Return to Policies and Procedures

Throughout these rules, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning indicated below, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise.

ACTING CAPACITY means an interim appointment in a position to fill an existing vacancy in the Classified or Unclassified Service.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT(ADA)means Federal regulations which require the City to make reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees which enable them to participate in the employment process and provide access to equal employment opportunities.

APPLICANT is a person who has filed a formal employment application with the City Personnel Department for employment by the City of Independence, Missouri.

APPOINTING AUTHORITY means the City Manager or the City Council as provided by the City Charter.

APPOINTMENT refers to the employment or assignment of a person to a position in the Classified or Unclassified Service who has been qualified for appointment and certified through an assembled or unassembled examination.

APPOINTMENT RATE means the pay rate at time of appointment, which is usually the minimum rate of a pay range.

APPROPRIATION is an authorization made by the Council that allows the City to incur obligations and to make expenditures of resources for the procurement of goods and services.

ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION means a written, oral, performance, assessment center, or physical agility test held at a specified time and place which is used to determine the relative fitness and ability of applicants.

BOARD means the Personnel Board of the City of Independence, Missouri, appointed by the City Council, the duties of which are specified in the City Charter, Section 3.29.

BREAK IN SERVICE is any lapse of working time between the official separation of an employee and his or her subsequent re-employment.

CANDIDATE means an applicant who is being evaluated for eligibility for employment.

CATASTROPHIC, DEBILITATING, OR LONG TERM ILLNESS OR INJURY means an injury or illness of the employee that is unanticipated, non-job related, not willfully self-inflicted. Such illness or injury does not included ailments such as the flu, colds, virus, doctor or dentist appointments, or for attending to or caring for family members.

CERTIFICATION means the act of the Personnel Director in qualifying eligible candidates for review and recommendation for appointment.

CHARTER means the Charter of the City of Independence, Missouri.

CLASSIFICATION refers to one or more positions sufficiently alike in duties, authority and responsibilities, and having similar minimum qualifications and assigned the same pay range.

CLASSIFICATION PLAN is a plan classifying all positions on the basis of their respective duties, authority and responsibilities, and designating the minimum requirements.

CLASSIFIED SERVICE includes all positions in the municipal service, except those specified under "Unclassified Service: in these definitions.

COUNCIL means the City Council of Independence, Missouri.

COMPENSATORY TIME is time granted in lieu of payment of overtime to be taken off from work.

COMPENSATION RANGE is the minimum rate to the maximum rate of pay established for a classification.

COMPENSATION PLAN - see PAY PLAN

COMPLIANT is any concern an employee may have about the terms or conditions of their employment or department rules and regulations which does not constitute a violation of these policies and procedures or any provision of a work agreement.

CONTINUOUS SERVICE DATE is the effective date of an employment appointment or a reemployment, whichever is later.

DEMOTION means the voluntary or involuntary movement of an employee from one classification to a classification with a lower pay range.

DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR is the head of any operating or support service department.

DISMISSAL means the involuntary separation of an employee for cause. See termination.

DISQUALIFICATION (of APPLICANT) means determination of the Personnel Director to reject an application for reasons indicated in these policies and procedures.

DISQUALIFICATION (of an EMPLOYEE) means an involuntary, no-fault separation of an employee, or action in lieu thereof, based on a legal, physical, mental or emotional impairment or incapacity, occurring or discovered after appointment, which prevents satisfactory performance of the essential duties and responsibilities of the position.

EFFECTIVE DATE is the date when a personnel action takes effect; in the case of separation, the employee's last day of work, exclusive of accrued vacation leave, or compensatory time.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATE is a person who meets minimum qualifications for a position, has passed an examination and whose name is placed on an eligibility list.

ELIGIBI LITY LIST is a list of applicants who have met the requirement s for a given classification in the Classified Service.

