SECTION 1. ORDER OF ELIGIBLES:  Applicants for employment who qualify in an examination shall have their names placed on the appropriate eligible lists in the order of their final scores.

SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE OF ELIGIBLE LISTS:  Eligible lists shall be in effect from the date on which approved by the Director. Changes in rank, or addition or subtraction of names because of errors or re-ratings, shall not change the effective date of an eligible list.

SECTION 3. DURATION OF ELIGIBLE LISTS:

  1. The duration of eligible lists shall be as follows:
  2. Departmental promotional eligible lists are established for a period of one year.
  3. General promotional eligible lists are established for a period of nine months.
  4. Open eligible lists are established for a period of six months.
  5. Reemployment eligible lists are established for a period of one year.
  6. Reinstatement eligible lists are established for a period of one year.
  7. When, in the opinion of the Director, an eligible list does not meet the needs of the County, the Director may order new examinations to provide candidates. All successful applicants shall have their names placed on eligible lists in the order of their final scores.
  8. Eligible lists may be extended by the Civil Service Commission provided that the total duration of the list does not exceed two years. The Director may, if conditions require, extend an eligible list one time for a period of up to three months. (Amended 01/08/04)

SECTION 4. REMOVAL OF NAMES FROM ELIGIBLE LISTS:

  1. The Director shall remove from eligible lists the names of all applicants that have remained thereon for the duration of the list.
  2. If, at the time of termination, an employee’s name appears on a promotional eligible list their name shall be removed from the promotional list and placed on the open competitive eligible list for that classification, if any, in accordance with the final score.
  3. The Director may remove the names of applicants from an eligible list when, in their opinion, the applicant no longer possesses the minimum qualifications of the classification.
  4. The Director may remove from eligible lists the names of applicants who:
  5. Decline three offers of appointment.
  6. Request to have their names removed from an eligible list or state that they are not interested in employment in that classification.
  7. Fail to respond to an invitation for pre-employment interview following certification from an eligible list.
  8. Cannot be located by the U.S. Postal Service.
  9. Are appointed to permanent positions in the classification for which their names were on eligible lists. This does not apply to eligibles who are appointed to temporary positions.
  10. Where an applicant has been passed over three times for employment by the same appointing authority, the Director may remove the name of that applicant from that specific eligible list.

SECTION 5. ELIGIBLE LISTS/PERMANENT POSITIONS:  Eligible lists for permanent positions shall consist of the following types:

