Common use of Lateral Hires Clause in Contracts

Lateral Hires. The City may hire experienced patrol officers (“lateral hires”). For purposes of initial placement on the wage scale, the City may recognize prior work experience in another police department, except in no event shall a lateral hire be placed on the wage scale above the Twentieth Year step, regardless of actual years of prior work experience. Thereafter, lateral hires will progress on the wage scale according to their years of service with the City following their initial placement. As an example, a newly hired lateral officer with seven years of prior work experience in another police department may be credited with seven years of service on the wage scale and accordingly placed on the Fifth Year step. The officer will need to work an additional three years with the City before he/she can be placed on the Tenth Year step. Regardless of scale placement and/or credit for recognized prior work experience, newly hired laterals shall have no seniority and shall be subject to the probationary period in Article 7. Other than this lateral placement, and the lateral placement on the vacation scale in Article 26, lateral hires will have no additional benefits beyond any other new hire. Effective July 1, 2018, the City agrees to credit prior police work experience in another police department for any current employee employed in the bargaining unit as of the execution date of this Agreement and adjust the employee’s scale placement accordingly.