EMERGENCY refers to any condition where the health, safety and services to the citizens of Independence are disrupted or threatened to the extent that physical damages to property, or injury to citizens can occur, or the welfare of the citizens of the City are endangered.

EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT is an appointment made to meet the immediate requirements of an emergency situation.

ENTRY RATE means the minimum pay rate of any pay range.

EXEMPT EMPLOYEE is an employee who works in an administrative, management, supervisory, or professional classification which is paid a salary, and the employer is not required to pay overtime.

FAIR LABOR STANDARD ACT(FLSA) is Federal legislation which regulates hours of work and pay.

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993(FMLA) is Federal legislation which requires employers to provide eligible employees up to twelve (12) weeks of leave for certain types of leave required for a serious medical condition, to care for a spouse or child suffering a serious medical illness, or to care for a newborn, or an adopted or foster child who has been placed with the employee.

FRINGE BENEFITS are vacation, holiday, sick leave, payments for injuries or sickness received in the line of duty, health insurance, disability pay, pensions, termination pay, uniform and equipment allowance, dependent's benefits, longevity pay, and any other financial or economic benefits provided to employees.

FULL-TIME POSITION is one in which the employee is scheduled to work at least forty (40) hours per week or is scheduled to work eighty (80) hours in two (2) weeks under an authorized special work schedule.

Back to Top

GENERAL SERVICE EMPLOYEE means an incumbent of a position in the Classified and Unclassified Service other than those hereinafter designated and defined as "Public Safety Employees."

GRIEVANCE (or APPEAL) is an action taken by an employee which alleges a violation involving the application or interpretation of the terms and provisions of these Personnel Policies and Procedures.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY shall mean: spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son, mother/father-in-law, sister/brother-in-law, son/daughter-in-law, grandparents, spouse's grandparents, grandchildren, stepmother/father, stepbrother/sister, and half brother/sister.

INCUMBENT is the current occupant of a position in the classified or unclassified service.

INITIAL PROBATIONARY PERIOD is a test period of actual service following original appointment or re-employment in an authorized position to determine recommendation for regular status or termination; based upon the employee's ability to meet acceptable standards of performance in that position.

LAY-OFF means the separation of an employee which occurs when a permanent or limited position has been abolished due to projected shortage of funds.

LEAVE is an authorized absence from regularly scheduled work hours which has been approved by proper authority.

LIMITED POSITION is a position which has a specified ending date, also referred to as a temporary position.

LONGEVITY PAY is a pay adjustment added to an employee's base pay based on his or her length of service.

Back to Top

MERIT SYSTEM assures the fair treatment of applicants and employees in all aspects of personnel administration. Provides for recruiting, selecting, promoting, and retaining employees on the basis of their relative ability, knowledge and skill, the guidelines for which are set forth in Section 3.25 of the Charter.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS are the qualifications contained in the class specification which a person must possess in order to qualify or compete for a given position(s) in the classified or unclassified service.

NEPOTISM means the appointment or supervision of an employee by any City official or employee who is a member of their immediate family, which is prohibited by Section 5.11 of the Charter.

NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEE is an employee who is entitled to overtime pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act and these Personnel Policies and Procedures.

OUT-OF-POSITION refers to a regular full-time employee temporarily assigned to perform all duties and assume responsibilities of a position with a higher salary range.

OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT means any employment with an employer other than the City of Independence, including self employment.

PART-TIME POSITION is a position in which an employee is scheduled to work fewer than forty (40) hours a week or less than the standard work week of others in the same classification or work unit.

PAY PLAN (COMPENSATION PLAN) is the listing of pay ranges for all positions in the classification plan.

PAY RATE ADJUSTMENTS are changes in pay as a result of any personnel action which effects the employee's pay status, such as a promotion or demotion.

means a position in the Table of Organization which is not occupied and for which funds have been budgeted.

WORK(ING) AGREEMENT is a formal agreement between members of a bargaining unit and the City which outlines mutually agreed upon rules for operation and conduct.

Back to Top