Sec. 4.92. Salary Step Advancement.
(a) The first salary step advancement for an employee who has been initially appointed to City service, or who has been appointed or assigned to a position on a higher salary range, shall take place at the beginning of the payroll period one year from the date of the appointment or assignment and upon completion of 2,080 regular paid hours, unless provided otherwise in a Memorandum of Understanding. The employee’s step anniversary date shall be every 12 months after the date of initial appointment or assignment to the employee’s position, except under the circumstances set forth in Subsection (c), even though the employee’s step advancement will occur at the beginning of the payroll period within which the step anniversary date falls.
(b) Each subsequent step advancement shall occur at the beginning of the payroll period within which the employee’s step anniversary date falls following an additional 12 months of service and the completion of 2,080 regular paid hours, except under the circumstances set forth in Subsection (c), until the top step has been reached.
(c) Uncompensated absences of 128 hours or less during the 2,080-hour qualifying period and during each subsequent 2,080-hour annual period shall not extend the step advancement date. The step advancement date shall be extended one hour for each hour of aggregated uncompensated absence in excess of 128 hours. Employees who are injured on duty and are compensated in accordance with Division IV of the Labor Code of the State of California and Article 7 of Chapter 2 of Division 4 of this Code shall not have their step advancement date changed due to their workers’ compensation status.
(d) Consecutive appointments to positions with the same top step salary rate in the 12 months following the appointment or assignment shall be treated as one appointment or assignment for step advancement purposes, unless provided otherwise in a Memorandum of Understanding.
(e) An employee who is appointed to a new position on the same or lower salary range shall retain the step advancement date established for the former position.
(f) Provisions applicable to part-time (half-time and intermittent) employees:
(1) The initial salary step advancement for a half-time employee (half-time or more but less than full-time) in a Civil Service position compensated on a salary range shall be on the first day of the payroll period within which completion of one year of service occurs, provided that the employee will have been compensated for at least 1,040 hours during the same 12-month period, unless provided otherwise in a Memorandum of Understanding. Each subsequent step advancement shall be in the payroll period following the completion of one additional year of service within which the employee was compensated for 1,040 hours.
Beginning July 7, 2019, the initial salary step advancement for a half-time employee (half-time or more but less than full-time) in a Civil Service position compensated on a 12-step salary range, who is hired or placed on Step 2 or 3 shall be on the first day of the payroll period within which completion of nine (9) months of service occurs, provided that the employee will have been compensated for at least 750 hours during the same nine-month period, unless provided otherwise in a Memorandum of Understanding. Step advancement from Steps 4 through 12 shall be in the payroll period following the completion of one additional year of service within which the employee was compensated for 1,000 hours.
(2) Intermittent employees or half-time employees exempted from Civil Service provisions by Charter Section 1001 shall be paid a rate corresponding to the entering step in the salary range for the classification in which the employee is employed. Full-time or half-time employees changing to intermittent status in the same Civil Service class shall continue to be paid at the same rate as which they were last paid while a full/half-time employee. Employees who, on the effective date of this Section, are being compensated on a step in a salary range higher than that prescribed by this Section shall receive salary at their existing rate until that rate meets or exceeds the rate prescribed by this Section.
(g) Effective June 29, 2014, non-represented classifications listed in Schedule “A” of Section 4.61, which are compensated on a salary range shall be converted from a five-step salary range to a 15-step salary range. Step placement for employees on the new 15-step salary range will occur as follows:
(1) An employee’s current step on a five-step salary range will be converted to a 15-step salary range by multiplying the current step times two, plus two. For example, an employee on step 3 of the five-step salary range will be placed on step 8 of the new 15-step salary range (step 3 x 2 + 2 = step 8). Step anniversary dates for all non-represented employees shall remain unchanged and shall be frozen on June 29, 2014, and shall be unfrozen on June 30, 2015.
