hours, whether on a work day or during corresponding hours on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday. Travel for nonexempt working hours must be compensated as working time if it is required by the employer. For example, travel time to deliver mailings for the office outside normal working hours must be considered hours worked. 12. Out of Town Travel A nonexempt employee who is required to travel out of town for one day need not be paid for time spent in traveling from his/her home to the local railroad, bus depot, or plane terminal, but he or she must be paid for all other travel time (except any time spent in eating while traveling). Employees who drive overnight are considered working all the time they are driving. If out of town travel occurs because of training which is not required, but the employee wishes to attend, the travel time will not be compensated unless it is during the employee’s normal work day. 13. Call-In Occasionally specific operational needs of the department dictate that employees be available for work beyond their daily or weekly work schedule, or to return to work after departing the premises, following completion of their normal work schedule. Either an extension of the workday or a returned resumption of work activity prior to the next scheduled workday may be treated as overtime for the purpose of nonexempt employee pay calculations, depending on the number of actual hours worked during the applicable workweek. Employees will receive a minimum number of hours of reporting pay or call-in pay as defined by the collective bargaining agreement when employees report for work and no work is available. If an employee is called back to work after the scheduled hours have been ended and works only 2 hours but is paid for 4 hours, the 2 hours not worked is not regarded as hours worked and may not be credited toward overtime pay. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 7 of 18 Reporting or call-in pay will not be granted if the lack of work is beyond the County’s control and/or if the department manager makes a reasonable effort prior to start time to notify employees not to report, or if employees refuse to accept other work that they are qualified to perform. Call-in pay will be granted only when employees are asked to come to work outside of their normal working hours. B. MAKING UP LOST TIME Managers may allow employees to make-up lost time during a given workweek. However, under no circumstances will make-up time be allowed if the lost time is a result of conditions the employee could control, if there is no work for the employee to do, or if there is not adequate supervision available. C. TIMEKEEPING REQUIREMENTS The FLSA requires that employees maintain accurate time records for all nonexempt employees, whether or not overtime is actually worked. Each employee must complete a time card or punch a clock, sign the time card, have the supervisor approve the record and submit it to Payroll. Changes to time records made by the supervisor or Payroll will be documented and given to the employee. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06) ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 8 of 18 LENGTH OF SERVICE A. LENGTH OF SERVICE Length of Service will be computed from the first day of hire into regular status and will be used for fringe benefit determination. Department seniority will be based on an employee’s length of uninterrupted service in a position occupied within a specific department. Where two or more employees have the same length of service the employee with greater service as defined below, will be considered senior. Conflicts in the likeness of service length will be resolved by the determination that the employee having the better performance record, attendance and skill development as evaluated by the Human Resources department will be considered senior. B. TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES Temporary employees will not earn seniority. If the temporary employee changes to regular status the employee will earn seniority at the time of the status change and will not be given credit for the prior temporary service. C. BREAK IN SERVICE Length of Service for fringe benefit purposes shall not be broken except under the following circumstances: a. Voluntary or involuntary termination occurs. b. Taking an unauthorized leave of absence. c. Taking a leave of absence exceeding the time limits specified in the leave of absence policy. D. LAYOFF Length of Service and the qualified to perform the available work will be the determining factors in the event of a layoff. a. During a layoff seniority will be frozen, but not broken. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06) ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 9 of 18 OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT POLICY STAEMENT It is the policy of the County to allow its employees to hold second jobs, subject to certain restrictions as outlined below. A. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The County requires that employee’s activities away from the job must not compromise the County’s interests or adversely affect their job performance and ability to fulfill all responsibilities to the County. Employees are prohibited from engaging in any activity that competes with the County or compromises its interests. This prohibition includes performing any services for customers on nonworking time that are normally performed by County personnel, the unauthorized use of any County tools or equipment, and the unauthorized use or application of any confidential trade information or techniques. In addition, employees are not to conduct any outside business during paid working time. B. JOB PERFORMANCE Employees are cautioned to consider carefully the demands that additional work activity will create before seeking or accepting outside employment. Outside employment will not be considered an excuse for poor job performance, absenteeism, tardiness, leaving early, refusal to travel, or refusal to work overtime or different hours. If outside work activity does cause or contribute to job related problems, normal disciplinary procedures will be followed to deal with the specific problems. C. BENEFITS Employees who have accepted outside employment are not eligible for paid sick leave or request unpaid personal time off when the absence is used to work on the outside job. Employees will not be paid sick leave if the result of an injury or illness is sustained on the second job. