300-03 Seniority

Question 1

Seniority is used throughout the department as a factor in making decisions relative to ____ including, but not limited to, time off and shift assignments.

Generally, employees with more seniority shall be allowed to _____ on these matters before employees with less seniority.

Other types of seniority may be provided for by law, City policies, or other department policies. This policy does not apply to situations in which other specific provisions exist.

Answer 1

1) personnel issues

2) exercise their preferences

Question 2

Management Need.

Answer 2

A specific, defined operational or management objective.

Question 3

Mid Manager.

Answer 3

Any employee having supervisory authority above the level of a first-line supervisor and below the level of division commander.

Question 4

Multiple Holidays.

Answer 4

The holidays of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Question 5

Personnel Requirements.

Answer 5

The combination of job skills, knowledge, work experience, interest of the employee, etc., required for a particular assignment.

Question 6

Rotating Seniority List.

Answer 6

A list arranged by seniority on which employees desiring a multiple holiday off indicate if the holiday is their first, second, or third choice.

Question 7

Time in Grade.

Answer 7

Time spent at a certain classified rank or civilian job classification.

Question 8

EMPLOYMENT DATE

Civilian Employees

The employment date for civilian employees is the date they…

Answer 8

began employment with the City of Houston as determined by the Houston Police Department and the City of Houston Human Resources Department.

Question 9

EMPLOYMENT DATE

Classified Employees

The employment date for classified employees is the date the employees began _____.

However, in some instances classified employees have served as police officers with the City of Houston without receiving cadet training or before they received cadet training. The employment date for such classified employees is the _____.

Answer 9

1) cadet training

2) first day of their employment as a police officer with the City of Houston

Question 10

EMPLOYMENT DATE

Employment Date Adjustments

Employment dates shall be appropriately adjusted for rehire situations in which civilian or classified employees have _____.

Such adjustments shall preserve the rehired employee’s past seniority as determined appropriate by the Houston Police Department and the ____.

The adjusted employment date is referred to as the ____.

Answer 10

1) prior employment service with the City of Houston
2) City of Houston Human Resources Department
3) Comp Date

Question 11

EMPLOYMENT DATE

Employment Date Adjustments

Absences for military leave for service with the armed forces of the United States do not affect _____.

Also, unpaid leaves of absence and disciplinary suspensions totaling _____ days or less in any _____period do not affect employment date calculations or an employee’s position on a promotional list.

Answer 11

1) employment date calculations or an employee’s position on a promotional list
2) 90 calendar
3) 36-month

Question 12

EMPLOYMENT DATE

Employment Date Adjustments

Employment dates shall be appropriately adjusted for unpaid leaves of absence and disciplinary suspensions that are over _____ days in duration as follows.

If an unpaid extended leave of absence is approved by the Police Officers Civil Service Commission (POCSC) or City Council under the applicable ordinance and policy, the employment date adjustment shall take into account only those days in excess of _____ days.

However, for disciplinary suspensions and all other unpaid leaves of absence (not approved by POCSC or City Council), employment dates shall be adjusted for the entire duration of the absences totaling in excess of _____.

Answer 12

1) 90 calendar
2) 90 calendar
3) 90 calendar days in any 36-month period

Question 13

DETERMINING CLASSIFIED SENIORITY

Classified employees’ seniority is determined as indicated below. Should a tie in seniority ranking remain, the _____ shall determine highest seniority.

Answer 13

lowest employee number

Question 14

DETERMINING CLASSIFIED SENIORITY

Police Officer Rank

Senior police officers, police officers, and probationary police officers shall be considered together in the one rank of police officer for the purpose of seniority classification.

Seniority for employees of the rank of police officer is determined by their ____.

Seniority for officers having identical employment dates and who are out of the same academy class is determined by their_____.

This rule does not apply to academy classes for which _____.

Answer 14

1) employment dates
2) overall class ranking
3) such information is no longer available

Question 15

DETERMINING CLASSIFIED SENIORITY

Sergeants and Lieutenants

Seniority within each rank for sergeants or lieutenants shall be determined by their _____.

Seniority for sergeants or lieutenants having identical time in grade and who are on the same promotional list is determined by _____.

Answer 15

1) time in grade

2) their position on said promotional list.

Question 16

DETERMINING CIVILIAN SENIORITY

Civilian seniority shall be determined as indicated in Step 1 below and proceed sequentially down the steps until a tie in seniority no longer exists. Should a tie in seniority ranking remain, the _____ shall determine highest seniority.

Answer 16

lowest employee number

Question 17

DETERMINING CIVILIAN SENIORITY

a. Step 1

Seniority for civilian employees shall be determined by _____ with the City of Houston except as indicated.

Seniority for senior jail attendants or police telecommunicator supervisors who have the same time in grade and who are on the same candidate list is determined by _____.

