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Section 401    Statement of Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of the County to maintain a systematic, consistent recruitment program, to promote equal employment opportunities, and to identify and attract the most qualified applicants for employment with the County. This policy is to be achieved by announcing all position vacancies, evaluating all applicants on the same criteria. Selection decisions are made without regard to race, color, genetic information, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender identity except where sex, physical requirements, or age are bona fide occupational qualifications for employment.  This policy with respect to equal opportunity as to age shall be limited to individuals at least 40 years of age.  The Equal Opportunity Employment Program shall be monitored continuously and evaluated on an annual basis.

Section 402    Recruitment – Responsibility of the Human Resources Director

The Human Resources Director is responsible for an active recruitment program to meet current and projected staffing needs, using procedures that will ensure equal employment opportunities based on job-related requirements. Recruitment efforts of the Human Resources Department and all County departments will be coordinated in a timely manner.

Section 403    Position Vacancy Announcements

Department Heads have the option of posting positions internally for a minimum of five (5) working days or they may choose to consider outside applicants concurrently with the internal announcement, in which case the position listing must be posted for a minimum of seven (7) working days at (1) the County Human Resources Office and (2) the local office of the Department of Employment Security. Optional recruiting publicity shall be carried out through the media, as appropriate.  Position vacancy announcements shall contain, at a minimum, (1) the title, grade, and location of the position; (2) the closing date of the announcement; (3) a summary of the duties of the position; (4) a summary of the basic qualifications requirements; (5) the procedures for making applications; and (6) a statement of equal employment opportunity.

Section 404    Application for Employment

The Currituck County Application shall be the standard application accepted for any and all position listings unless otherwise specified. Current County employees must complete an application to be considered for any position in which they have expressed an interest. Applications shall be accepted by the Human Resources Department.

Section 405    Applicant Tracking

1. The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for maintenance of permanent records of all position vacancy announcements, including posting and closing dates, all optional referral sources used in the recruitment process, and the pool of applicants considered for each vacancy.
2. The applicant pool data for each position shall include an alphabetized listing of all applicants and test scores, when applicable, for each position vacancy announcement. In addition, EEO-4 forms, providing data on race and sex of applicants, shall be maintained by the Human Resources Department. This information will be kept strictly confidential unless disclosure is required by law. If disclosure of this information is required by law, any personally identifiable information will be redacted to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Section 406    Qualification Standards

1. All applicants considered for employment or promotion shall meet the qualification standards established by the class specifications relating to the position to which the appointment is being made.
2. All appointments shall be made on the basis of qualifications, knowledge, skill and abilities.
3. Consideration may be given to “trainee” appointments when there is an absence of qualified applicants from which to make a selection. In this instance, the deficiencies may be eliminated through orientation and on-the-job training, and the employee is designated a trainee by the County Manager (County General Positions) or the Office of Human Resources (all positions subject to the Human Resources Act).
4. When qualified applicants are unavailable and there is no trainee provision for the vacant classification, an appointment may be made below the level of the regular classification in a work-against appointment allowing the appointee an opportunity to gain the qualifications needed for the full class through on-the-job-experience. The work-against appointment is available for competitive service employees only. The appointee must meet the minimum education and experience standard of the class to which the appointee was initially appointed.

Section 407    Selection

Department Heads shall develop, use, and document, on a consistent, routine basis, a selection process that best suits the County’s needs in filling positions within each individual agency or department. All selection methods developed and utilized by the Department Head shall be valid measures of job performance and shall be applied consistently to all similarly situated candidates.

Section 408    Appointments

1. Before any applicant begins work, the Department Head shall meet with the Human Resources Director to discuss the appointment. The Personnel Action Form, the original application for employment, test score sheets (when applicable), and any additional supporting documents, including the State PD-100 (positions subject to the Human Resources Act), shall be reviewed by the Human Resources Director.
2. All new employees who will be assigned work entailing the operating of a County vehicle must hold a valid Driver’s License with the State of residence. If the duties of the position include operation of County-owned or County-insured vehicles, the Human Resources Director will conduct a review of the driving record of the person to be hired. An applicant having more than two moving violations within three years of the job posting date on his/her motor vehicle record is not eligible for employment with the County. An applicant convicted of DUI in the past five years will not be eligible for County employment involving the operation of County-owned or County-insured vehicles.
3. The Register of Deeds shall have authority over appointments in his/her department, with the County Manager determining the class and salary of new employees.
4. The Board of Commissioners must approve the appointment by the Sheriff or Register of Deeds of a relative by blood or marriage of nearer kinship than first cousin or of a person who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Section 409    Probationary Period of Employment

An employee appointed to a regular position shall serve a probationary period of six (6) months. The initial probationary period may be extended up to six (6) months.  No employee shall remain on probation for more than one (1) year, without the approval of the Board of County Commissioners.  Any employee serving a probationary period following initial appointment may be dismissed by the County Manager at any time during the probationary period.  Following successful completion of the probationary period, the employee may only be dismissed as provided in Article 9.

Section 410    Promotion

Candidates for promotion shall be chosen on the basis of their qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities. If an employee is chosen for promotion, the Department Head shall forward the request to the County Manager with recommendations for classification and salary along with reasons for selecting the employee over other applicants. After considering the Department Head’s recommendations, the County Manager shall confirm or reject the appointment and, if appointed, determine the starting salary for the employee.

Section 411    Demotion

1. An employee whose work is unsatisfactory may be demoted provided the employee shows promise of becoming a satisfactory employee in another position. Such a demotion shall be made in accordance with the procedures in Article 9. The employee shall be provided with written notice citing the recommended effective date of the demotion and the reasons for the demotion as stated in Article 9 of this ordinance.
2. An employee may request a voluntary demotion by applying in writing to the Department Head(s). This voluntary demotion requires approval by the County Manager. A voluntary demotion is not a disciplinary action and is made without using the procedures in Article 9 of this ordinance.

Section 412    Transfer

1. If a vacancy occurs and an employee eligible for transfer from another department wishes to be considered for the appointment, an application must be submitted in accordance with the application procedure specified in the vacancy announcement. The request for transfer shall be subject to approval of the County Manager. Any employee transferred without his or her having requested it may appeal the action in accordance with the problem resolution procedures in Article 10.
2. Upon transfer, a second probationary period is served by the employee, as new duties and responsibilities must be learned. Any employee who has successfully completed a probationary period may be transferred to the same or similar class in a different department without serving another probationary period. This subsection does not apply to Human Resources Act employees.

Revised January 17, 2017