The following human resources policy definitions are applicable to all city human resources policies and procedures and are not intended to have any effect on city-wide policies or department policies.
ADA Accommodation: Any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that would enable an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of their position.
Adult Designee: An individual with whom an unmarried employee has a long-term, committed relationship of mutual caring and support. The adult designee must have resided in the same household with the eligible employee for at least the past 12 consecutive months, and must have common financial obligations with the employee. The adult designee and the employee must be jointly responsible for each other’s welfare.
Alcohol: Ethyl alcohol or ethanol
Applicant: Any individual who has indicated interest in either transfer, promotion or new employment by submitting an application to be considered for an open position with the city.
Appointed Employee: An individual appointed by the mayor and whose employment is at will.
Approved Absence: Absence approved by a supervisor or granted pursuant to applicable law.
Attendance Certification: Documentation provided by a health care provider supporting the need for an employee's absence.
At-will: An employment status where an individual may be terminated from employment at any time without prior notice, for any or no reason, and may resign their employment at any time without prior notice, for any or no reason.
Business Adjustment: A temporary adjustment of job tasks or duties assigned when an employee is temporarily physically or mentally unable to perform their regular job duties.
Career Service Employee: An employee who has the right to challenge an employment action pursuant to the Utah Municipal Code.
Certified Applicant List: List of job candidates who meet minimum requirements of the job.
City Official: A supervisor or an employee whose position is authorized to act on behalf of the city in employment matters.
Civil Service Commission: A commission to administer civil service statutes relating to police and fire employees.
Civil Service Employee: An employee in the police or fire department as defined pursuant to the Utah Municipal Code.
Coach & Counsel: A non-disciplinary conversation with an employee to coach the employee on improved performance or conduct.
Corrective Action: An intervention with an employee to discuss concerns about the employee's performance or conduct, which may be either verbal or in writing.
Demotion: A disciplinary action or involuntary reassignment that results in a reduction in the employee's actual wage.
Disciplinary Action: A suspension without pay, demotion or termination of employment due to disciplinary reasons.
Disciplinary Notice: A document provided to the employee indicating the discipline issued and the reasons for the decision which will be placed in the employee's official personnel file.
Drugs: Any substance recognized as a drug in the United States Pharmacopeia, the National Formulary, the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia, or other drug compendia, or supplement to any of those compendia.
Employee (All policies except Nepotism): A person working for and compensated by the city, excluding volunteers, board or commission appointees, independent contractors or those persons hired under another federal or state program.
Employee (Nepotism): Any elected official, person paid on an hourly or salaried basis by the city or a volunteer of the city. Independent contractors are not employees.
Full-time employee: An employee (excluding a seasonal employee) who is regularly scheduled and works 30 or more hours per week.
Immediate Family (FMLA): Spouse; child (biological, adoptive, step or foster child, legal ward or a child of a person standing in loco parentis) who is under the age of 18 or 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of mental or physical disability at the time FMLA leave is to commence; parent (biological, adoptive, step or foster parent, legal guardian, or individual who stood in loco parentis); or next of kin.
Immediate Family (FMLA - Military Caregiver Leave): Spouse; child (biological, adoptive, step or foster child, legal ward or a child of a person standing in loco parentis) of any age; parent (biological, adoptive, step or foster parent, legal guardian, or individual who stood in loco parentis); or next of kin.
Initial Inquiry: An informal process of information gathering and initial fact finding, which may lead to further action.
Investigation (formal): The formal, thorough examination and evaluation of all facts relevant to an allegation to determine if misconduct occurred and to assess its extent, gravity, and actual and potential consequences.
Investigative Interview: An interview with an employee accused of misconduct.
Modified duty: A temporary adjustment of job tasks or duties assigned when an employee is temporarily physically or mentally unable to perform their regular job duties due to a work-related injury/illness.
Part-time employee: An employee who works up to 28 hours per week or less than 130 hours per month.
PCN: Position Control Number
Performance Discussion: A non-disciplinary action designed to promote improvement in an employee's performance, conduct or behavior.
Pre-Determination Hearing: An informal meeting held to provide an employee an opportunity to be heard and provide information not previously considered in the context of potential disciplinary action.
Pre-Determination Hearing Notice: A written notice of a pre-determination hearing, which will be provided to an employee and will include the allegations against the employee; the date, time and place of the pre-determination hearing; and the employee’s right to bring a representative of their choice to the pre-determination hearing.
Prospective Employee (Alcohol and Drugs): Any person who has been offered and accepted employment with the city.
Protected Absence: An absence protected under applicable federal, state or local law; city policy or a leave of absence approved by a department director.
Relative (Nepotism): A father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandparent, grandchild, half-brother, half-sister, first cousin, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law.
Sample (Drug and Alcohol): Collection of urine, blood, breath, saliva or hair for analysis.
Seasonal employee: An at-will employee who performs work that, by its nature, is not performed continuously throughout the year and may only be performed at certain times during the year. Seasonal employment is defined as 6 months or less.
Severance Calculation Date: The date upon which an employee's severance payment, if paid over time as opposed to a lump sum, ceases.
Shift: The amount of time an employee is scheduled to work in a 24-hour period.
Supervisor: A city employee who directs another city employee, group, team, division, or department.
Suspension Without Pay: A disciplinary action that results in a designated amount of leave without pay.
Termination/Discharge: A disciplinary action that results in ending city employment.
Unapproved Absence: An absence without the specific approval of a supervisor.
Unpaid Absence: An absence without pay.
Unscheduled Absence: An absence when an employee is scheduled to be at work and has not received prior approval for the absence.
Written Warning: A corrective action issued in writing to address concerns about an employee's performance or conduct.