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 10 of 18 PROBATIONARY PERIOD POLICY STATEMENT The probationary period is an extension of the employee selection process during which the employee will be considered in training and under careful observation and evaluation by supervisory personnel. A. LENGTH OF PROBATIONARY PERIOD All new, rehired, or promoted employees will be subject to a one year probationary period before gaining permanent status. This period will be utilized to evaluate the employee’s effective adjustment to work assignments, conduct, observance of rules, attendance, and job responsibilities, and provide for the release standards of job progress or adaptation. At Will Employment 1. Probationary employee: Notwithstanding the provisions of the Douglas County probationary period, the department manager, committee, and/or county board, in conjunction with the human resources department reserve the right to terminate the employment relationship with any probationary employee at will and without advance notice. 2. Non-Union employee: Notwithstanding the provisions of the Douglas County probationary period, the department manager, committee, and/or county board, in conjunction with the human resources department reserve the right to terminate the employment relationship with any non-union employee who has completed the probationary period and gained regular status, at will and without advance notice. B. DURING PROBATION New and rehired employees will not be eligible to use vacation, personal holidays, and sick leave until after they complete the first six months of the probationary period. If an employee does not successfully complete the probationary period and has used vacation, sick leave or personal holidays beyond their accruals at the time of termination, the employee will be required to repay the time taken off. C. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Upon hiring of a new employee, the department manager will meet with the employee to review the job description and establish the expectation of performance. Thereafter, the department manager and/or supervisor will periodically meet with the probationary employee and review and document their performance. The recorded documentation will be discussed with the human resources representative to determine if the new employee is ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 11 of 18 meeting the established goals and expectations previously established. Within the first six months the manager and/or supervisor should try to determine the value of the employment relationship and whether or not to continue the full one-year probationary period. If the probationary period continues and the employee’s performance has been satisfactory in all respects the manager/supervisor shall perform an annual performance evaluation according to the accepted guidelines recommending the employee be granted regular status. Successful Completion of the Probationary Period Following the successful completion of the probationary period all new and rehired employees not covered by a bargaining unit shall receive a salary increase determined by the evaluation system recommendation of the manager, department head, and human resources department. D. RELEASE OF PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEE Employment may be terminated at the will and discretion of the County at any time during the probationary period should such termination be regarded as necessary and appropriate by the County. In cases of probationary release formal advance notice is not required if the termination occurs no later than the last day of the probationary period. E. PROMOTIONAL PROBATIONER A regular employee under promotional probation whose performance is determined to be unsatisfactory may be reinstated to the former position, or a comparable position, or released from the County, the determination of which shall be at the discretion of the County. In making this determination, the employees past work performance will receive consideration. The collective bargaining agreement and state statutes covering the promotional employee, when appropriate, will be considered prior to releasing the employee from County employment. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06) ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 12 of 18 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICY STATEMENT It is the policy of Douglas County in all its departments to abide by all the laws pertaining to fair employment practices. The recruitment and selection policy is designed to promote, recruit and select individuals on the basis of their relative knowledge, skill and ability. A. ADMINISTRATION All job openings are to be reported to the Human Resources department. The Human Resources department shall be responsible for the administration of an active recruitment program designed to meet current and projected manpower needs. All new or additional County positions must be authorized by County Board Resolution. Under most circumstances, new or additional positions will only be considered at budget time. When an opening occurs it is the responsibility of the hiring manager to seek approval from the County Administrator to fill the position. When the recruitment process begins, Human Resources staff will review the current job description and work with the hiring manager to update any required changes. Temporary Workers The Department Manager determines the need to utilize temporary workers during the process to fill vacant positions or to meet workload needs. The Department Manager will initiate this process by submitting a completed staff requisition form to the Human Resources department for County Administrator approval. Human Resources will make arrangements and contract with any temporary agencies for temporary workers. B. INTRA-DEPARTMENT OR INTRA-UNIT SEARCH When an opening occurs, postings for the vacancy will be conducted in compliance with any union contract. Prior to making any job offers, the hiring manager will confer with Human Resources. Human Resources will prepare a job offer letter identifying all conditions of employment and will arrange for post job-offer physical or examinations according to the requirements of the position. The County will normally try to fill job openings above entry level by promoting from within, if qualified applicants are known to be available internally. In addition, the County will normally give consideration to any known qualified individuals who are on layoff status before recruiting applicants from outside. The collective bargaining agreement or Civil Service ordinance covering the vacant position will be reviewed for procedural requirements for posting and filling the position. