§ 32-288. Forms of disciplinary action.

(a)

Disciplinary action ranges from oral or written reprimands to suspension, demotion, or, finally, dismissal from the city service, and depends on the severity of the offense as well as the number and the frequency of previous acts of misconduct.

(b)

It is the responsibility of all the city department chiefs and supervisors to ensure that work rules and generally accepted standards of conduct are complied with by the city workforce in order to maintain efficiency and order. This shall be accomplished through the process of uniform and equitable administration of discipline. Disciplinary action shall range from verbal admonishment, letter of reprimand, suspension from duty without pay, to dismissal for just cause, all to be administered according to accepted principles of proper management. No executive/administrative/professional employee, however, shall be subject to suspension without pay.

(c)

For all but major breaches of work rules, discipline should be administered in increasingly progressive severity and be appropriate for the offense or incident. The city subscribes to the accepted management principle that the purpose of a system of discipline is to rehabilitate employees.

(d)

All forms of disciplinary action, excluding verbal admonishments, must be in writing, state the full circumstances surrounding the incident (e.g., incident, date, time, location, witnesses, the precise discipline administered), and contain a notation requesting the employee's comments. A copy of the action shall be given to the employee, and a copy placed in the employee's file, after the individual has acknowledged receipt by signature. Should the employee refuse to acknowledge receipt, the supervisor or department chief and a witness shall note that the employee refused to acknowledge receipt and the document shall be placed in the employee file without the employee's signature. This subsection does not apply to dismissals.

(Code 1983, § 6.07.030(a))