§ 45-58A-70.14 — Examinations — Appointments in Classified Service

Alabama § 45-58A-70.14

• Jurisdiction: Alabama
• Title 45: Local Laws
• Ch. 58A: Shelby County Municipalities
• Art. 7: Helena
• Part 1: Employees

Text

(a)
All appointments in the classified service, either at entrance level or promotional level, shall be made upon the basis of merit, efficiency, and fitness of applicants for positions determined as far as practical and possible by competitive examinations. All announcements and examinations shall be prepared and weighted under the supervision of the director. Examinations shall be thorough and practical and shall relate to those matters which fairly test the relative capacity and fitness of those examined to discharge the duties of the classification.
(b)
Examinations may be assembled or unassembled, and either open-competitive, promotional competitive, a combination of promotional and open-competitive, or qualifying.
(1)
An unassembled examination may be held whenever the director determines that applicants are not available in sufficient numbers to justify holding assembled examinations, and he or she may authorize conducting unassembled examinations. Unassembled examinations shall be continuous until the director determines that enough qualified applicants have been examined to establish an eligible list.
(2)
An open-competitive examination is any examination in which competition is open to all applicants meeting the announced requirements for admission to the examination.
(3)
A promotional examination is any examination in which competition is limited to present employees. The examinations shall customarily be restricted to employees serving in lower related classifications and possessing permanent status. However, additional training, education, or experience beyond permanent status may be required as determined by the director in the best interests of the service.
(4)
A qualifying examination is for certain classes of work where competition is impractical or the needs of the service are such to render competition impractical, and the personnel director may provide for qualifying examinations. The examinations may be limited to employees of the public service to fill existing positions. The examinations may consist of an evaluation of the candidates’ qualifications based upon efficiency rating by competent authority and physical fitness to perform the work or other methods as may be determined by the director, not inconsistent with the needs of the public service.
(c) Examinations shall consist of any, all, or part of the following examinations, sections, parts, or tests. However, no questions in any examination, form, or application or any other proceedings shall be framed to elicit the political or religious beliefs of applicants, or in any way discriminate for or against an applicant because of his or her sex, nationality, race, or color.
(1)
When required, a written test shall include a written demonstration designed to show the familiarity of competitors with the knowledge involved in the class of positions to which they seek appointment, their ability in the use of English, the range of their general information, or their general educational attainments. A formal essay upon one or more subjects may be required if desirable.
(2) A mental test when required shall include any test or tests, whether written or oral, to determine mental alertness, general capacity of the applicant to adjust their thinking to new problems, or to ascertain special aptitudes, character, or personality traits.
(3)
A performance test when required shall include tests of performance as would determine the ability and manual skills of competitors to perform the work involved.
(4)
A physical test when required shall consist of tests of bodily condition, muscular strength, coordination, agility, and physical fitness of competitors. This may be given a weight in the examination or may be used in excluding from further examination those applicants who do not meet the required minimum standards.
(5)
An oral interview when required shall include a personal interview with competitors for classes of positions where ability to deal with others, to meet the public, or other qualifications are to be determined. An oral test may also be used in examinations where a written test is unnecessary or impractical.
(6)
When required, training and experience shall be marked from the statements of the education and experience contained in the application form or from whatever supplemental data as may be required. Results of the reference checks may be a part of the evaluation of training and experience.
(7)
A medical examination to determine that applicants are physically capable of performing efficiently the duties of the position and are free from such defects or diseases that would constitute employment hazards to themselves, or endanger the safety, health, and welfare of fellow employees or others is required. Medical examinations may be performed by the city’s designated physician or physicians in accordance with the city’s duly adopted medical standards. Medical reevaluation on any classified employee may be ordered by the director if at any time the employee’s performance of duties becomes deficient, or if the health or physical condition of the employee constitutes an employment hazard to the employee or endangers the safety, health, and welfare of fellow employees or others.
(8)
The director, in cases of physical handicaps or medical conditions, may permit the employment of handicapped eligible candidates who may not meet all of the physical or medical requirements of the classification. If the eligible candidate is physically and medically capable of performing all of the duties of the specific position under consideration without risk to the health, safety, and welfare of others or himself or herself, and that the physical or medical conditions are not progressively deteriorating conditions.
(9)
Additional promotional examination provisions are parts of the examination process or content and are in addition to those cited in subdivisions
(1) to (8), inclusive.
They are applicable only to examinations on promotional or promotional open-competitive examinations.
a. In the event of the announcement of an examination on a promotional basis, the preceding employee efficiency rating or promotional potential rating form of employees who make application shall be used in addition to the other announced requirements to establish eligibility for examination. The minimum efficiency grade or rating for promotional eligibility shall be a superior rating or the numerical designation as may reflect superior performance and potential as determined by the director.
b. Each promotional candidate who attains an overall passing grade of 70 or more on the required announced or weighted tests, parts, or portions of a promotional basis examination shall have added to his or her grade or score one point for each year of full-time employment in the classified service up to and including 20 years. All absences from duty excepting vacations and sick leave allowances, plus military leaves, shall be deducted to determine credit to be allowed for seniority credits.

Legislative History

(Act 92–201, p. 442, § 15.)