HCSD — Standard Operating Procedures

901.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The Office of The Sheriff’s employee performance evaluation system is designed to record work performance for both the Office and the employee, providing recognition for good work and developing a guide for improvement.

901.2 POLICY

The Hartwell County Sheriff’s Department utilizes a performance evaluation report to measure performance and to use as a factor in making personnel decisions that relate to merit increases, promotion, reassignment, discipline, demotion, and termination. The evaluation report is intended to serve as a guide for work planning and review by the supervisor and employee. It gives supervisors a way to create an objective history of work performance based on job standards.

The Office of The Sheriff evaluates employees in a non-discriminatory manner based upon job-related factors specific to the employee’s position, without regard to actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and any other classification or status protected by law.

901.3 EVALUATION PROCESS

Evaluation reports will cover a specific period of time and should be based on documented performance during that period. Evaluation reports will be completed by each employee’s immediate supervisor. Other supervisors directly familiar with the employee’s performance during the rating period should be consulted by the immediate supervisor for their input. All sworn and non-sworn supervisory personnel shall attend an approved supervisory course that includes training on the completion of performance evaluations within one year of the supervisory appointment.

Each supervisor should discuss the tasks of the position, standards of performance expected and the evaluation criteria with each employee at the beginning of the rating period. Supervisors should document this discussion in the prescribed manner.

Assessment of an employee’s job performance is an ongoing process. Continued coaching and feedback provides supervisors and employees with opportunities to correct performance issues as they arise.

Non-probationary employees demonstrating substandard performance shall be notified in writing of such performance as soon as possible in order to have an opportunity to remediate the issues. Such notification should occur at the earliest opportunity, with the goal being a minimum of 90 days written notice prior to the end of the evaluation period. Employees who disagree with their evaluation and who desire to provide a formal response or a rebuttal may do so in writing in the prescribed format and time period.

901.3.1 RESERVE AND PART-TIME EVALUATIONS

Reserves, reserve deputies, reserve deputy sheriffs, extra-help employees, posse members, and other similarly situated personnel, are not currently being utilized in the Braughler-Velt Administration. This is subject to change under future consideration.

901.4 FULL TIME PROBATIONARY PERSONNEL

Non-sworn personnel are generally on probation for six months before being eligible for certification as permanent employees. An evaluation is completed three months into the probationary period and at least ten days before end of probation.

Safety personnel (i.e. operations deputies, correctional deputies, and dispatchers) are on probation for 12 months before being eligible for certification as permanent employees. For safety personnel, evaluations are completed pursuant to the training program guidelines or at three, six, nine and 12 months for those probationary safety personnel not on a training program (i.e. promoted employees). It is recognized that policy-based evaluations may be in addition to the evaluations found in applicable memorandums of understanding and merit rules.

Performance Evaluation

901.5 FULL-TIME PERMANENT STATUS PERSONNEL

Permanent employees are subject to three types of performance evaluations:

Regular - An Employee Performance Evaluation shall be completed once each year by the employee's immediate supervisor on the anniversary of the employee’s date of hire except for employees who have been promoted in which case an Employee Performance Evaluation shall be completed on the anniversary of the employee’s date of last promotion. Transfer - If an employee is transferred from one assignment to another in the middle of an evaluation period and less than six months have transpired since the transfer, then an evaluation shall be completed by the current supervisor with input from the previous supervisor.

Special - A special evaluation may be completed any time the rater and the rater's supervisor feel one is necessary due to employee performance that is deemed less than standard. Generally, the special evaluation will be the tool used to demonstrate those areas of performance deemed less than standard when follow-up action is planned (action plan, remedial training, retraining, etc.).

The evaluation form and the attached documentation shall be submitted as one package. Ratings

901.5.1 RATINGS

When completing the Employee Performance Evaluation, the rater will place a check mark in the column that best describes the employee's performance. The definition of each rating category is as follows:

Outstanding - Is actual performance well beyond that required for the position. It is exceptional performance, definitely superior or extraordinary.

Exceeds Standards - Represents performance that is better than expected of a fully competent employee. It is superior to what is expected, but is not of such rare nature to warrant outstanding.

Meets Standards - Is the performance of a fully competent employee. It means satisfactory performance that meets the standards required of the position.

Needs Improvement - Is a level of performance less than that expected of a fully competent employee and less than standards required of the position. A needs improvement rating must be thoroughly discussed with the employee.

