25-035 960 Program

The purpose of this notice is to inform employees of the process set forth by Prop F for a retired City employee to work for the City and County of San Francisco under certain provisions. In 1994, the electorate of the City and County of San Francisco passed Proposition F, Employment after Retirement, a charter amendment. The passing of this charter amendment allows retired City employees, who have special skills or knowledge, to return to work for the City for no more than 120 days or 960 hours each year and continue to receive retirement benefits while working. This employment shall not replace a permanent civil service employee. 

Any request to hire a retired City employee for a temporary position under the guidelines of this charter amendment shall require approval by the Chief of Police or designee.

Procedure

The San Francisco Police Department may hire retired City employees with specialized skills and knowledge to work part-time in temporary roles that support the Department's operational efficiency. A Commanding Officer or Director of any unit within the Department may request to temporarily hire a retired City employee to supplement and assist their full-time staff as follows: 

1. The Commanding Officer, Director, or their designee shall submit a memorandum through the chain of command to the Chief of Police. The memorandum must include:
   • The reason and necessity for hiring a retired City employee for a specific job f unction.
   • The specialized skills and knowledge required by the retiree.
   • A job description/summary of the position.
   • A list of duties to be performed by the retiree.
   • Minimum qualifications for the position.
   • The anticipated work schedule and hours based on the unit's needs.
2. Positions approved by the Chief of Police or their designee will be forwarded to the Human Resources Manager in the Staff Services Division. Depending on the assignment, an interview may be required. The final selection will be made by the Commanding Officer or Director of the unit, with final approval from the Chief of Police or their designee.
3. The Human Resources Manager will coordinate with the Department of Human Resources and the Mayor's Budget Office to secure a temporary exempt (960) requisition (hiring authority).
4. Once hiring authority has been obtained, the selected candidate will be referred to the Backgrounds Unit. Upon successful completion of the background investigation, the Staff Services Division will coordinate onboarding the 960 participant with the Commanding Officer or Director of the unit.
5. The Staffing and Deployment Unit (SDU) will maintain a database of retired City employees participating in this program.
6. The SDU will conduct audits of the 960 Program and generate status reports for the Chief of Police, including:
   • Participant names
   • Job codes
   • Job titles
   • Date of appointment
   • Current assignments
7. The Staff Services Division will create and maintain a database of retired SFPD employees who express interest in participating in the 960 Program as openings become available.
8. Employees wishing to be considered for 960 positions upon retirement should submit a memorandum outlining their special skills and knowledge, as well as their desired assignment. This memorandum should be submitted through their chain of command to the Staff Services Division for review and inclusion in the 960 interest list.

Additional Guidelines

Commanding Officers or Directors shall work with 960 Program participants under their command to ensure compliance with the maximum 960 work hours or 120 days per fiscal year, whichever is greater, as specified in Charter §A8. 511(c). 960 Program participants are exempt from Civil Service Rules and serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.

In May of each year, Commanding Officers, Directors, or their designee shall review and reassess the necessity and status of each 960 position and participant working under their command. A memorandum shall be submitted to the Chief of Police with a recommendation to continue or discontinue the employment of each retired City employee before the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, any Commanding Officer or Director may recommend, through the chain of command, that a 960 employee be released.

All 960 employees are considered at-will employees, and the number of hours assigned is subject to the Department's needs (not to exceed 960 hours within a fiscal year).

Supervisors at all levels are responsible for overseeing the performance and professional appearance ofretired City employees assigned to their command. 960 Program participants must adhere to all Department and City policies.

A 960 employee may transfer from one assignment to another only with the approval ofor at the direction of the Chief of Police, or their designee.

/s/
WILLIAM SCOTT 
Chief of Police

Per DN 23-152, all sworn & non-sworn members shall electronically acknowledge this Department document in PowerDMS within (30) thirty calendar days of issuance. Members whose duties are relevant to this document shall be held responsible for compliance. Any questions regarding this policy should be sent to [email protected] who will provide additional information.