RESPONSIBLE CITY AGENCY: Division of Human Resource Management
KEYWORDS: supervisor, standards, responsibilities, behavior
1. General
1.1 A "supervisor" is a City employee who directs another City employee, group, team, division, department, or operation.
1.2 A supervisor ensures the work of the City is accomplished and that each employee she or he supervises succeeds in the workplace. In most cases, such workplace success is accomplished: by understanding each employee's professional skills and abilities; by fostering loyalty and pride in the workplace; and by supporting and directing employee skills and abilities in a manner that promotes and advances the objectives of the City.
1.3 As management representatives, supervisors will be held to a high standard in respect and courtesy, and other standards of conduct. Supervisors are expected to be examples for others to follow.
2. Primary Functions of a Supervisor
2.1 The primary functions of a supervisor are planning and leading.
2.1.1 Planning: involves identifying workplace goals and objectives, methods, processes, resources, and action plans; involves communication with and feedback from the employees who perform the service or help produce the product affected by the plan; includes effective communication with City division and department managers regarding the resources required to carry out plans; involves the professional development of all employees a supervisor is responsible for; and includes overseeing the implementation of the direction given to individual employees.
2.1.2 Leading involves setting direction for individual employees, workgroups, or operations. It also involves championing the success of each employee and workgroup.
2.2 If a supervisor has supervisory and non-supervisory responsibilities, the supervisor may not ignore or set aside his or her supervisory responsibilities due to non-supervisory duties. In the event non-supervisory assignments routinely or regularly interfere with supervisory work, a supervisor shall discuss work assignments with his or her supervisor - with the goal of assuring continuous, effective supervision of City work.
3. Courtesy and Respect
All City employees shall display courtesy and respect toward supervisors, co-workers, subordinates and the public in accordance with the City’s policy on Courteous and Respectful Behavior (3.02.09)
4. Employee Privacy
Supervisors must respect the privacy concerns of the employees they supervise. Supervisors must understand and comply with medical privacy requirements. Supervisors should conduct any necessary counseling of individual employees in a private setting, as appropriate.
5. Communication with Employees
Supervisors shall communicate regularly with their employees regarding the work group operations and individual performance, including specifically the following:
5.1 Effectively communicate to employees the goals, mission and objectives of the work group, team, division, department, and City;
5.2 Effectively communicate with each employee to learn the employee's perspective regarding customer needs and resource requirements;
5.3 Effectively communicate with each employee regarding workplace performance and conduct expectations;
5.4 Effectively communicate with each employee concerning specific job assignments and tasks, including timelines and job/task objectives;
5.5 Effectively recognize employee and work group successes;
5.6 Listen to and seriously consider employee suggestions and recommendations.
6. City Ordinances, Policies and Procedures
Supervisors are responsible to obtain a thorough knowledge and understanding of laws and ordinances, City /department policies, procedures, and guidelines, as well as labor agreements applicable to the employees they supervise. Supervisors should request from their managers, and managers shall provide, appropriate training, mentors or other resources to give supervisors the opportunity to obtain the level of knowledge and understanding in these areas to perform their supervisory duties effectively.
7. Department Processes and Practices
Department directors shall implement departmental processes or practices addressing supervisory responsibilities consistent with this policy and other applicable statutes, ordinances, policies and procedures. Such processes or practices shall specifically set forth the following:
7.1 Recordkeeping requirements associated with employee supervision within the department, as set forth more specifically in Section 10, below;
7.2 Chain-of-command/supervisory span of control within each department to avoid multiple supervisors directing the same employee at the same time and processes for an employee to raise and resolve conflicting direction;
7.3 Processes to ensure constant vigilance regarding workplace safety, and reporting of concerns to designated and appropriate staff;
7.4 Processes to ensure the immediate reporting of workplace harassment or discrimination complaints, as required by City policy;
7.5 Processes to facilitate the immediate resolution of workplace disruptions.
8. Education and Training of Employees
8.1 Supervisors shall ensure new employees and incumbent employees receive initial and continuing education and training regarding (a) the skills associated with an employee's assigned duties; and (b) applicable City ordinances, policies, procedures, guidelines, and departmental policies, procedures, practices and processes.
8.2 Supervisors shall support each employee in his or her career development, as appropriate.
9. Employee Performance Evaluation
Department Directors shall implement employee performance evaluation processes that are appropriate for their specific departments. Department Directors shall have discretion to utilize the City-wide performance evaluation system or develop their own systems and processes for use by division directors and managers/supervisors within the department. Any employee evaluation system used shall hold supervisors accountable for the performance of their subordinate employees.
10. Records
10.1 Department Directors shall implement department practices and processes for supervisors to follow concerning the creation and maintenance of accurate records of the following:
10.1.1 Training and education of employees;
10.1.2 Employee recognition;
10.1.3 Specific job or task direction given to an employee or workgroup;
10.1.4 Employee suggestions, customer service recommendations;
10.1.5 Resource support requests (such as funds, training, materials, personnel) from employees;
10.1.6 Supervisor job performance evaluations;
10.1.7 Non-disciplinary and disciplinary intervention records.
10.2 When created and maintained in a City department, the following employee records shall be forwarded to the Division of Human Resource Management for inclusion in an employee's personnel file:
10.2.1 Written commendation or recognition;
10.2.2 Performance or similar evaluations;
10.2.3 Disciplinary letters issued in accordance with City policies and procedures.
10.3 Records of non-disciplinary intervention shall not be forwarded or maintained in the Division of Human Resource Management personnel files.
11. Disciplinary Authority
Department Directors shall ensure compliance with this policy by all supervisors in their departments and will provide supervisory skill training, as needed. Supervisors who fail to comply with this policy shall be disciplined in accordance with the City’s disciplinary guidelines and policies.
CURRENT REFERENCES: Standards of Conduct Policy; Courtesy and Respect Policy
EFFECTIVE DATE (Date signed by the Mayor): September 4, 2007