COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
DATE: April 21, 2014
TO: All Management Employees
FROM: Nicole McKay, Employee & Labor Relations Manager
SUBJECT: Employee Relations Bulletin 7 Inter-Departmental Transfers
(Probationary Periods)
Section 12 of Civil Service Commission Rule XI provides that employees may transfer from one position to another in their same classification. This rule also states that employees who transfer to a position in the same classification but in another department may be required by the department head to start a new probationary period. For the purposes of the Civil Service Commission Rules, agencies such as Health System and Human Services are considered Departments. Thus, employees transferring to the same classification within an agency (e.g., from Public Health to Behavioral Health & Recovery Services) cannot be required to start a new probationary period.
You should note that Section 12 of Rule XI also requires that, if a new probationary period is required for a transfer, the employee must sign a statement indicating an understanding that a new probationary period is in effect prior to the effective date of the transfer.