2.    EMPLOYMENT

2.1    DISCLAIMER

These policies are guidelines only and do not represent an employment contract, nor any aspect of an employment contract. As guidelines, these policies are not promises of specific treatment by Okanogan County.

2.2     EEO

Okanogan County subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity. Employees and applicants for employment shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability. All employment-related decisions are based solely on relevant job-related criteria. Discrimination and/or harassment based on any of these factors shall not be tolerated.

2.3    AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Okanogan County abides by the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and state laws governing employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities may be entitled to an accommodation in the application process and/or in the workplace. Any qualified individual with a disability may request reasonable accommodation in the employment process and/or in the workplace. It shall be the responsibility of a qualified individual with a disability to request reasonable accommodation in the hiring process or in the workplace.

2.4    RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

2.4.1    Job Description

It shall be the responsibility of the department head (appointed and elected) to maintain a job description on file for each position in the department. The job description should include scope of responsibility, typical duties, qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities, physical demands and environment, and acknowledgment.

2.4.2    Notification of Vacancy

The Administrative Coordinator shall be notified when a vacancy exists in a department, or a newly created position is being filled.

2.4.3    Job Announcements

Using the job description on file, the department head shall develop a job announcement listing the general duties, compensation, minimum and desired qualifications, date and timeframe, place and manner of making application for the positions and any other appropriate information.

2.4.3    Recruiting and Advertising

The job opening shall be advertised in the official county newspaper. Notification shall be made to the State Employment Security Department and the Colville Confederated Tribe’s employment office. Position announcements shall be posted in appropriate job site locations for a minimum of seven (7) working days to assure that County employees are aware of the opportunities available to them.

Public announcement is not required for position vacancies, which the department head recommends to be filled through in-house recruiting.

If a position becomes vacant within six months following the recruiting process, at the discretion of the department head, the original recruitment applicant pool may be used to screen for candidates to re-fill the position.

2.4.5 Application and Screening Procedure

All applications for County employment shall be made on forms approved by the department head. Resumes shall be accepted as an attachment to the application but not in lieu of the application. All applications must be filed or postmarked in compliance with the application instructions. It is the policy of Okanogan County to accept applications only when there is an open and listed job vacancy. Unsolicited resumes and applications may be accepted at the discretion of the department head. All applications shall specify the job applied for and shall be transferred from job opening to job opening only at the discretion of the department head.

Screening of applications based upon the job announcement shall be conducted either by:

1)    Department Head or designee with or without the assistance of the Administrative Coordinator and/or subject matter specialist.

2)    Department Head may elect to use the State Job Service Center to screen applications.

Top candidates, who meet the selected minimum qualifications, from the screening process shall be selected for an interview. It is recommended that at least three (3) candidates be selected for interviews.

2.4.6 Testing

Testing may be indicated to measure each applicant’s job related skill level. Such tests shall be conducted/administered by a person of like skill approved by the department head, and/or the Job Service Center.

An offer of employment may be contingent upon an applicant’s successful completion of a medical examination, drug testing, verification of driving record, and verification of required licenses and/or certifications.

2.4.7 Interview and Selection

Applicants shall possess the minimum qualifications and other requirements for the position as stated in the position announcement. Selection criteria must be job related and may be written, oral, physical, in the form of demonstrated skills, and an evaluation of the training and experience. Consideration shall be given to education, experience, aptitude, capacity, knowledge, character, physical fitness (as it relates to the essential functions of the position), to determine the relative fitness of the applicants. Department heads are encouraged to conduct pre-employment inquiries, including background checks, to verify past employment records and job-related qualifications of the applicants.

Interviews shall be conducted by the department head/designee and others as designated by the department head. The Administrative Coordinator may assist, if requested by the department head. Interviews and all interview questions shall comply with all federal and state regulations relevant to hiring.

2.4.8 Job Appointment

Final selection and job offers shall be based upon the three top rated applicants. Department heads shall notify the Administrative Coordinator of the final selection. Job offers shall be made by the department head/designee.

Appointments for vacancies are initially made on a trial service appointment. Regular appointments shall be made upon the successful completion of the trial service period. Regular appointments are subject to employees maintaining job-related qualifications such as driving license, permits, certifications, licenses, etc.

Temporary appointments may be hired full time or part time, for a period of time or for a job of limited duration with the understanding that there is no guarantee of continuation of employment. The period of temporary service shall not be credited towards the completion of any trial service period. The acceptance or refusal of a temporary appointment shall not effect an employee’s eligibility for a regular appointment.

2.4.9 Record Keeping

Each time a vacancy is filled, the department head shall maintain a file of all applicants for a three-year period, along with documentation of the selection process.

2.4.10 Department Head Openings:

When an appointed department head position becomes vacant, it shall be the responsibility of the Administrative Coordinator and the Board of County Commissioners/Appointing Authority to fill the position using the procedures described above for a new hire. Qualified County employees shall be given an opportunity to apply for the position, but shall be evaluated the same as external applicants. If the Commissioners/Appointing Authority deem it necessary, a qualified employee may be appointed directly.