(2) Immediately upon conversion to the 15-step salary range, each employee in a non-represented classification will advance one step on the new range effective June 29, 2014.
(3) Effective December 28, 2014, each employee in a non-represented classification shall advance one step on the new range.
(4) Effective June 28, 2015, each employee in a non-represented classification shall advance one step on the new range.
(h) Effective June 29, 2014, the following shall apply to employees promoting between classifications on five-step and 15-step salary ranges:
(1) When an employee promotes from a classification on a five-step salary range to a classification on a 15-step salary range, the following shall occur:
a. The employee’s step on the five-step salary range shall be converted to the equivalent step on a 15-step salary range using the methodology described in (g)(1) above. For example, an employee on step 3 of a five-step range shall be converted to step 8 of a 15-step salary range.
b. The employee shall then be advanced one salary step on the 15-step salary range. For example, an employee on step 8 of a 15-step salary range shall be placed on step 9 of a 15-step salary range.
c. The employee shall be placed on the step of the promotional classification salary range that is closest to (but not less than) the newly assigned salary step.
(2) When an employee promotes from a classification on 15-step salary range to a classification on a five-step salary range, the following shall occur:
a. If the employee’s salary step on the 15-step salary range exceeds the highest salary step of the five-step salary range, the employee shall be placed on step 5 of the five-step salary range.
b. If the employee’s salary step on the 15-step salary range is within the five-step salary range, the employee shall be placed on the step on the five-step salary range that is at least five (5) percent above the step of the 15-step salary range.
(i) Effective June 29, 2014, the following shall apply to employees transferring, transitioning, or reverting between classifications on five-step and 15-step salary ranges:
(1) When an employee transfers, transitions, or reverts from a classification on a five-step salary range to a classification on a 15-step salary range, the following steps shall be taken:
a. The employee’s step on the five-step salary range shall be converted to the equivalent step on a 15-step salary range using the methodology described in (g)(1) above. For example, an employee on step 3 of a five-step range shall be converted to step 8 of a 15-step salary range.
b. The employee shall be placed on the step of the new classification salary range that is closest to (but not less than) the newly assigned salary step.
(2) When an employee transfers, transitions, or reverts from a classification on a 15-step salary range to a classification on a five-step salary range, the following shall occur:
a. If the employee’s salary step on the 15-step salary range exceeds the highest salary step of the five-step salary range, the employee shall be placed on step 5 of the five-step salary range.
b. If the employee’s salary step on the 15-step salary range is within the five-step salary range, the employee shall be placed on the step on the five-step salary range that is closest to (but not less than) the step of the 15-step salary range.
(j) Effective June 29, 2014, employees newly hired to the City, or transferring employees whose current salary falls below the first step of the 15-step salary range, shall be placed on the first step of the salary range in effect at the time of appointment.
(k) Effective July 7, 2019, non-represented classifications listed in Schedule “A” of Section 4.61 of this Code, which are compensated on a salary range, shall be converted from a 15-step salary range to a 12-step salary range. Step placement for employees on the new 12-step salary range will occur in accordance with the following table, and the conversion formula and step rate values provided by the City Administrative Officer to the Controller. Upon conversion, employees shall be placed on the step in the new 12-step salary range that is closest to, but not lower than, their current 15-step rate.
Step on 15-step salary range | Step on 12-step salary range
Step on 15-step salary range | Step on 12-step salary range
1 | 2
2 | 3
3 | 4
4 | 5
5 | 5
6 | 6
7 | 6
8 | 7
9 | 7
10 | 8
11 | 8
12 | 9
13 | 10
14 | 11
15 | 12
(l) Beginning July 7, 2019, Steps 2 and 3, and Steps 3 and 4, of the 12-step salary range structure are separated by one premium level (2.75%); Steps 4 through 8 are separated by two premium levels (5.5%) between consecutive steps; and Steps 8 through 12 are separated by one premium level (2.75%) between consecutive steps.
