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Human Resources Department

Recruitment & Classification Division
County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Human Resources › Divisions and Units › Recruitment & Classification Division › Services › Staffing Reductions › Employment Services and Job Search Resources › Priority Transfer Employment Lists Layoff Mitigation Policy
Recruitment & Classification Division

Priority Transfer Employment Lists - Layoff Mitigation Policy

Human Resources Recruitment & Classification 750

County employees under the Civil Service Rules may at any time request consideration to transfer or voluntarily demote to another department and/or another classification provided the request is pursuant to the Civil Service Rules and follows the procedures identified by the Human Resources Department. This policy on Priority Transfer does not impact or supersede the County’s Civil Service Rules or procedures on transfer and voluntary demotion.

When employees have been identified as being impacted by a reduction in force, the County Department Heads have agreed that for those individuals impacted and who wish to be considered for transfer or voluntary demotion, that the departmental appointing authority will give them special consideration by committing to interviewing all names on the Priority Transfer List.

Purpose & Policy

When County Departments have a need to eliminate permanent, regular allocations, Priority Transfer Employment Lists will be established for the classifications of employees who have received formal notice of impending layoff to mitigate the impacts of layoff to the degree possible.

Regular employees who have been noticed of impending layoff by receiving an official notice of layoff may work with Human Resources staff to determine classifications for which they are eligible for consideration for a transfer or a voluntary demotion. Those employees will be placed on a Priority Transfer Employment List for those classifications which have been identified.

When departments submit a request for certification and a Priority Transfer Employment List is available, Human Resources will certify the Priority Transfer list along with freename, regular, and the standard transfer employment lists where applicable. Department hiring authorities shall conduct interviews with those candidates on the Priority Transfer, freename, and regular employment lists.

In accordance with the Civil Service Rules, employees must meet the criteria for transferring or voluntarily demoting in order to be placed on a priority transfer list.

Upon termination of employment from the County, employees no longer qualify for Priority Transfer and their names will be removed from the respective transfer lists. Employees who have been terminated due to a layoff have re-employment rights pursuant to Civil Service Rules and should work with Human Resources staff to determine their re-employment options such as restoration and freename.

Process

  1. Employees will contact Human Resources staff to determine transfer eligibility.
  2. The normal transfer request form will need to be completed; the notice of layoff must be attached in addition to the employee’s job application and most current performance review.
  3. Where qualified, employees will be placed on Priority Transfer Employment Lists.
  4. The normal requisition and certification process between departments and Human Resources will take place, and when there is a Priority Transfer Employment List for a class, the Priority Transfer Employment List will be certified to the department along with any other applicable employment list the department is eligible to receive for their vacancy (ies).
  5. Human Resources will follow the normal process of noticing candidates on Priority Transfer Employment Lists of their certification to a department and further instructions to schedule selection interviews.
  6. Hiring authorities shall interview all candidates on Priority Transfer Employment Lists for consideration.
  7. Candidates may be removed from Priority Transfer Employment Lists in the same manner as regular employment lists if they submit three waivers.
  8. If an appointment is made from a Priority Transfer Employment List, normal transfer documentation and processes should be followed.
  9. Once employees are terminated, they no longer qualify to be on a Priority Transfer Employment List; they must then work with Human Resources staff to be placed on either restoration or freename lists where eligible and applicable.

This policy does not supersede Civil Service Rules on transfer, freename, layoff, restoration or any other Civil Service Rules that may apply. Please contact your department’s Human Resources Recruitment and Classification Analyst regarding any question related to the interpretation of this policy.

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