The Human Resources Department recommends revising Chapter 14 as proposed. Chapter 14 governs the City of Houston’s Civil Service system. Prior to submission to Council, the proposed revisions were provided for consideration by the labor unions representing municipal, police, and fire employees, as well as the Civil Service Commission for municipal employees. The proposal was also submitted to the municipal Labor Management Cooperation Council, as required by the meet and confer agreement with the Houston Organization of Public Employees. If approved, amendments will become effective on December 15, 2015.
The proposed revisions are made primarily for the purpose of clarifying existing language, effecting compliance with other law, and/or to reflect the City’s actual practices. While not every change is identified below, the following represent the types of changes generally reflected in the proposal:
Definitions have been reviewed and revised to eliminate redundant terms, replace outdated terms with modern language, and to define terms commonly used within the Chapter.
Additional changes reflect the actual designation of certain duties in the modern hiring and payroll process. Many duties currently delegated to the Civil Service Commission, but which traditionally have been a Human Resources function, have been formally delegated to the Human Resources Director.
Similarly, changes have been made to formally reflect long-standing City practices. For instance, where the code treats an employee’s extended absence without notice as a resignation (14-155), in actuality these are typically processed as job abandonment. Also, during periods of disaster council has historically authorized compensatory time for exempt employees through pay grade 29, although the code only provides authority through pay grade 26 (14-168(f)(2)). Finally, the City’s practices regarding military leave have already departed from the code in order to treat employees more generously in compliance with the federally mandated Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (14-251 and 14-253).
Departures from existing code language are also reflected in sections affecting classification challenges (14.55.1), temporary employees (14-113), employees seeking public elective office (14-156), holidays while on leave without pay (14-172(b)), authorization for outside employment (14-173), and categories of weapons prohibited to be in possession by city employees (14-184).