(m) Beginning July 7, 2019, upon conversion from the 15-step salary range, non-represented employees placed on Step 2 or 3 of the new 12-step salary structure who had a previous step anniversary date occurring more than nine (9) months after July 7, 2019, shall have their step anniversary date changed to April 7, 2020. Advancement from Step 2 to 3, and from Step 3 to 4, shall occur upon completion of nine (9) months; advancement from Steps 4 through 12 shall occur upon completion of twelve (12) months at each step, with the step anniversary date being twelve (12) months from the date of being placed on Steps 4 through 12.
(n) Beginning July 7, 2019, upon conversion from the 15-step salary range, non-represented employees placed on Step 2 or 3 of the new 12-step salary structure who had a previous step anniversary date occurring nine (9) months or less after July 7, 2019, shall retain their original step anniversary date. Thereafter, advancement from Steps 4 through 12 shall occur upon completion of twelve (12) months at each step, with the step anniversary date being twelve (12) months from the date of being placed on Steps 4 through 12.
(o) Beginning July 7, 2019, upon conversion from the 15-step salary range, non-represented employees placed on Steps 4 through 12 of the new 12-step salary structure shall retain their original step anniversary date, with subsequent advancement from Steps 4 through 12 occurring upon completion of twelve (12) months at each step.
(p) Beginning July 7, 2019, non-represented employees shall be hired at Step 2 (or the appropriate higher step in accordance with Section 4.90 of this Code) of the 12-step salary range prescribed for their classification. Employees shall remain on Steps 2 and 3 for nine (9) months at each step. The step anniversary date for Steps 2 and 3 shall be nine (9) months from the date of being placed on Steps 2 or 3 as a result of initial appointment, transfer, or promotion. Advancement from Steps 4 through 12 shall occur upon completion of twelve (12) months at each step, with the step anniversary date being twelve (12) months from the date of being placed on Steps 4 through 12, including step placement as a result of initial appointment, transfer, or promotion.
(q) Beginning July 7, 2019, uncompensated absences of 96 hours or less during the 1,560-hour, nine-month qualifying period on Steps 2 and 3 of the 12-step salary range shall not extend the step advancement date. The step advancement date from Steps 2 to 3, and from Steps 3 to 4, shall be extended one hour for each hour of aggregated uncompensated absence in excess of 96 hours. For Steps 4 through 12 of the 12-step salary range, uncompensated absences of 128 hours or less during a 2,080-hour, 12-month qualifying period shall not extend the step advancement date. The step advancement date for Steps 4 through 12 shall be extended one hour for each hour of aggregated uncompensated absence in excess of 128 hours in the 12-month qualifying period. Employees who are injured on duty and are compensated in accordance with Division IV of the Labor Code of the State of California and Article 7 of Chapter 2 of Division 4 of this Code shall not have their step advancement date changed due to their workers’ compensation status.
SECTION HISTORY
Based on Ord. No. 89,100.
Amended by: Ord. No. 90,286; Ord. No. 148,563, Eff. 7-12-76, Oper. 7-4-76; Title and Section, Ord. No. 155,181, Eff. 5-4-81; Subsec. (a)(3), Subsec. (c), Subsec. (d), amended; Subsec. (b) added, Ord. No. 159,659, Eff. 2-15-85; In Entirety, Ord. No. 172,175*, Eff. 8-28-98; Ord. No. 173,308, Eff. 6-30-00, Oper. 7-1-00; In Entirety, Ord. No. 181,784, Eff. 7-19-11; In Entirety, Ord. No. 182,977, Eff. 4-18-14; Subsec. (k) added, Ord. No. 186,351, Eff. 11-3-19; Second para. of Subsec. (f)(1) and Subsecs. (l) through (q) added, Ord. No. 186,554, Eff. 3-4-20.
* Editor's note: The provisions of Ord. No. 172,175 never took effect (see Sec. 8 re operative date).
