Rule 6 - Employment Lists

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Effective April 18, 2019

Table of Contents for Rule 6

Section 6.1 - Establishment of Employment List

An employment list shall be established for each class. The employment list shall contain the names of all persons eligible for employment in permanently allocated positions in the class. It shall be composed of the names of all eligible candidates which appear on employment lists provided for in these rules, and of all free names.

Section 6.2 - Employment Lists-Order of Priority

Candidates Who Occupy Alternate Positions
Upon request of the appointing authority, an employee who occupies an alternate position may be appointed to the next higher alternate class into which his/her position is classified. Before approving such requests, the Human Resources Department shall require evidence that the employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the higher class. An employment list is not necessary in order to make such appointment.
Employment lists shall be utilized in the following priority order:
1. Restoration Lists
2. Promotional Employment Lists
3. Freename Lists (revised 7/1/10)
4. Open Employment Lists
The names of candidates successful in examinations for the same class may be placed on the employment list in the order of scores, beginning with the highest score, without priority as to date of examination.

Section 6.3 - Promotional Employment Lists

The names of candidates successful in promotional examinations shall be placed on promotional employment lists in the order of their final examination score as determined in the manner provided herein for open employment lists.

Section 6.4 - Open Employment Lists

The names of candidates successful in open examinations shall be placed on open employment lists in the order of their final examination scores, beginning with the highest score, as determined in the following manner:
1. For each candidate who attains the announced minimum passing grade on each portion of the examination the grades on all portions shall be combined in accordance with the announced weights.
2. For each candidate who qualifies for Veterans Preference, five Veterans points shall be added to their combined score which shall be used in the certification of eligible candidates in accordance with Rule 7.2A.
3. For each candidate who occupies an allocated position in the County budget, one County service point shall be added to their final examination score for each completed full year of continuous service with permanent or probationary status. For each candidate who has worked in an extra-help capacity within the last five years, one County service point shall be added to their final examination score for every 2,080 hours worked. County service points are computed to the final filing date, to a maximum of five points. (revised 04/18/19)
4. Promotional points shall be given to an employee who was laid off and reinstated within two years of the date of layoff. The time between layoff and reinstatement shall not be counted as service.
5. The final examination score for each candidate shall be a whole number of points, not to exceed one hundred points. For this purpose, each score which is greater than a whole number by 0.5 or more shall be counted as the next greater whole number. Each score which is greater than a whole number by less than 0.5 shall be counted as the nearest whole number.
If two or more candidates attain the same final score in any examination for the same class, their names shall be placed in the same standing on the employment list.
The name of an individual who has permanent status in the classified service of a public agency operating a Civil Service or Merit System recognized by the California County Merit System may be placed on an open employment list for a comparable class in the Sonoma County service as a free name under the following conditions:
1. The class for which the list is approved possesses the same or lesser minimum qualifications as the class in which the individual has held permanent status.
2. The individual has been employed by the other agency for at least one year prior to the date the list is approved.
3. The individual achieved his/her permanent status as the result of a qualifying or competitive examination.
4. The employment record of the individual has been entirely satisfactory, and he/she has not been separated nor is he/she being considered for separation due to fault of delinquency on his/her part.
5. There is written information submitted by the other public agency and on file in the County Human Resources Department confirming that the required conditions have been met, and stating that the individual is eligible for re-employment or continued employment in the class in which he/she holds permanent status.
When the name of a qualified candidate has been removed from the employment list in accordance with paragraphs B, C, D, E, F, or G of Section 6.9 of this rule, and the candidate informs the Human Resources Director in writing that he/she is available and willing to accept employment, the candidate's name may be placed on the employment list in the same standing in which it appeared at the time of its removal.

Section 6.5 - Approval of List

Each list shall be approved and signed by the Human Resources Director or by his/her designee.

Section 6.6 - Correction of Lists

When it becomes evident that an omission or other error or irregularity has occurred in the preparation of a list, a corrected list shall be prepared and approved by the Human Resources Director and the erroneous list shall be canceled.
The Civil Service Commission may suspend or cancel the approval of any list, should it discover error or irregularity.
The cancellation of an erroneous list shall not invalidate any appointment made therefrom, if the name of the person appointed appears on the corrected list. Should such person's name not appear on the corrected list, he/she shall be treated as a provisional employee or a temporary promotion.

