Drafter
Clerk 08/02/2013
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AN ORDINANCE relating to personnel policies; clarifying when a probationary period is applied to employees and establishing a discretionary trial service period for laterally transferred employees; and amending Ordinance 12014, Section 5, as amended and K.C.C. 3.12.010, and Ordinance 12014, Section 13, as amended and K.C.C. 3.12.100.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. A career service employee is appointed to a county position as a result of a competitive selection process and that appointment is final upon the successful completion of a probationary period. The probationary period is used to determine the probationary employee's qualification for entry into career service. Achieving career service is analogous to achieving tenure. Until successful completion of the probationary period, the employee is "at-will" and may be terminated without cause.
B. A career service employee has a constitutionally-protected property right in his or her career service position that cannot be removed or reduced absent due process. In this context, that means that the employee must be given notice and an opportunity to be heard prior to suspension, demotion, or termination of employment. Entry into career service in King County also carries with it other rights, such as referral to other positions upon layoff and reemployment opportunities for up to two years after separation from employment.
C. The probationary period has been applied in the county to employees upon initial employment, reemployment, promotion, demotion, and lateral transfer to career service positions. However, there are two situations in which the probationary period should not be applied because the employee is currently in career service status, has already competed in a selection process, and an additional competitive selection process is not necessary. This occurs when an employee is promoted under a reclassifi...

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