1.6 Layoff, Recall/Reinstatement, Resignation AND Re-Employment
1.61 Lay-Off
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidelines for implementing Mohave County’s reduction in work force. This procedure is intended to be implemented and interpreted to further the County’s goal of maintaining an efficient and effective level of service to the citizens of Mohave County within the County’s budgetary constraints. The procedure is also intended to assure that the reduction in workforce is implemented fairly and consistently.
A. An employee may be laid off due to a change in duties, re-organization, or shortage of work or funds. A layoff may occur when a position is eliminated or when the number of positions in any given classification has to be reduced. Typically, the lay-off is a result of a reduction in funding or reorganization.
B. When a layoff affects only one department, only employees in that department shall be considered for layoff. Employees in other departments shall not be affected.
C. Lay-Off Plan.
1. The decision as to which classification(s) shall be affected by layoff and when the layoff is to be effective shall be established by the Department Head. The Department Head shall submit a reduction in force plan to the Human Resources Director who will submit it to the County Manager for approval by the Board of Supervisors.
2. When employees in a classification become subject to the layoff, the Department Head shall determine which employee(s) shall be laid-off based on the employee’s job qualifications, service years and performance evaluations, in that order of priority. The Human Resources Director shall provide personnel information to the Department Head in making the layoff recommendations.
3. The Human Resources Director shall prepare and maintain personnel information of affected employees’ job qualifications, service years and performance evaluations to ensure that the layoff plan is administered fairly and consistently.
4. When the department layoff plans are approved, the Human Resources Director shall notify the employees to be laid-off, in person and in writing, as soon as possible, but no later than ten (10) business days prior to the effective date of the layoff. The written notice shall be hand-delivered or sent by registered mail. A copy shall be sent to the Department Head. The notice shall inform the employee of the effective date of the layoff and of the pre lay-off reappointment and reinstatement procedures.
5. In each instance the department layoff plan shall state, based on circumstances with the department, whether or not grant-funded employees shall be grouped with other employees for layoff purposes.
6. Employees who have been laid-off may apply for reinstatement and will be placed on the Reinstatement Register.
7. Pre-Layoff Reappointment: Following receipt of notice of the layoff, and before the effective date of the layoff, an affected employee may be considered by any Department Head in the County having a vacant position of the same or lower salary range for which the employee meets the acceptable qualifications.
a. If the employee wishes to seek a pre lay-off reappointment, the employee shall submit a written request with a completed application and resume to the Human Resources Director.
b. The Human Resources Director shall send the name of the employee(s) to the Department Head who has a vacancy for which the employee qualifies. The Department Head shall interview the employee(s) within ten (10) business days of receipt of the names. An offer of reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.
c. Upon a pre-layoff reappointment, the new salary of the employee shall be set in the same manner as for entrance salary as established by the Pay Determination Guidelines.
d. A pre-layoff reappointment shall be effective on or before the date on which the layoff would have been effective, so that a break in service does not occur.
e. Upon a pre-layoff reinstatement, the employee shall serve a six (6) month probationary period, unless extended by the Department Head for an additional six (6) months. Law enforcement, 911 operators, or detention officer shall serve a twelve (12) month period probationary period.
f. The employee shall retain all accrued EIB leave, compensatory time and PTO leave.
g. If the affected employee is offered and accepts a pre-layoff reappointment, then the employee forfeits the right to be placed on the Reinstatement Register.
h. If the affected employee is not offered or does not accept an offer of pre-layoff reappointment, on or before the effective date of the layoff, then the employee shall be laid-off
1.62 Recall/Reinstatement
A. Employees recalled from a layoff within six (6) months to the position from which they were laid off shall be reinstated into the County with credit for prior service. They shall not receive credit for the time they were out of work. These employees shall:
1. Accrue PTO at the same rate as they had at the time of layoff. The accrual shall begin with the first payroll period.
2. Be re-enrolled in the health plan with the normal waiting period, as specified by the EBT Summary Plan document. Any employee who is an active COBRA participant shall be allowed to re-enroll in the health plan without a waiting period.
B. A recalled employee may or may not receive the same rate of pay they earned at the time of layoff. The County reserves the right to respond to budgetary and staffing considerations at the time of the recall.
1.63 Resignation
A classified employee wishing to leave County service shall submit a letter, no later than two weeks prior to leaving the County, to the Department Head stating the effective date of resignation. Failure to give separation notice as required by this policy may be cause for denying future employment with the County.
1.64 Job Abandonment (No call – no show)
In the event an employee is absent without approved leave for a period greater than three (3) business days may be considered to have abandoned their job and resigned their position. A letter of separation shall be delivered in person or mailed to the employee’s last known address.
1.65 Re-employment
A. Employees who provide the appropriate notice and leave the County in good standing may be eligible for re-employment. Employees who return to County employment in a classified position following a separation in service due to resignation shall be required to serve an Initial Probationary Period.
B. Employees who were terminated may be considered for re-employment based on the circumstances surrounding the termination.
1.66 Return of County Property
The Department Head shall be responsible for retrieving County property such as keys, credit cards, assigned equipment from separated employees.