CITY OF PORTLAND

HUMAN RESOURCES

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

EMPLOYMENT

TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS

City Charter Section 4-302(1) Provision Regarding Temporary Employees

Temporary appointments may be used for meeting emergency, non-recurring, and short-term workloads needs of the City. However, such appointments do not carry “status” in the classification and are outside the classified service, and shall not be used to defeat the open and competitive procedures established by the Director.

Conditions For Temporary Appointments

Temporary appointments are allowed under certain conditions:

1.  In the absence of and pending the preparation of an appropriate eligible register; or

2.  In emergencies to prevent delay or injury to the public; or

3.  To meet a non-recurring or short-term workload need; and

4.  Temporary appointments shall not exceed one (1) year in duration, unless extended by the Director of Human Resources.

Layoff List and Temporary Appointments

No temporary appointments shall be made to a position in the classified service while names of available persons are on the layoff list for the class to which the position is allocated, provided the laid off employees are qualified and have expressed an interest in the position.

Process For Approval of Temporary Appointments

When filling a full-time budgeted position in the classified service with a temporary appointment which is to exceed thirty (30) days, the appointing authority must file a request with the Director of Human Resources, or designee, prior to hiring.

Personnel action notices (PAN) for temporary hires must have the Director of Human Resources’ approval attached. No temporary employee may start work without approval.

Notice of Temporary Appointment

The appointing authority shall provide written notice to the temporary employee at the time of appointment. The notice shall include conditions of appointment, duration of appointment, and notification that the appointment may end at any time at the discretion of the appointing authority.

Temporary Employees Serve At Will

Employees under temporary appointment serve at will and shall not accrue status in the class to which they have been appointed and shall have no appeal rights upon demotion, suspension or termination from the class.

Temporary employees in budgeted or Limited Term positions receive vacation and sick leave, holiday pay, and health benefits. Temporary employees in non-budgeted positions do not receive vacation and sick leave, or health benefits. Temporary Appointments may receive holiday pay if they are in a pay status the day preceding and following the holiday. Temporary appointees are eligible for retirement benefits after six months in accordance with the PERS guidelines.

Temporary appointments are not eligible for reemployment under the Administrative Rule on Reinstatement or Layoff & Recall and have no bumping rights.

Bureau Responsibility to Monitor Temporary Term

It is the appointing Bureau's responsibility to ensure that temporary employees do not work more than the one year allowed under this Administrative Rule. After the one year limit is exhausted, the employee must be terminated or proceed through a recruitment process for limited duration or permanent appointment. Hiring authorities may not make multiple subsequent temporary appointments to the same position. With showing of good cause and at the discretion of the Director of Human Resources, a temporary appointment may be extended beyond one year.

Credit for Temporary Service Upon Permanent Appointment

If a employee in a temporary appointment is subsequently permanently appointed to the classification, credit may be given for all accumulated temporary service in that classification in the previous five (5) years for the purpose of determining salary range and anniversary date. A pay adjustment may be made to the appropriate service step of the pay range for that classification.

Compensation for Temporary Appointments

See Administrative Rule on Compensation.

The use of accumulated service credits from several short periods of temporary appointments to a classification shall not be considered in determining salary range until the employee receives a permanent appointment.

Director to Report Use of Temporary Employment

Utilizing the employee tracking system, the Bureau of Human Resources will report temporary appointments to budgeted positions to Council each fiscal year.

Interns and Work-Study Students

For purposes of this administrative rule, Interns and Work-Study employees do not have to be preapproved by the Director of Human Resources.

Administrative Rule History

Adopted by Council March 6, 2002

Effective April 5, 2002