Guidebook for City of Houston Municipal Employees

Classification
Like every civil service system, all city jobs are included in a classification system that groups like jobs within classes and pay grades. Each particular job category within a class of jobs is called a classification. Positions are funded, active jobs within each classification. You have been hired to fill one of the positions within a classification. That is the name of your position. The city does not use job titles (e.g., executive assistant to the director) other than the name of your classification (e.g., administrative specialist).

Your status as an employee depends on whether or not you are civil service protected. Not all employees are automatically civil service employees. Article Va of the Charter of the City of Houston lists the positions that are not civil service protected. Police and fire classified employees have separate civil service systems and are not included in the municipal civil service system. When you have fulfilled the 12-month probationary period, you have civil service protection unless you fill a position listed in the next section as a non-civil service employee.

Who Does Not Have Civil Service Protection?

• All probationary employees during their first year of employment
• All appointed officials including department directors
• All executive level employees (designated as such)
• All assistant city attorneys and all professional, non-clerical staff of the Legal Department
• Part-time employees (those regularly scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week)
• Temporary employees (seasonal, limited duration, and those without reasonable expectation to continue employment indefinitely)
• Emergency employees (those hired for limited duration in an emergency situation without expectation of continued employment)

Non-civil service protected employees are considered to be “at will” employees and may be terminated or have their status changed for any reason without notice and without appeal or review rights.

Civil service protected employees have certain expectations regarding their employment status, including just cause to discipline; the right to grieve a written reprimand; the right to request a hearing or review of temporary disciplinary actions of up to 15 days; and the right to an appeal hearing before the Civil Service Commission of an indefinite suspension (firing). Civil service employees also have the ability to grieve five other matters (see Section II).

You may be eligible for benefits or overtime depending on your work schedule. Regardless of your civil service status, you may be one of the following:

• Full Time – You will be regularly scheduled to work at least a 40-hour workweek.

• Part Time – You will be regularly scheduled to work less than a 40-hour workweek.

• Exempt – You qualify for exempt status because of the job duties you perform and you will not be paid overtime irrespective of hours worked.

• Nonexempt – You perform duties for the city that are not considered to be exempt and you will be paid overtime or accrue compensatory time at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for all hours paid in excess of 40 in any given work week.

• Grant-Funded Positions – May or may not be civil service protected and could be any of the above. However, even with civil service protection, the expectation of continued employment is limited by the continuation of grant funding for the position.

• Contractor and Temporary Agency Employees – Are not city employees, even though they work alongside city employees often doing the same work. They are employees of the agency/entity that employed them and do not have any civil service protection or status, have no expectation of continued employment, and may be dismissed at will.

Notices of job opportunities within the city are posted on the city’s Web site, www.houstontx.gov. Applications can be submitted at this location during the times posted on the city’s Web site by clicking on “I Want To ….”.These notices may also be viewed in the Human Resources Department application lobby, 611 Walker Street, ground floor level. Job postings are updated weekly.
After your first year of employment, if you desire to change jobs into another department, you are responsible for identifying positions for which you may be qualified. You should submit your completed, original application for each position to the Human Resources Department. Applicants are notified only if selected for an interview.

Internal job opportunities for “city employees only” are posted on the intranet, www.choice.net.

You may reach the city’s Job Line 24 hours a day for a recording of open positions. The numbers are (713) 837-9498 (general) and (713) 837-9499 (professional). The TDDY number is (713) 837-9471.

The Selection Services Division coordinates and assists with recruitment and hiring processes for city departments. They identify a diverse labor pool through posting, advertising vacant positions, attending job fairs and screening applicants. Selection Services also ensures that applicants meet applicable state and federal eligibility requirements for employment and ensures city hiring processes are in compliance with state and federal laws.

In order to be considered for a promotion, lateral transfer/reclassification or voluntary demotion into another city department or within your own department, you must complete and submit an application for the position to the Human Resources Department’s Selection Services Division.