Employee Handbook

EMPLOYMENT AT WILL

While in the normal course of events, the City of Athens intends to follow the practices set forth in these materials and other City publications, certain situations may occur in which the City will not follow the procedures outlined. In such situations, the City has and shall continue to have the power to take appropriate action including, but not limited to changing compensation, working conditions, or dismissing employees with or without cause.

POSITION CLASSIFICATION PLAN

The position classification plan provides a complete inventory of all authorized and permanent positions in the City service, and an accurate description and specification for each class of employment. The plan standardizes job titles, each of which is indicative of a definite range of duties and responsibilities.

The classification plan shall consist of a grouping of positions in grades which are approximately equal in difficulty and responsibility which call for the same general qualifications, and which can be equitably compensated within the same range of pay under similar working conditions. The plan shall contain class titles descriptive of the work of the class, written specifications for each class of positions, and an allocation list showing the class title of each position in the City service.

The classification plan is to be used as a guide in recruiting and examining applicants for employment, determining lines of promotion and in developing employee training programs, determining pay for various types of work, determining personnel service items in departmental budgets, and providing uniform job terminology.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE POSITION CLASSIFICATION PLAN

The City Manager shall allocate each position covered by the classification plan to its appropriate grade and shall be responsible for the administration of the position classification plan. The City Manager shall periodically review portions of the classification plan to meet changing positions and make recommendations for appropriate changes. These changes will be submitted to the City Council for approval.

Minor revisions to position job descriptions, such as changes in essential functions, minimum job standards, physical activities or requirements, shall be submitted by the Department Head for review by Human Resources and approval by the City Manager. These minor revisions shall not alter the level of responsibility or the job description so as to warrant a reclassification of the position.

REQUEST FOR RECLASSIFICATION

Any employee who considers the position in which classified to be improper shall submit a request in writing for reclassification to such employee's immediate supervisor or Department Head. The City Manager will consider the request and if approved, the City Manager may forward the recommendation to the City Council for consideration and action.

THE PAY PLAN

The pay schedule, consisting of both category and grade level, as approved by City Council, is hereby adopted as the pay plan for the City of Athens, and shall be on file in the Human Resources Department. The pay plan includes the basic pay schedule and the assignment of classes to grades and ranges adopted by the Council. The pay schedule consists of steps for minimum, or beginning, and maximum rates of pay