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 13 of 18 C. JOB OPPORTUNITIES POSTED All regular positions will be posted unless: 1. The position can be filled by a qualified employee of the department who has been laid off due to organizational change. 2. There is a plan for structural reorganization and reassignments of duties and responsibilities. 3. The department is not able to attain approval to fill the position by the County Administrator. D. POSTING PROCESS After receipt of the staff requisition, Human Resources will post the position for five days on the job posting bulletin board as well as a prominent place in the Government Center, Courthouse and off-site facilities. The posting will include the job title and classification, salary range, hours worked, a brief description of the job, minimum qualifications and the name of a contact person who can give additional details about the position. Applications for positions will not be accepted beyond the posted deadline date. E. INTERNAL APPLICATION PROCESS 1. Eligibility a To be eligible to post, an employee must have successfully completed their probationary period and received a satisfactory performance rating. b To be eligible to post, an employee must meet the minimum qualifications of the position on the job posting by the deadline of the job posting. c Full-time and part-time employees who are employed by the County are eligible to post. Temporary employees or temporaries who are contracted through an agency are not eligible to post and will be treated as external candidates as described below. d. Additional eligibility requirements will include membership in the bargaining unit representing the position being filled, if applicable. 2. Applicant Process a. An employee who is interested in applying for a posted vacancy must complete a job posting application and return it to the Human Resources department. While employees are encouraged to discuss their interest in ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 14 of 18 posting with their current managers, it is not mandatory until it has been determined that the employee will be referred to the hiring manager for an interview. b. An employee may have one or more job posting applications active at one time. c. Applications for positions will not be accepted beyond the posted deadline date. F. INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS Collective bargaining agreements and the Civil Service ordinance will be followed to determine how testing or seniority rights will be used in the internal selection process. The County reserves the right to determine what testing requirements will be administered to determine if an applicant is qualified to fill any vacant position. 1. Human Resources will receive the applications and review them for qualifications. If the minimum qualifications require meeting standards that can be only measured through written tests, performance tests or structured interviews, Human Resources staff will administer the tests prior to referral of candidates to the hiring manager. All candidates will receive written or oral communication from the Human Resources department concerning their application status. 2. Depending upon the collective bargaining agreement or Civil Service ordinance requirements, the Human Resources representative reviews the qualifications of the applicant(s) with the hiring manager. Personal interviews may be conducted with each of the final candidates. 3. The interviewing manager must confer with the Human Resources representative to evaluate the interview process prior to the Human Resources department extending a job offer. G. PLACEMENT PROCESS – INTERNAL CANDIDATE 1. Working with the new manager, the Human Resources representative will extend the job offer and confirm the exact starting date with the releasing manager. 2. The employee should be released as soon as possible but generally not later than two weeks after the selection date. In very unusual circumstances, other arrangements may be negotiated between the managers involved. 3. All applicants not selected will be contacted by the Human Resources representative. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 15 of 18 H. CONFIRMATION LETTER On behalf of the hiring manager, Human Resources will prepare an internal confirmation letter for each employee. The letter will include position title, effective date, status, salary and other terms of employment agreed to. A copy of the confirmation letter, signed by the employee acknowledging acceptance of the position, shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file. I. EXTERNAL RECRUITING - PUBLIC NOTICE After the job opening has been posted internally and union posting requirements are completed and no current employees apply or qualify, public recruitment may begin. 1. All regular full-time and part-time vacancies must be advertised in at least one newspaper serving the area to assure that the general public is aware of the opportunity for employment. 2. Under certain circumstances it is permissible to conduct an internal and external job search simultaneously in order to accelerate the staffing process. 3. If external candidates are to be considered for job openings, other forms of public notice may be used to attract qualified candidates. Upon the discretion of the department head and the Human Resources department, a wider recruitment effort may be made, utilizing various methods and sources appropriate to fill the openings. 