Houston Code of Ordinances § 14-27 Definitions and rules of construction.
Sec. 14-27. - Definitions and rules of construction.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in article I of this chapter and these rules and regulations shall have the meanings assigned to them in this section, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the text:
Accumulated (in reference to time or leave). Days and fractions thereof which are credited to an employee's vacation or sick allowance and gained through length of service with the city.
Allocate (allocation). Official determination of the class and pay level in which a position in the classified service is deemed to exist.
Appeal. A request in writing by an employee of the city addressed to and filed with the civil service commission, in the manner and within the time provided by the Charter and these rules, seeking an investigation, review or hearing of facts therein represented to constitute a deprivation or impairment of rights vested in such employee as a member of the classified service.
Appointee. An employee of the city who is not an elected official nor one working on a contract basis.
Appointing authority. The mayor.
Appointment. The designation of an individual by the appointing authority to become appointed to a position.
Article Va. Article Va of the City Charter, which creates civil service.
Budgetary reasons. Generally assigned in connection with releases, suspensions, or terminations that occur when available funds for a department, division or section, or project are depleted, withdrawn by the proper authorities, or when necessary revenues fail to materialize.
Certification. A written statement which advises of confirmation of conditions, individuals or positions by the constituted authority or authorities.
Charter. City Charter.
Chief examiner. The human resources department director.
Civil service or civil service employee. All city employees, other than probationary employees, embraced within the classifications recognized by the commission and not otherwise excepted from civil service by the Charter.
Civil service staff. The employees in the offices of the commission.
Class. A group of positions which, having common characteristics or similar educational and general qualification requirements or encompassing positions sufficiently alike as to character of duties and responsibilities, warrant for the group essentially the same treatment for all civil service purposes; as, "the engineering class," "the skilled labor class," etc.
Classification. The title of an individual position in the classified service; also the title of an individual employee in the service.
Classification plan. Orderly arrangement of positions into separate and distinct classes so that each class will contain those positions which involve similar duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements.
Classified (position—service). All positions and their titles which have been created by council and are under civil service.
Commission. The civil service commission of the city.
Compensation plan. Schedule of salaries or salary ranges established by ordinance for the several classes of positions in the service of the city; the provisions whereby all positions of a given classification will be paid either the same salary or within the same salary range.
Council. The city council.
Demotion (demote). A change in (or change to) the employment status of an employee to a position of lower classification or lower pay grade.
Department. Each department, division of a department, office, or division of an office of the city that is listed on Exhibit A at the end of Division 11, without regard to whether it constitutes a department of the city government.
Department director. Each person appointed as a department director by the mayor and confirmed by the council to assume the administrative duties of the various departments of the city. For the purposes of administering this article only, each person appointed by the mayor as the director or head of the division for each division of the mayor's office shall be considered a "department director." For purposes of mayor and councilmember offices, the mayor shall be considered the department director.
Director. The human resources department director.
Discharge. Act of removing an employee from the roster of the city.
Eligible (eligibility). One whose name is placed upon an employment, reemployment, reappointment or promotional list for a given class or classification after fulfilling the requirements therefor; attainment by an applicant, after passing the prescribed tests and fulfilling the qualifications, of the right to be certified as a prospective incumbent of a position.
Examination. A standard means by which an individual's or group's knowledge, skill, and/or ability in a particular area is evaluated, but which is not an employee performance rating. Examinations must be open, competitive, and free in accordance with the charter.
Full-time (employees, employment, position). Refers (or relates) to employees who are scheduled to work 80 hours per pay period throughout the year.
Hearing. A commission session, following notice to the interested party or parties, held for the purpose of receiving evidence and thereafter reaching a decision with respect to matters or controversies appropriately submitted to it for determination.
List of applicants. Those persons who have completed and submitted an application for employment, grouped according to merit, qualifications or pass/fail grade.
List of eligibles. A final list of applicants who have passed suitable examinations and/or possess the necessary qualification and who are eligible to be certified for an original appointment or reappointment under the provisions of Article Va and these rules.
Noncivil service employee. An employee not under civil service as defined by the charter.
Number. Use of the singular shall be held to include the plural, and use of the plural shall be held to include the singular.
Original appointment. Authorization for an eligible to begin work at a stated time and with a specific title and salary; such eligible shall not have previously worked for the city.
Part-time (employees, employment, position). Refers (or relates) to employees of the city who are scheduled to work less than 80 hours per pay period.
Pay grade. A designated level in a compensation plan with an assigned salary range to be used for any classifications determined to have that relative value.
Performance rating. The prescribed methods for determining the varying degrees of efficiency, production, capacity and the general contribution of a civil service employee.
Probationary employee. An employee who has not completed his first year of employment after original appointment or reappointment in a civil service position.
Promotion. A change in the employment status of an employee to a position of higher classification or pay grade.
Promotional examination. Examination of employees as a selection procedure for awarding promotions on the basis of merit.
Promotional probationary employee. An employee who has completed his probationary period after original appointment or reappointment in a civil service position, but has not completed the necessary six months in a position to which he has been promoted.
Reappointment. Authorization for a former employee to resume city employment, usually the position he last held but also any position, which appointment of itself (without the approval of the commission then given) does not restore seniority formerly held by such appointee.
Reassignment of duties. Result of changing by a supervisor, section head, division head or department director of an employee's duties or responsibilities, whether gradually or suddenly, whereby the duties or responsibilities then vary substantially from those in the job description and/or most recent employee performance plan last given for that position.
Reclassification. Change in title of a position; also change in title of an employee either through promotion, demotion or transfer.
Reemployment list. Names of persons, arranged in the order prescribed by these rules, who formerly occupied classified positions in the classified service and are entitled to certification to the appointing authority for reappointment after a layoff.
Regular. In reference to a position, one requiring full-time employment which has reasonable expectancy of continuing indefinitely; in reference to an employee, one who occupies such a position and has fulfilled the required probationary period of one year in a civil service position; and in reference to employment, appointment to such a position of an eligible who has reasonable expectancy of continuance even though his probationary period may not have ended, as distinguished from temporary employment, emergency employment, etc., where in the latter cases a limited term of employment was contemplated when either the position was created or the appointment was made.
Reinstatement. The commission's return of an employee to regular employment of the city with or without back pay and/or seniority.
Salary range. The amounts from minimum to maximum for a pay grade within which a specific salary may be determined.
Supervising authority. An employee who is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the work of one or more other employees, usually a department director but may also be a division head, section head or other designated employee.
Suspension. Period of time during which an employee, through disciplinary action, is forbidden to work and is denied salary.
Termination. The cessation of employment with the city.
Title. The designation given to a position; also the designation of an incumbent of a position in the classified service.
(Ord. No. 2015-1300, § 2(Exh. A), 12-16-2015)