Unsatisfactory - Performance is inferior to the standards required of the position. It is very inadequate or undesirable performance that cannot be tolerated.

Space for written comments is provided at the end of the evaluation in the rater comments section. This section allows the rater to document the employee's strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement. Any rating under any job dimension marked unsatisfactory or outstanding shall be substantiated in the rater comments section.

901.6 EVALUATION INTERVIEW

When the supervisor has completed the preliminary evaluation, arrangements shall be made for a private discussion of the evaluation with the employee. The supervisor should discuss the results of the just completed rating period and clarify any questions the employee may have. If the employee has valid and reasonable protests of any of the ratings, the supervisor may make appropriate changes to the evaluation. Areas needing improvement and goals for reaching the expected level of performance should be identified and discussed. The supervisor should also provide relevant counseling regarding advancement, specialty positions and training opportunities. The supervisor and employee will sign and date the evaluation. Permanent employees may also write comments in the Employee Comments section of the performance evaluation report.

901.6.1 DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT FORM

At the time of each employee’s annual evaluation, the reviewing supervisor shall require the employee to read the County and Office harassment and discrimination policies.

Following such policy review, the supervisor shall provide the employee a form to be completed and returned by the employee certifying the following:

• That the employee understands the harassment and discrimination policies.
• Whether any questions the employee has have been sufficiently addressed.
• That the employee knows how and where to report harassment policy violations.
• Whether the employee has been the subject of, or witness to, any conduct that violates the discrimination or harassment policy which has not been previously reported. The completed form should be returned to the supervisor (or other authorized individual if the employee is uncomfortable returning the form to the presenting supervisor) within one week.

The employee’s completed answers shall be attached to the evaluation. If the employee has expressed any questions or concerns, the receiving supervisor or other authorized individual shall insure that appropriate follow up action is taken.

901.7 EMPLOYEE WORKING FILE

It shall be the policy of the HCSD that every employee will have an Employee Working File maintained by their immediate supervisor.

The purpose of the Employee Working File will be to provide a central informal file on each employee for the purpose of maintaining documentation and information pertinent to the employee's current performance appraisal/evaluation period.

All documentation relevant to an employee's performance during their appraisal period shall be submitted to the employee's immediate supervisor. Examples of such documentation would include letters/memorandums of appreciation, commendation, training certificates, reprimands, etc. Any employee or citizen can submit such documentation for inclusion in an employee's Working File. Upon receipt of such documentation, the supervisor shall:

At the end of the employee's annual appraisal period, their immediate supervisor shall submit all material included in the Working File, along with their Performance Appraisal Report, up the appropriate Chain of Command to the Sheriff. The folder for the Working File shall remain in its location. The attached documentation from the Working File shall be reviewed at each level of the Chain of Command to ensure it has been properly documented on the employee's Performance Appraisal Report.

After the Sheriff has reviewed and signed the employee's Performance Appraisal Report, all material from the Working File shall be attached to the employee's copy of the Performance Appraisal Report and returned to the employee, and becomes their property. The original Performance Appraisal Report shall be placed in the employee's Personnel File, and a copy shall be placed in their Working File as part of the documentation for the next appraisal period.

An employee may review their Working File at any time during the appraisal period, having given reasonable notice to their immediate supervisor. The supervisor will access the file and provide it to the employee. The file shall not be removed from the Supervisor's office/work area.

Each Working File will have an Audit Log, which shall be completed by the employee and/or supervisor each time they review the contents of the file. The employee and/or supervisor will complete the Audit Log by listing the date, their initials, and employee number. The Audit Log will be deemed property of the employee and returned to them at the end of the annual appraisal period. A new Audit Log will be placed in the Working File at the beginning of the new appraisal period.

901.8 EVALUATION REVIEW

After the supervisor finishes the discussion with the employee, the signed performance evaluation is forwarded to the rater's supervisor (Division Commander). The Division Commander shall review the evaluation for fairness, impartiality, uniformity, and consistency. The Division Commander shall evaluate the supervisor on the quality of ratings given.

901.9 EVALUATION DISTRIBUTION

The original performance evaluation shall be maintained in the employee's personnel file in the office of the Sheriff for the tenure of the employee's employment. A copy will be given to the employee and a copy will be forwarded to County Department of Human Resources. Underfunded Special Assignments and Promotion Criteria