2.4.11 Re-Hire

A County employee who terminated his/her own employment with the County, for any reason, may be rehired within six (6) months at the discretion of the department head.

2.5 PART TIME AND TEMPORARY HIRES

Departments wishing to hire part-time or temporary help are encouraged to follow the procedure described above for new hires. The acceptance or refusal of temporary employment shall not effect an employee’s eligibility for regular employment. The period of temporary service shall not be credited towards the completion of any trial service period. Successive temporary appointments to the same position shall not be made so as to circumvent a regular appointment of a qualified applicant.

2.6 PROMOTION AND INTERNAL POSTINGS

When in the judgment of the department head, a position can be filled through departmental promotion or transfer; such position shall be posted internally to give all existing employees the opportunity to apply.

Internal position announcements should be posted for at least five (5) working days. Internal postings should be posted in appropriate job site locations to assure that all employees shall be aware of the opportunities available to them. All employees are eligible to apply, provided they have no pending disciplinary actions against them. The department head should use the Recruitment and Selection process (Section 2.4) to arrive at the best-qualified internal applicant. At the discretion of the department head and the interests of obtaining a suitable applicant pool, the best-qualified internal applicant may be awarded the position or the recruiting process may be continued. In the event the recruiting process is continued, the above recruitment and selection process (Section 2.4) should be followed for the external posting. The best-qualified internal applicant should automatically included in the interview process. In the interest of time, the department head may elect to simultaneously post a vacant position internally and externally.

2.7 DEMOTION

A demotion is an appointment to a position and classification which has a lower maximum salary rate than the employee’s present classification, or a reduction in rate to a lower step on a range.

An employee may request in writing to the department head for removal from a position in one classification to a position in a reduced classification. If the employee is qualified, the department head may approve the request, provided it would not result in the layoff of another employee.

A classification reduction normally is done as part of disciplinary action or because of failure to perform the duties of a classification satisfactorily whether during or after the trial service period.

2.8 TRANSFERS

Position transfers involve a change of job positions, from one department to another, within the same classification. A classification transfer is an appointment to a position within a different classification. In all cases, the employee should be given seven (7) calendar days notice of the change. Before a transfer between departments is made, approval of both department heads shall be required.

2.9 ORIENTATION

Department heads are encouraged to set up a department orientation for new employees. Orientation should go over with the employee his/her job description, discuss the supervisor’s expectations regarding job performance, provide an overview of the department’s operations and procedures, and provide an opportunity for questions and answers. A mandatory orientation shall be provided by the Administrative Coordinator, Payroll, and/or department designee to assure that the employee is informed regarding issues such as personnel policies, payroll, benefits, safety, etc.

2.10 TRIAL SERVICE PERIOD

All appointments to regular positions, transfers and promotions shall be subject to a trial service period of six (6) months. The trial service period shall be an essential part of the examination process and shall be used for training and orientation of new employees. A temporary appointment shall not reduce the trial service period. All new hires shall serve a minimum of six (6) months trial service period.

Regular appointment of an employee in trial service period shall begin at the beginning of the seventh month of service if approved by the department head. If, however, the department head believes that there is a need to extend the trial service period to make a final determination of whether or not the employee will meet the requirements of the position, the trial service period may be extended up to an additional six (6) months. The employee shall be notified that the trial service period has been extended and the reasons for the extension shall be documented. At that time, the employee shall either become a regular employee or be dismissed. At any time during the initial trial service period, an employee may be separated from the county service without a hearing, but the reasons for the dismissal should be discussed with the Administrative Coordinator, Prosecuting Attorney, County legal advisor or County Commissioners.

2.11 LAYOFFS

In the event it becomes necessary to lay off personnel because of lack of work or revenue, the department head involved may retain critical personnel essential to the operation of the department. Thereafter, layoffs should be accomplished on the basis of ability and seniority measured from the most recent date of hire. Employees should be notified at least two (2) weeks in advance of an impending layoff. Temporary employees or employees in training or probationary status may be laid off without prior notice.

2.11.1 Re-Call

All regular, full time employees shall be entitled to re-call within six (6) months of layoff. When rehiring regular, full time employees, the order of re-call shall be in reverse, with the last employee released being entitled to the first chance at any position which becomes open, subject to the laid-off employee meeting the qualifications for the opening. The classification upon returning to work shall be that of the job to which the employee returns regardless of the employee’s classification at the time of the layoff. Any employee who fails to report for work within one (1) week from the date of notice of a re-call shall forfeit all re-call rights.

2.12 HIRING OF FAMILY MEMBERS

Okanogan County prohibits its department heads from refusing to hire or from terminating an individual "solely because another member of that individual’s family presently works for that department." However, department heads shall not hire or continue the employment of an individual when this would:

Should the above policy be violated as a result of a promotion or transfer, action may be taken as soon as possible to transfer one or the other of the employees. Employees who marry or begin cohabitation after employment shall be treated in accordance with this policy and one or the other may be subject to transfer or dismissal based upon seniority.