The Emergency Communications and Jail divisions shall permanently maintain their _____

Answer 17

1) the time they have worked in a job classification or job group
2) their position on said candidate list
3) respective candidate lists.

Question 18

DETERMINING CIVILIAN SENIORITY

b. Step 2

Seniority for civilians shall be determined by the…

Answer 18

time they have held a position in the Houston Police Department.

Question 19

DETERMINING CIVILIAN SENIORITY

c. Step 3

Seniority for civilians shall be determined by their ____.

Answer 19

employment dates

Question 20

JOB GROUPS

Employees performing similar tasks in the same assignment may be combined into one job group for the purpose of ____.

When job groups are formed, they shall be based on ____ rather than specific job classifications.

When classified employees and civilians perform similar tasks, they may be combined into_____

Answer 20

1) determining seniority
2) job functions and responsibilities
3) one job group (e.g., classified dispatcher supervisors and police telecommunicator supervisors).

Question 21

JOB GROUPS

_____ shall document any job groups they have created for seniority purposes in their division standard operating procedures.

When classified employees are using seniority to compete with civilians, the ____ method shall apply to both civilian and classified personnel.

Answer 21

1) Division commanders

2) civilian seniority calculation

Question 22

GENERAL GUIDELINES

The following procedural guidelines pertain to the application of seniority:

a.
Seniority operates within the ____.

b.
Employees may not bump other employees from their current positions, scheduled time off, or shifts. However, employees who have leave approved prior to being moved, reassigned, or transferred shall, when possible, ____

c.
Seniority becomes effective on the____.

d.
Division commanders are not required to consider ____ seniority.

Answer 22

a.
Seniority operates within the assigned divisions only.

b.
Employees may not bump other employees from their current positions, scheduled time off, or shifts. However, employees who have leave approved prior to being moved, reassigned, or transferred shall, when possible, be allowed to take the leave as originally scheduled.

c.
Seniority becomes effective on the transfer date.

d.
Division commanders are not required to consider mid managers’ seniority.

Question 23

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Divisions or sections with _____ may modify the procedures listed in this section.

Any alternative procedures shall follow the policy in this section _____. Alternative procedures shall be documented in the division’s standard operating procedures.

Answer 23

1) special scheduling or assignment issues

2) as closely as practicable

Question 24

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Time Off

Seniority is the primary criterion used for scheduling time off (except for multiple holiday periods). For scheduling time off, seniority shall be applied to only _____.

Answer 24

the same shift of the same section of a division

Question 25

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Vacancies

Vacancies shall be filled through intradivisional reassignment or transfer as defined in General Order 300-02, Transfer of Classified Employees.

Seniority shall be the primary criterion when using intradivisional reassignment to fill vacancies. In
such instances, seniority shall be applied_____

Answer 25

across all shifts and all sections of a division.

Question 26

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Exceptions

Seniority shall not be the only factor considered in filling assignments, making schedules, or assigning shifts. Division commanders shall also consider _____ in making such decisions.

The department may place employees in those assignments for which they are best suited or which ____.

Answer 26

1) management needs and personnel requirements

2) best suit the department, regardless of seniority

Question 27

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Exceptions

When application of seniority creates a void in personnel requirements within a particular assignment, the division commander shall make assignments and schedules according to_____

Answer 27

the needs of the division.

Question 28

TIME OFF AND VACANCIES

Exceptions

When the application of seniority may have to be modified or suspended due to unusual circumstances such as division reorganization or division downsizing, _____ shall be submitted to the Chief of Police for approval.

Guidelines for modifying the application of seniority in
such instances shall be included in this correspondence.

Answer 28

written justification for such action

Question 29

MULTIPLE HOLIDAYS

The division commander shall determine the minimum staffing levels needed for each ____.

Answer 29

multiple holiday

Question 30

MULTIPLE HOLIDAYS

A holiday work list shall be generated for each multiple holiday and volunteers, ranked by seniority, shall be allowed to ____.

Division commanders may adjust the actual days included in the multiple holiday period to ensure that the _____

Answer 30

1) sign up to work the holidays that fall on their regular work days
2) most desirable days off are offered on each shift.

Question 31

MULTIPLE HOLIDAYS

If the minimum staffing level for a particular day is not reached by the use of volunteers, the division commander shall fill the remaining positions using the _____.

Those who indicated that the particular holiday was their _____choice shall be selected by seniority to fill the positions first.

If positions still need to be filled, the same procedure
shall be used relative to _____ until all positions have been filled.

Answer 31

1) rotating seniority list
2) third
3) second and then first choices

Question 32

MULTIPLE HOLIDAYS

Each multiple holiday shall be considered ____when scheduling assignments.

This method should increase the chances of all employees, regardless of seniority, _____

Answer 32

1) separately

2) obtaining at least one multiple holiday off.