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G.O. 21 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER NUMBER: GO - 21 SUBJECT: PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM EFFECTIVE: AUGUST 01, 2020 REVISED: APRIL 1, 2022 GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 1 OF 6 I. PURPOSE The Department shall establish and have the responsibility for administering a system providing for fair, objective, and equitable review and evaluation of the work performance and effectiveness of all Longwood Police Department employees. II. SCOPE This directive is intended to provide an overview and introduction of the employee performance review system in use by the Longwood Police Department. The Employee Performance Review manual is promulgated by the Department and is provided to all employees. The manual serves to provide employees and supervisors with definitions of the measurement to be applied in evaluating an employee, procedures for the utilization of the review forms, and the overall responsibilities of supervisors who review employees. Employees are directed to their Employee Performance Review Manual for complete reference to this directive. Employees will be evaluated using criteria specific to the position they occupied during the rating period. III. GENERAL The Department will review the Employee Performance Review Manual and shall update, revise or amend the manual as needed. The patrol lieutenant is responsible for the administration, distribution and efficient operation of the Performance Review for the Longwood Police Department. IV. OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION A. The performance review system is designed to: 1. Provide an employee with feedback regarding a supervisor’s perception of their job performance; GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 2 OF 6 2. Assist an employee in realizing their highest potential; and, 3. Aid supervisors in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their operations or areas or responsibility. B. The primary purposes of the performance review include: 1. Advising an employee of the strengths and weaknesses in the performance of their assigned duties; 2. Serving as a basis for discussion as to how an employee might improve performance; 3. Counseling employees on position duties and responsibilities and level of expected performance; 4. Assisting in the determination of and order of layoff or reinstatement; 5. Providing a basis for employee counseling or training; 6. Providing a basis for demotion, transfer or termination. C. The forms utilized in the performance review and all subsequent criteria used to evaluate an employee are designed to assess specific position functions and responsibilities. D. A narrative explanation is required when the rating indicates below standards and when the rating reflects that the employee exceeds standards. E. Supervisors who rate employees shall be evaluated in regard to the fairness and impartiality of review ratings given to their employees, their participation in counseling rated employees, and their ability to carry out the rater’s role in the performance review. Supervisors who evaluate employees shall be rated by the next higher supervising authority according to the standards of leadership skills as defined in the Employee Performance Review Manual. F. Measurements Definitions, Procedures for Form Use, and Rater Responsibility and Training are addressed in the Performance Review Manual. V. REVIEW PERIODS: Reviews are intended to measure an employee’s performance over a specified time period. A supervisor will ensure that the column on the Review Form titled “Review Period” is completed and reflects the time period over which the employee is to be rated. GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 3 OF 6 A. Probationary: Full-time employees serving an initial probationary period will receive monthly probationary performance reviews. The final probationary performance review will be completed 15 days prior to the end of their probationary period. This review will include a recommendation for permanent appointment, extension of probation, or termination from employment. After the review process, probationary reviews are submitted for inclusion in the employee’s personnel file. B. Annual: Annual performance reviews shall be conducted for all employees each calendar year. The review period will be August 1 through July 31st Performance reviews will be submitted no later than August 15th. C. Transfer: Transfer reviews are utilized when an employee transfers from one shift to another with a different supervisor or from one division to another with a different supervisor. After the review process, transfer reviews are submitted to the Department for inclusion in the employee’s personnel file. VI. PLACEMENT ON PERFORMANCE PROBATION A. A performance review may be conducted at any time when in the opinion of the immediate supervisor an employee’s performance has deviated from acceptable standards. Non-probationary members shall be given written notice of substandard performance prior to the end of the annual rating period. Said review may be a basis for requesting that an employee be given remedial training or such other action as may be deemed appropriate by the Department. Said review may be a determining factor in termination or other disciplinary proceedings. VII. PROCEDURES (GENERAL) A. Employees will be evaluated using criteria specific to the position they occupied during the rating period. B. Performance evaluations will only be based on the performance of the employee during the specified rating period. GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 4 OF 6 C. An employee’s performance review shall be prepared and signed by the employee’s immediate supervisor and reviewed by higher levels of supervision up to and including the chief of police. The higher level of authority reviewing the performance review shall evaluate the ratings given to an employee and has authorization to change a rating or add comments. The higher authority will initial any additions or changes and sign the review. D. The rating supervisor shall discuss all performance reviews with the affected employee in a review interview, only after first obtaining concurrence on the review through the employee’s chain of command. At a minimum, the supervisor will counsel the rated employee in the following areas: 1. The results of the performance review; 2. The criteria used to rate the employee in the review; 3. Career counseling relative to such topics as advancement, specialization or training appropriate to the employee’s position. E. The rating supervisor shall counsel each member during this discussion; in preparation for beginning the next rating period. At a minimum, the supervisor will counsel the employee in the following areas and document the discussion of each topic in the performance review: 1. Review of the tasks of the position the member occupies (job task analysis) 2. The level of performance expected of the member 3. The criteria used for rating the member (performance review guidelines) F. An employee shall be afforded an opportunity to add comments to the review form in the area designated for employee comments, regardless of his/her intent to appeal the review. If the employee does not wish to add comments, the employee should write “No Comments”. G. The employee shall sign the review form indicating that he/she has read it. The rating supervisor will provide the employee with a copy of the performance review form. H. Reviews will be maintained within an employee’s personnel file by the Department for a period of time stipulated by state statute or according to the guidelines of the Florida Bureau of Archives and Records Management. GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 5 OF 6 VIII. PERFORMANCE REVIEW APPEALS: A. An employee on probationary status may not appeal any performance review. B. An employee who has completed the probationary period may appeal a performance review. C. Appeal rights may be exercised by an employee within five calendar days of receiving his/her copy of the performance review. D. An appeal will be made via a memorandum and directed to the chief of police. The appeal shall contain at least the following elements: 1. Specific areas of disagreement; 2. Statement as to why the employee believes the performance review does not accurately reflect his/her performance for the review period; and, 3. Specific area of the performance review that they feel should be changed. E. The chief of police shall have thirty calendar days in which to meet with the affected employee to discuss the performance review. After the meeting, the chief of police shall have ten calendar days to change the performance review or uphold the review as originally prepared. F. The decision of the chief of police is final and no other appeal options are available to the employee. IX. EVALUATION MANUAL A. Performance Review Manuals will be issued to all employees in order to provide guidance on the levels of performance required to achieve a satisfactory or better rating in any particular performance review category. B. Supervisors will pay special attention to the following Performance Review Manual sections: 1. Your role as a manager 2. How to conduct a meaningful performance review 3. Completing the performance review form 4. Appeal process GENERAL ORDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW SYSTEM GO – 21 PAGE 6 OF 6 Note: The rater’s responsibilities and training on the use of the performance review forms are contained in these sections. C. The Performance Review Manual will contain sample performance review forms for each assignment within the department, along with the required levels of performance for each category contained in each performance review.