Policies and Procedures Glossary

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Accident:
An unplanned event in which damage or injury is sustained to persons or property.
Agency:
A department, division, or office as designated by the Board of Supervisors.
Agency Head:
An employee responsible for the management and leadership of an agency.
Applicant:
An individual who indicates a specific interest in a current vacancy or a type of work for which the County of Henrico is actively recruiting, provides required information on the County of Henrico’s official online employment application, and electronically submits that application.  Job vacancies for external applicants are available at www.henricojobs.com. Job vacancies for internal applicants are available through HRMS.
Appointing Authority:
The County Manager is the appointing authority. He may delegate this authority to an agency head for use in that agency.
Appraiser:
Any employee who evaluates the performance of a subordinate (usually the employee’s supervisor/manager).
Authorized Absence:
An absence approved by the employee’s supervisor after proper notification is given to the supervisor of the reason for absence and estimated length of absence.
Authorized Position:
A position listed in the personnel complement and approved by the Board of Supervisors or the County Manager. Employees in authorized positions are eligible for benefit coverage.
Behavioral Examples:
Examples of behaviors that demonstrate performance capabilities. They can be modified by managers to match the criteria for specific positions.
Benefits:
A component of compensation made available to certain eligible employees as determined and approved by the Director of Human Resources.
Capabilities:
Identified behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that directly and positively impact the success of employees and organizations. For more information, view the Capability Model webpage.
Career Development Advancement:
Movement from one job title to another higher grade job title following the individual’s successful completion of the requirements of an approved career development plan. In career development transactions, the change in the rate of pay is treated as a promotion.  Career development movement, both up and down, is accomplished at the discretion of the agency head, based on the approved career development plan, policies, and practices, and with the final approval of the Director of Human Resources.
Chatbots:
Computer programs designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet.
Class Specification (or Class):
A formal written statement of a job, which defines the general character and scope of the duties of positions that share a job classification. This statement is usually supplemented by examples of work; enumerates knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements for successful performance of the work; and states minimum experience and education requirements, as well as education and experience equivalencies for positions in the class. (See Section 3.3)
Classified Position:
A position authorized by the Board of Supervisors or the County Manager that provides a full range of County benefits to the eligible employee. Employees assigned to classified positions are also eligible to use the County’s grievance procedure, except where otherwise exempted.
Close Family Member:
An employee’s parents, grandparents, great‐grandparents, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, spouse/partner, children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews; or the spouse’s/partner’s parents, grandparents, great‐grandparents, children, grandchildren, great‐grandchildren, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law; ex-spouse with whom the employee shares children; or the employee’s step- and half‐relatives (or a person who is legally acting in one of the preceding capacities); or other relative who maintains his primary residence in the employee’s household.
Compensation:
Payment made for services rendered, which may include pay and/or benefits as approved by the Director of Human Resources.
Complement:
The authorized list of positions as approved by the Board of Supervisors or the County Manager and maintained by the Department of Human Resources.

Complement Funding Eligible for Grievance Procedure
I All County funds Yes
II Some County funds Yes
III All outside funds Yes
IV All funding sources No
Computer Vision:
A field of artificial intelligence (AI) that trains computers to see, interpret and understand the world around them through machine learning techniques.
Continuous County Employment/Service:
The total length of time an employee has been employed with the County. Continuous County employment/service begins with the employment date and continues until the employee’s separation from County employment. It includes any time spent in approved leave without pay status, as well as any regular hourly, seasonal, or part‐time employment with the County immediately prior to employment in an authorized position.
Criminal History Record Check:
A review of the Central Criminal Record Exchange (CCRE) to determine 1) the past criminal conduct of persons offered conditional employment in County authorized positions and/or hourly safety‐sensitive positions and 2) whether such conduct is compatible with the nature of their employment. The Department of Human Resources administers criminal history record checks pursuant to an ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
Demotion:
Transfer from one class of position to another of a lower grade in which the employee meets the minimum qualification. Demotion may be disciplinary or non‐disciplinary and carries with it a reduction in pay. Employees in an approved career development plan may be demoted to a lower level. A demotion can be rescinded with the approval of the Director of Human Resources for good cause.
Discipline:
Action taken against an employee, ranging from a written reprimand to dismissal, depending on the severity of the employee’s misconduct.