4. If an identical position has been posted internally within the previous four weeks with no qualified internal applicants posting, Human Resources may utilize the external applicant pool already on file and/or conduct an external search as soon as the requisition is received. The job will be posted internally at the same time and any posting candidate will be considered along with any external candidate(s). J. EXTERNAL RECRUITING AND TESTING PROCESS If qualified candidates are not available through internal sources, the Human Resources department will be responsible for recruiting the candidates and will utilize the recruitment methods and sources it deems appropriate to fill the openings. (Refer to External Recruiting Public Notice, above, Section 1. Applicant Process a. Any candidate for employment must submit a completed application form, to the Human Resources department in order to be considered for hiring. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 16 of 18 b. Candidates applying for specific positions must possess the qualifications required of the job. c. Applicants for the positions will not be accepted beyond the posted deadline date. d. Residency in Douglas County is a condition of employment. Any person hired as a department head for the County shall have six months after the completion of the probationary period to establish and maintain residency or domicile in Douglas County or employment shall be terminated. However, waivers may be granted by the Administration Committee on a case-by-case basis using the criteria listed below. Other residency requirements will be defined by union contract. There is no residency requirement for non-union non-department head positions. Criteria for granting a waiver shall include: 1) For a newly appointed employee owning a residence within a 50 mile response distance from their work location and outside of Douglas County or the union negotiated residency area; OR 2) For a new or existing employee, extreme hardship for family illness. 3) However, once a waiver is granted, should the employee during the term of employment relocate from that waived residence, they shall establish residency within Douglas County or the union negotiated residency area. 4) No waivers will be granted for elected officials or the County Administrator. Resolution 03-05 adopted 1/20/2005. K. EXTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS 1. Human Resources receive applications and review the qualifications with the hiring manager and/or department designee. The Human Resources department will arrange for and administer required testing of potentially qualified candidates. Testing may include written tests, performance tests or structured interviews. 2. During the selection process, no statement is to be made promising or guaranteeing employment and no document should be called a contract unless a written employment agreement is used. 3. Interviews are then conducted by a Human Resources representative, along with the hiring manager and/or department designee with each of the final candidates. In some instances interviews will include the governing committee and others familiar with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 17 of 18 4. The decision whether to hire the applicant is to be made by the hiring manager and/or department designee based upon recommendations from the Human Resources representative and/or others involved in the hiring process. When the open position is a department head position, the governing and Administration committee shall recommend appointment to the County Board. 5. The Human Resources department will conduct all reference checks and qualification verifications involving the final candidates. Where a position requires a background investigation, the Human Resources Department will coordinate conducting the background with the Sheriff’s Office. This process must be completed before a decision to hire can be made. 6. The interviewing manager must confer with the Human Resources representative to evaluate the interview process prior to the Human Resources department extending an offer. L. JOB OFFER 1. Following a decision to hire and completion of the reference checks and background investigations, the Human Resource’s representative will make an offer of employment. 2. If the background investigation has disclosed any misrepresentation on the application form or information indicating that the individual is not suited for employment with the County, the applicant will not be given a job offer or, if already employed, may be terminated. 3. The Human Resources Department will arrange for all post-job offer testing including physical examinations and examinations as applicable. 4. All applicants not selected will be contacted by the Human Resources department no later than ten (10) days after the position has been filled. M. APPOINTMENT LETTER On behalf of the hiring manager, Human Resources will prepare an official appointment letter for each new employee. The letter will include position title, effective date, status, salary, and any other terms or conditions of employment agreed to. A copy of the appointment letter shall be placed and maintained as a permanent document in the employee’s personnel file. ---PAGE BREAK--- Section II, Page 18 of 18 N. ADVANCE STEP PLACEMENT UPON APPOINTMENT TO A UNION POSITION WHERE ALLOWED BY A UNION CONTRACT Upon recommendation of the department manager and the Human Resources Manager department representative and approval by the County Administrator, a newly appointed employee may be placed above the first step of the salary range considering the following criteria: 1. The position is difficult to recruit for; 2. The employee would take a cut in pay if appointed at the first step; 3. The employee’s qualifications, considering minimum qualifications of the position, would have placed them on the step had all of the experience been with the County in the position. No employee can be appointed to the top step of the salary range through being newly appointed under the advance step provision. Passed by County Board, Resolution 135-05, December 15, 2005. Revised January, 2006 (Resolution #10-06)