Section 6.7 - Abolishment of Lists

The Human Resources Director may abolish any employment list in the event that fewer than three standings remain on the list. The name of any candidate remaining on such list shall remain on the employment list as a free name as below:

The name of each candidate appearing on a promotional employment list which is abolished in accordance with these rules shall remain on the employment list as a free name until six months after the first approval of the list which was abolished, unless sooner removed in accordance with these rules or due to separation from County service.
The name of each candidate appearing on an open employment list which is abolished in accordance with these rules shall remain on the employment list as a free name until three months after the first approval of the list which was abolished, unless sooner removed in accordance with these rules.
Candidates who occupy standings on incomplete lists abolished in accordance with Rule 6.7 shall be placed on the appropriate eligible list.

Section 6.8 - Free Name

The name of each candidate who is approved at the discretion of the Human Resources Director for placement on an employment list under any of the following categories shall be placed on the employment list as a free name, and shall not be counted as a standing when determining the order of standings on an employment list.

An employee who resigns in good standing from an allocated position or has been laid off from an allocated position in which he/she has permanent or probationary status may request in writing, within five years after the date of resignation, to be considered for reappointment in the same class, or in a class the individual formerly occupied, or in a lower level class in the same series. (revised 71/10)
The Human Resources Director shall refer each such request to the appointing authority for which the person last worked for a written statement as to whether or not the person would be reappointed to a vacancy in the appropriate job class.

If the appointing authority would rehire the person, the Human Resources Director may place the name of the person on the appropriate employment list as a free name. The person will remain on the appropriate employment list for a period of no longer than six months unless removed sooner in accordance with these rules.
An employee who is laid off from an allocated position in which he/she had permanent or probationary status may request in writing, within 90 days after the layoff effective date, to be considered for reappointment to a closely related class with the same or lower salary allocation for which he/she meets the minimum qualifications. (revised 7/1/10)
The Human Resources Director will determine the appropriate lists for which the person qualifies and place the name of the person on the appropriate employment list(s) as a free name. The person will remain on the appropriate employment list(s) for a period of two (2) years unless removed sooner in accordance with these rules.
An employee who has voluntarily demoted may in writing, within two (2) years after the date of demotion, request reappointment to the class from which he/she has demoted. The Human Resources Director shall review each such request based upon the information submitted, and may place the name of the employee on the appropriate employment list as a free name. The employee will remain on the appropriate employment list for a period of six months unless removed sooner in accordance with these rules.
At his/her request, an employee who has been found to be unable to perform the duties of his/her specific job assignment by competent medical authority and who may be able to perform the duties of another job assignment which will not result in a promotion, may be placed on an appropriate list as a free name. The employee will remain on the appropriate employment list for a period of six months unless removed sooner in accordance with these rules.

Section 6.9 - Removal of Names from Employment List

The name of a candidate may be removed from the employment list by the Human Resources Director for any of the following reasons:

For any of the reasons for disqualification set forth in Rule 4.3A;
When notice of certification is returned as not deliverable at his/her last known address;
Upon failure of the candidate to respond to certification or to proper correspondence from the Sonoma County Human Resources Department;
Upon receipt of a written request from the candidate that his/her name be removed;
Upon receipt of more than two written waivers of a certification for the same class, or upon evidence that the candidate has expressed non-interest in being considered for more than two employment opportunities for the same class, or a combination of one written waiver and one instance of non-interest;
When, upon offer of appointment from a list established to fill a permanently allocated position, a candidate fails to accept such appointment without submitting a final waiver;
Upon having been certified three times to the same department or a total of five times from an employment list to two or more appointing authorities. Removal for this reason requires the review and approval of the Human Resources Director.

Section 6.10 - Expiration of Lists

Each promotional employment list shall expire six months after its approval, unless it is sooner abolished pursuant to Rule 6.7.
Each open employment list shall expire three months after its approval, unless it is sooner abolished pursuant to Rule 6.7.
The Human Resources Director may extend or reinstate any employment list, for any period of time, except that no list shall be in force longer than two years after it is first approved.