Dismissal:
An involuntary separation of an individual’s employment with the County.
Eligible Employee:
An employee who meets specific requirements that enable the employee to earn certain benefits.
Emergency Closure:
A partial or complete closure or curtailment of County operations by the County Manager, necessitated by an emergency event, such as adverse weather, a natural disaster, or an act of terrorism.
Emergency Hire:
An individual employee hired by the County in a non-competitive process for a designated time period, not to exceed 90 days, and who is not covered by any benefits.  Emergency hires must be approved by the Director of Human Resources and may be extended once for an additional 90 days at the discretion of the Director of Human Resources on a case-by-case basis.
Employee:
An individual who, in consideration of salary or wages, is hired by and performs services for the benefit and under the control of the County of Henrico General Government.
Employment:
Placement of an individual into a vacant position, as approved by the Director of Human Resources.  Offers of employment may be rescinded with the approval of the Director of Human Resources.
Employment Date:
The date a new employee reports to work.
Essential Employees:
Those employees, as determined by each agency head, who are required to perform their normal, routine duties during emergency closures.  Emergency closures are declared and defined by the County Manager.
Exempt:
Employees who, as classified by the Director of Human Resources in accordance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, are exempt from overtime pay and who are eligible to earn compensatory leave.
Extraordinary Merit Increase:
A merit increase, approved by the County Manager, based on specified criteria relating to extraordinary circumstances.
FMLA Leave:
Leave governed by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that places eligible employees in a job protected status.
Full‐Time Employee:
An employee hired in an authorized position who works at least 40 hours per workweek and who is eligible for full coverage of benefits.
Generative AI:
Technology that creates original content, such as text, images, videos, or other media, without being explicitly programmed to do so. Generative AI is software that can simulate conversation with human users. Their content is generated by computer models leveraging content found online or submitted to them. They can be used for a variety of purposes, such as improving customer service, marketing, idea or draft generation, and research.
Grade (or Paygrade):
A number assigned to a group of steps in a defined payplan, which represents a salary range.
Hourly Employee:
An employee who is hired and paid on an hourly basis, who is not covered by any benefits, who has no right to continued employment or expectation of any coverage of benefits or change in level of compensation, and who may not work or be scheduled for more than 29 hours per workweek without approval of the Director of Human Resources.
Human Resource Management System (HRMS):
The County’s electronic information management system used in the Department of Human Resources.
Immediate Family:
An employee’s spouse/partner, children/step-children/partner’s children, parents, grandparents, brother, sister; or other close family member who maintains his primary residence in the employee’s household.
Job Classification:
A title representing a single position or a group of positions sufficiently similar in duties performed; degree of supervision exercised or required; minimum requirements of education, experience, or skill; and such other characteristics that have the same or similar class title, the same or similar tests of fitness, and the same schedule of compensation applied. The classification of a position is determined by the Director of Human Resources.
Job Description:
A detailed written description of the duties, operations, methods, working conditions, equipment or material used, line of authority, and other essential facts about a particular position.
Key Official:
The County Manager; a member of the County Manager’s staff; the head of a separate County department, agency, division, or office; constitutional officers; clerk of a court; or an appointive position, such as a school superintendent or judge.
Large Language Models:
Deep learning algorithms that can recognize, summarize, translate, predict, and generate content using models trained by very large datasets.
Leave Accrual Date:
The date that determines when the accrual rate of annual leave changes. The date is computed from the employment date, minus any time in a non‐paid status, and includes employment in part‐ time assignments (20 hours or more per payperiod) immediately preceding full‐time employment if leave was earned during the part‐time assignment.
Machine Learning:
The use and development of computer systems that are able to learn and adapt without following explicit instructions, by using algorithms and statistical models to analyze and draw inferences from patterns in data.
Minimum Qualifications:
Those minimum requirements set by the Director of Human Resources that an applicant or employee must possess to be considered qualified and eligible for a position with the County.
Non-essential Employees:
Those employees, as determined by the agency head, who are not required to perform their normal, routine job duties during emergency closures. Emergency closures are declared and defined by the County Manager.
Non-exempt:
Employees who, as classified by the Director of Human Resources in accordance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, are eligible to receive overtime for hours worked in excess of a fixed and recurring work period.