  1. Departmental Reemployment Eligible List: The departmental reemployment eligible list for each classification shall consist of the names of employees and former employees having probationary or permanent status, and who were laid off or whose positions were reallocated downward as a result of reclassification. The rank order on such lists shall be determined by relative seniority as specified in Rule XVI. Such lists shall take precedence over all other eligible lists in making certifications to the department in which the employee worked.
  2. General Reemployment Eligible List: The general reemployment eligible list for each classification shall consist of the names of employees and former employees having probationary or permanent status and who were laid off or whose positions were reallocated downward as a result of reclassification. The rank order on such lists shall be determined by relative seniority. Such lists shall take precedence over all other eligible lists, except departmental reemployment eligible lists, in making certification on a County-wide basis.
  3. Promotional Eligible Lists:
  4. General Promotional Eligible Lists: The names of applicants successful in general promotional examinations shall be placed on general promotional eligible lists for the classifications examined.
  5. Departmental Promotional Eligible Lists: The names of applicants successful in departmental promotional examinations shall be placed on departmental promotional eligible lists for the classifications examined.
  6. These lists shall take precedence over General Eligible Lists.
  7. General Eligible Lists: The names of applicants successful in open examinations, open and promotional examinations, as well as persons complying with the provisions of Section 8 of this rule, shall be placed on general eligible lists for the classification examined, and such lists shall be used after those lists described in paragraphs A, B, and C above, have been exhausted in making certifications on a County-wide basis.
  8. Reinstatement Eligible Lists: A probationary or permanent employee who has resigned in good standing or accepted a voluntary demotion, may within two years following the effective date of resignation, request that the Director place their name on the reinstatement eligible list for any classification for which they are qualified. Additionally, employees who occupy positions which the department head has determined are at risk of being eliminated, may be placed on appropriate reinstatement lists prior to the anticipated date of layoff. This list may be considered by department heads in addition to either the promotional eligible or general eligible lists but cannot take precedence over the department reemployment or general reemployment eligible lists.
  9. Court employees who were appointed to their positions in the Court as a result of a competitive examination process shall be eligible to be placed on reinstatement lists consistent with paragraph E above. Eligibility under this section shall expire on November 9, 2002.
  10. Transfer of Eligibility: Upon approval of the Director, the names of individuals having permanent status in the classified service of a public agency operating a civil service or merit system may be placed on a reinstatement eligible list for the comparable entry or journey level class in the San Mateo County service. In each case, the following conditions must be met:
  11. The classification in which employment is contemplated must possess the same or lesser minimum qualifications as the class in which the individual holds permanent status.
  12. The individual must have been employed by the other public agency within one year prior to the date of their application to San Mateo County.
  13. The individual must submit written information from the other public agency confirming the individual’s permanent status and containing the following statements:
    1. The employment record of the individual has been entirely satisfactory.
    2. The individual has not been separated for cause.
    3. The individual was appointed to the class in which they hold permanent status from an eligible list resulting from a qualifying or competitive examination.
    4. If not currently employed by the other agency, the individual is eligible for reinstatement in the class in which they hold permanent status.

The names of such individuals shall be placed on the reinstatement eligible list.

  1. The Director may make a determination that a specific classification is “Hard to Fill”. If a classification other than an entry or journey level classification is so designated, then the above process may be used for that classification.

SECTION 6. ALTERNATE ELIGIBLE LISTS:  Whenever there is no eligible list for a classification, or whenever it is in the best interest of the County, the Director may certify names to vacancies from the eligible lists for related classifications provided that the required qualifications of the related classifications are at least equivalent to those of the classification in which the vacancy exists. The names of the persons thus certified shall remain on the eligible lists on which their names were originally placed.

SECTION 7. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM:  The Director shall establish procedures for a Career Opportunities Program that will encourage filling of positions with current County employees. This eligible list will be used as determined by that program.

SECTION 8. INACTIVE ELIGIBLE LIST AND REPLACEMENT OF NAMES ON ELIGIBLE LISTS:

  1. A person whose name is on an eligible list may request in writing that their name be placed on the inactive eligible list, after which time the Director will not certify that name to vacancies. Such person may have their name replaced on the active eligible list by making request at any time before the list expires. The total period of time that such person’s name is on both the active and inactive eligible lists may not exceed the duration of that list.
  2. In addition to placing the name of an employee laid off on the reemployment eligible list for the classification in which laid off, the Director may place such employee’s name on the promotional eligible list of any classification for which, in the Director’s opinion, the employee is qualified. Such person’s name shall be placed on the promotional eligible list above the names of persons who have not been laid off. If the names of two or more persons laid off are placed on the same promotional eligible list the names shall be ranked in order of a relative seniority according to Rule XVI.

SECTION 9. RESTORATION OF NAME OF REJECTED PROBATIONER TO ELIGIBLE LIST:  The Director may, upon request by an employee rejected during the probationary period, restore that employee’s name to the eligible list for that classification. However, the employee’s name shall not be certified to the department from which rejected without approval of the department head. This request must be made, in writing, within 30 days from the date of rejection.

SECTION 10. RETURN TO ELIGIBLE LIST OF FORMER COUNTY EMPLOYEES SEPARATED BY DISABILITY RETIREMENTS:  The Director may place the names of any County employees who have been disabled and are retired and are unable to perform their previous assignments on the reinstatement list of any classification for which those employees are qualified.

2015-09-29