Sworn PPM: Employment

Employment with the City of Colorado Springs is considered to be an employee's primary job. In accordance with Department procedures, any supplemental employment is secondary and subject to the review and approval of the Chief.

Employment Restrictions

An employee may not hold simultaneous positions with the City, or any entity that is owned by the City and/or operates under the auspices of the City Council, if the combined hours exceed 40 hours per week. An exception, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act, is occasional, sporadic part-time employment. Examples of this type employment are sports officials or instructors. The part-time employment cannot be in the department of the employee's regular assignment.

An individual under contract with the City or Colorado Springs Utilities may not become or remain an employee of the City or the Colorado Springs Utilities.

The City will not employ individuals who cannot establish proof of their legal right to work within the United States.

Extra Duty

In accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employee may be engaged by a separate and independent employer in fire protection, law enforcement or related activity. Such employment is voluntary and the hours worked do not combine to form a joint employment relationship with the City of Colorado Springs. The Mayor shall establish the hourly rate to be charged to the business or activities hiring Police and Fire Personnel for extra duty. Such rate may include an administrative fee.

An applicant or employee shall not receive preferential consideration because of a relationship to another employee. Specifically, no two members of an immediate family (parent, guardian, child, brother, sister, grandparents, and grandchild, including these relatives in-law, step or half, or any other family member residing in the employee's household), excluding a partner in marriage pursuant to the provisions of the “Uniform Marriage Act, “Part 1 of Article 2 of Title 14 or Colorado common law; or a partner in a civil union pursuant to the “Colorado Civil Union Act,” Article 15 of Title 14 (“Spouse”) or two people who plan to be married, shall be employed in a direct supervisory relationship.

Nothing prevents spouses or two people who plan to be married from working for the City, or same unit, except in the following circumstances:

• One spouse directly or indirectly exercises supervisory, appointment, or dismissal authority or disciplinary authority over the other spouse.
• One spouse would audit, verify or receive, or be entrusted with monies received or handled by the other spouse.
• One spouse has access to the other spouse's confidential information, including payroll and personnel records.
• Should marriage or any other event cause a violation of this policy, either employee must, within 90 days, secure other employment which does not violate this policy or resign.

The application of this policy will apply prospectively; therefore, current employees in assignments which violate this policy are exempt from its application in their current positions. If an employee seeks a transfer or promotion, the new assignment cannot put the employee in greater conflict of this policy, than they have in their current position

It is the goal of the City to maintain a performance management system that will help provide an opportunity for employees to maximize their potential and deliver the highest level of service to City customers.

System Components

The performance management system is a yearlong, collaborative process between the employee and supervisor that links individual performance to the goals of the department.

The immediate supervisor and employee should meet periodically to review performance and discuss perceived strengths, weaknesses or problems, so the employee will have an opportunity to improve performance before the year-end evaluation.

The immediate supervisor prepares the formal written evaluation after discussions with the employee about his/her self-evaluation. Completed performance appraisal forms are reviewed by the Chief/Deputy Chief. Performance ratings are not appealable. Employees may, however, request a meeting with the rater's supervisor and/or draft a response to be attached to the appraisal in their personnel file.

Performance Improvement Plans

Employees who are performing unsatisfactorily in any critical function of their job or who, in the sole judgment of their immediate supervisor, are behaving in the workplace in a manner that causes disruption or impedes workflow, may be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The Plan should identify the problem areas of work production and/or problem behaviors and establish a timetable (not less than 30 days) and plan for correction. If the employee fails to meet the requirements of the improvement plan, they are subject to disciplinary action.

During the period of performance improvement, employees’ salaries are frozen and receive no salary increases (including step progressions and market adjustments/increases) until performance is rated "Meets Expectations." Any increases the employee would have received, except for the PIP, become effective at the time a satisfactory rating is achieved. Increases are not retroactive.