Non‐probationary Employee:
A full‐time or part‐time employee who is in an authorized position, is eligible to receive County benefits, and has successfully completed his initial probationary period.
Overtime Pay:
Pay at a rate of one and one‐half times a non‐exempt employee’s normal hourly rate for all overtime hours worked.
Organization:
An agency, department, division, or office.
Paid Leave:
Leave of absence with pay, as defined in Section 8.
Part‐Time Employee:
A person employed in an authorized position who works standard hours less than 40 hours per workweek and who is eligible for certain limited County benefits and pro‐rated leave, as prescribed in Section 11.
Pay Increase:
An increase in pay for employees in the form of a step progression (currently set at 2.372%) in the paygrade or an adjustment to the overall scale. Eligibility for pay increases may be based on an employee’s performance.
Payperiod:
A period of two consecutive workweeks, beginning on a Saturday and ending on a Friday.
Payplan:
A formal, written description of job classification titles and their corresponding grade and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) designation.
Performance Standards:
Benchmarks set by the appraiser to define the desired level of employee performance. These are developed and combined with the criteria for each competency.
Personnel Record:
The official central file of information pertaining to each employee, maintained by the Department of Human Resources.
Position Number:
A unique number and job classification assigned by the Department of Human Resources to each position authorized by the Board of Supervisors or County Manager and listed in the personnel complement.
Promotion:
Transfer from one job classification to another of a higher grade in which the employee meets the minimum qualification standards and which carries with it an increase in pay. A promotion may be rescinded with the approval of the Director of Human Resources for good cause.
Reclassification:
The change of a position from one job classification to another, as determined by the Director of Human Resources.
Re-employment:
When an employee is rehired by the County after being gone for six (6) months or less from the effective date of his separation.
Regrade:
A change in the assigned grade of a class based on labor market conditions or County organizational restructure approved by the County Manager.  No change in pay is provided for an employee whose position has been regraded, unless he falls below the entry step of the new pay scale.
Resignation:
An employee’s voluntary separation of employment.
Retirement:
An action or status of an eligible employee who applies for and is approved by the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) for retirement benefits and who voluntarily leaves County employment for that reason.
Salary Range:
  A range of pay associated with a grade, which includes a minimum rate and a maximum rate of pay.
Seasonal Employee:
An employee hired to support a program or project for a period not to exceed six (6) months. A seasonal employee is paid on an hourly basis and is not covered by County benefits.
Secondary Employment:
Employment (within or outside of the County) other than the employee’s primary job assignment with the County. Secondary employment also includes selling and/or delivering services or products during work hours.
Step:
A number between 1 and 26 (inclusive) assigned to an increment within a grade. Movement from one step to another within a grade is valued at 2.372%.
Supervisor:
An employee who has the responsibility for directing and evaluating the work of other employees, including but not limited to:
assigning and scheduling work, recommending or taking disciplinary action, providing on‐the‐job training, approving leave requests, and/or recommending hiring or dismissal.
Timecard:
A method used to enter the number of hours worked, leave earned, or leave taken for each day during a specific payperiod or pay cycle.
Timekeeper:
A person designated by the agency head who enters timecard information into HRMS for employees or groups of employees. The timekeeper also assists in overseeing/reviewing the time entry, submission, and approval of electronic timecards.
Transfer:
The movement of an employee for any reason from one position to another in the same or different grade.  If an employee moves to a position with a higher grade, it is considered a promotion; if an employee moves to a position with a lower grade, it is considered a demotion. A transfer may be rescinded for good cause with the approval of the Director of Human Resources.Unclassified Position:   A position that does not have access to the County’s grievance procedure. The County Manager in his sole discretion determines what positions are considered unclassified, a listing of which is maintained by the Director of Human Resources.
Volunteer:
An individual who is registered as a volunteer with the County’s Volunteer Services Program and provides services to any agency within the County without compensation.
Workday:
A day on which an employee is scheduled to be on-duty.
Workplace:
Any site where an employee performs their work, including but not limited to any County building or premise; any County‐owned vehicle; any building or premise used by the County for County business; and any non‐County property during any County‐sponsored or County‐approved activity, event, or function. “Workplace” also includes all County‐owned property such as, but not limited to:
offices, desks, computers, lockers, safes, file cabinets, and toolboxes.
Workweek:
A fixed and regularly recurring seven-day period, beginning at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

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